Long-Term Care Basics | An Introduction

Long-term care insurance protects policyholders with chronic illness, disabilities, or cognitive impairments who need constant care for a prolonged period. Long-term care is most simply defined as the care required to stay as independent as possible for as long as possible and is most often provided at home, adult day care centers, assisted living facilities, nursing facilities and Alzheimer’s Centers.

People needing long-term care typically are dealing with chronic situations requiring custodial care (not skilled care). Because custodial care is needed day in and day out, and often year in and year out, it can become staggeringly expensive. While skilled care directed by a physician is usually covered by health insurance and /or Medicare, custodial care is most often not. It is also important to note that there is no Federal program for long-term care other than Medicaid, which provides health insurance for those legally destitute.

Those needing care typically need assistance because of cognitive impairments (Alzheimer’s) or they need help with physical activities of daily living (ADL’s); i.e. bathing, dressing, continence/toileting, and ability to transfer from one point to another. These deficiencies are brought about by many forms of dementia, accidents, diseases such as Parkinson’s, strokes, or just the frailty of old age.

Those who have been touched by the emotional or financial dynamics of long-term care know that the need for care can happen to anyone at anytime