Long Term Care
Living Easier with Aging
70% of people turning age 65 can expect to use some form of long-term care during their lives and there are a number of factors that affect the possibility that you will need care:
Age:
The older you are, the more likely you will need long-term care.
Gender:
Women outlive men by about five years on average, so they are more likely to live at home alone when they are older.
Disability:
Having an accident or chronic illness that causes a disability is another reason for needing long-term care.
Between ages 40 and 50, on average, eight percent of people have a disability that could require long-term care services.
69 percent of people age 90 or more have a disability.
Health Status:
Chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure make you more likely to need care.
Your family history, such as whether your parents or grandparents had chronic conditions, may increase your likelihood.
Poor diet and exercise habits increase your chances of needing long-term care.
Living Arrangements:
If you live alone you are more likely to need paid care than if you’re married, or single and living with a partner.
What is Long-Term Care?
Long-term care is a range of services and supports that you may need in order to meet your personal care needs. Most long-term care is not medical care. Rather, it is assistance with the basic personal tasks of everyday life, sometimes called Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), such as:
Bathing
Dressing
Using the toilet
Transferring (to or from bed or chair)
Caring for incontinence
Eating
Other common long-term care services and supports are assistance with everyday tasks, sometimes called Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs). These include:
Housework
Managing money
Taking medication
Preparing and cleaning up after meals
Shopping for groceries or clothes
Using the telephone or other communication devices
Caring for pets
Responding to emergency alerts such as fire alarms