Types of Care

Because LTC services are provided to chronically ill individuals over an extended period of time, naturally they encompass a broad range of services from all categories of care providers.

Care can be received in one’s own home, in the community (eg. Adult Day Care or Adult Foster Homes), in residential care facilities such as Assisted Living, in Skilled Nursing Facilities, or in Continuing Care Retirement Communities which combine elements of many other care modalities.

Most long term care is considered “custodial” in nature, which is help with Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s):

• Eating
• Bathing
• Dressing
• Transferring (to or from a bed, or chair)
• Toileting
• Continence

Long term care services can also include assistance with Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL’s) such as:

• Meal preparation
• Shopping
• Housekeeping
• Laundry
• Bill paying
• Medication management

Depending on the deterioration of one’s functioning, it may be possible to get by simply with assistance from family, friends or a Homemaker from a professional agency, or care may need to be provided by Licensed or Certified home health aides, physical, occupational or speech therapists, or even LPN’s or RN’s.