Long-term care provides a certain level of medical care that requires the experience of a skilled physician to diagnose and treat multiple chronic conditions that are generally associated with elderly patients. Long-term care provides a variety of services to individuals who suffer from chronic illness or terminal condition, including people who live with a disability and are not adequately capable of taking care of themselves over the course of an extended period of time, without assistance. The services that long-term care provides include medical and non-medical care for people who require constant assistance with physical health from injury to frailness of old age, personal emotional needs, or mental problems. Long term care could be provided at home, in the community, assisted living facilities, or nursing homes. The purpose of a Nursing Home is to care for individuals who are not able to be cared for at home. Most long-term care is meant to assist people with any support services or daily activities, such as dressing, bathing or using the restroom.
Continuum of Care
Started early in the 2000th century, continuum of care was introduced as a notion to establish a more organized healthcare delivery system in an effort to use limited resources more efficiently and effectively. Continuum of Care services is a concept involving a more integrated system of care that helps guide and keep better track of patients over a prolonged time period, ultimately through a complete comprehensive display of health care services of which span all levels of intensity of care providing a representation of a structured daily guide for making decisions regarding the patient’s healthcare delivery. The guide is meant to ensure overall managed health care to patients; this includes assistance with basic care such as arranging doctors’ appointments or prescriptions to more extensive or advanced care such as hospital or critical care.