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General Overview
- Levels of Long-Term Care
- Long-Term Care Settings
- Why Plan Ahead for Long-Term Care Needs?
- Single Point of Entry
General Overview
Long-term Care (LTC) can be
defined as the medical and non-medical support services needed
by an individual with a prolonged illness or disability to
perform activities of daily living (ADL) or instrumental
activities of daily living (IADL). ADLS are personal care and
mobility activities that are necessary for everyday living.
IADLs are additional activities for independent living. The six
ADLs and several examples of IADLs are listed in the table
below.
| Activities of
Daily Living (ADL) |
Instrumental
Activities of Daily Living (IADL) |
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Grocery shopping
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Laundry
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Preparing meals
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Housework
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Managing medication
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Transportation
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Individuals with cognitive impairments may
also require LTC. Cognitive Impairment is a deterioration or
loss in intellectual capacity that results in impairments
related to short-term and long-term memory, orientation to
people, place, and time, deductive or abstract reasoning
(including judgment), and ability to perform ADLs.
Long-term care differs from acute care in that LTC services are
intended primarily to maintain health status, while acute care
(hospitalization) aims to improve or correct a medical problem.
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Levels of Long-Term Care
Long-term care encompasses many
different types of services, which are sometimes grouped into
the following levels:
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Skilled care is medical or
nursing care (such as help with medications, caring for
bandages and wounds) and therapies (such as occupational,
speech, respiratory, and physical therapy). Skilled care is
usually delivered by a nurse, therapist, or other trained
professional.
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Basic or Custodial care is help with the Activities of
Daily Living which individuals are unable to perform on
their own. Persons could be unable to walk and require
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Supervisory care provides monitoring and supervision, a
safe or controlled environment, and stand-by help with ADLs
to ensure that individuals do not harm themselves or others.
Supervisory care is often needed because of a severe
cognitive impairment.
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Supportive assistance includes help with the Instrumental
Activities of Daily Living.
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Long-Term Care Settings
Long-term care services can be
provided in a variety of settings:
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In the home with assistance by
family, friends, volunteer and church groups, or Area
Agencies on Aging and other social service agencies
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Community-based services such as adult day service centers
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Residential care and support at assisted living
communities
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Rehabilitation, hospice, and nursing home centers
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Why Plan Ahead for Long-Term Care Needs?
No one wants to think about when
they might need LTC. It is natural that thinking about needing
LTC and “planning ahead” is often postponed, sometimes until it
is too late.
Most people learn about LTC the hard way – when they or a loved
one needs care. However, LTC needs are best met when they are
planned for. Planning ahead gives individuals time to talk with
their family about preferences and concerns, to research care
options in the community, and to give some thought to preferred
types of services and providers. Furthermore, planning ahead
gives individuals the time to plan for how they will pay for
care. Some of the specific advantages of planning ahead include:
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Providing choice over care
options and control over where and how one receives LTC.
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Improving quality of life. This results in less emotional
and financial stress on individuals and their families.
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Easing the burden of providing care by loved ones. Family
members can still be involved in the daily care routine, but
they can be a supplement rather than being the only source
of care, which is emotionally and physically demanding.
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The Single Point of Entry
The Single Point of Entry (SPE)
will be a highly-visible and trusted source of information and
assistance about long-term care, aiding Michigan residents with
planning and access to needed services & supports, in accordance
with their preferences.
The Detroit Wayne County Long Term Care Connection (DWCTLCC)
will serve as the single point of entry for Wayne County and
will use the person centered planning process to help consumers
make informed choices the type of long term care needed.
DWCTLCC is a demonstration project funded by grants for the
Administration on Aging (AoA) and The Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid (CMS). A grant was awarded to Detroit Area Agency on
Aging on July 1, 2006. They began implementing the program in
Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Harper Woods, and the Grosse
Pointes. A phase in for Western and Southern Wayne County is
scheduled to be complete by October 1, 2007
Consumers can receive information about Long Term Care services
by dialing (866) MICH LTC (866-642-4582). You can get additional
information by reading our publication “The Seniority News” and
by visiting the following websites:
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