Long-term care refers to services that help the elderly meet their personal or health needs. These services include in-home care, senior day care, residential care for Alzheimer’s or dementia patients, skilled nursing care, and nursing home care. Long-term care services have several benefits for the elderly. One of the most important is improved quality of life. These services help elderly people manage their medical conditions and may provide opportunities for socializing with others. Receiving long-term care services can also prevent seniors from becoming isolated and lonely. Family members should help seniors plan for their long-term needs as early as possible. This makes it possible to arrange for services before the senior needs them, making later transitions as smooth as possible.
Home Care
Caring for Your Parents Handbook (PDF)
This guide discusses the importance of home care for seniors. It also lists some situations in which home care may be appropriate.
This resource explains how to go about hiring a home health worker to care for a senior citizen.
This guide explains what home health care is and offers tips for choosing a quality home health care provider.
This resource discusses Medicare requirements for home health care and explains who may benefit from home health services.
Hiring Private Duty Home Care Workers
This guide provides an in-depth look at hiring private duty health care workers and explains the benefits of hiring someone through an agency instead of interviewing several individuals.
This guide explains the home health services by Medicare and outlines who is eligible for home health services under the Medicare plan.
Assisted Care
This resource explains what services are provided in an assisted living facility.
How to Find Affordable Assisted Living for a Relative
This guide explains how to find the most affordable assisted living facility for a senior citizen.
Assisted Living: What You Need to Know
This article explains what assisted living is and how assisted living facilities are regulated.
Assisted Living Conversion Program
This guide explains how those who own property may apply for funding to convert their buildings into assisted living facilities for the elderly.
This resource discusses some of the basic services provided by assisted living facilities and includes the monthly average cost for assisted living care.
Choosing Assisted Living Facilities Requires Research
This article explains the importance of conducting research when choosing an assisted living facility for a senior citizen.
Assisted Living Facility Cost
Assisted Living: Costs and Contracts (PDF)
This guide includes a list of financial questions that family members should ask when visiting an assisted living facility. This checklist of questions should help families determine the total cost of care for their loved ones.
Assisted Living Costs by State
This resource lists the average assisted living costs for each state. It also includes average costs for some of the largest cities in each state.
A National Study of Assisted Living for the Frail Elderly
This resource contains a chart that shows the difference in cost among different types of assisted living facilities.
Tax Implications of Assisted Living Costs (PDF)
This guide explains how assisted living costs can be deducted on a senior’s annual tax returns.
This guide contains a chart listing the median monthly cost of assisted living care in each state. Alaska has the highest median rate at $5,500 per month.
How to Reduce the Cost of Assisted Living
This resource contains tips for reducing the costs associated with assisted living services.
Alzheimer’s Care Facilities
Making the Move to a Care Facility
This resource offers a list of signs that a loved one may need residential Alzheimer’s care.
This resource discusses the costs associated with residential Alzheimer’s care and lists the documents needed to determine a senior’s true financial situation.
How to Find Proper Residential Care for Alzheimer’s Patients
This guide explains how loved ones can find a residential facility for a senior with Alzheimer’s disease.
Choosing a Health Care Facility for Someone with Alzheimer’s Disease
This article explains the three major types of care available for people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Standards for Licensing Community Residential Facilities
This resource explains what standards residential facilities must meet in order to maintain licenses in good standing.
This guide contains practical tips for finding a residential facility for someone with Alzheimer’s. The author recommends determining the resident-to-staff ratio, visiting the facility, and considering several other factors.
Long Term Care Insurance
Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance
This government website allows users to download a PDF guide to long-term care insurance. The guide defines long-term care insurance, explains the types of policies available, and explains what is covered by a long-term care insurance policy.
Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program Premium Calculator
This calculator allows seniors or their caregivers to estimate the costs of long-term care insurance under the FLTPCI program.
How Much Does Long Term Care Insurance Cost?
This resource explains the cost of long-term care insurance at ages 55 and 60. It also includes low and high cost estimates based on different policies.
A Consumer’s Guide to Buying Long-Term Care Insurance (PDF)
This guide from the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner helps consumers determine if long-term care insurance is right for them. It also includes information on long-term care insurance coverage.
This detailed handbook explains all of the elements of a long-term care insurance plan, such as premiums, daily benefit amounts, inflation protection, and group versus individual plans.
Long-Term Care Insurance for Consumers
This guide explains the importance of long-term care insurance to help with the high costs of assisted living, skilled care, or private home health care.
Skilled Care
Skilled Nursing Facility vs. Nursing Facility
This resource explains the difference between a nursing facility and skilled nursing facility.
How to Choose a Skilled Nursing Home
This guide contains a checklist for seniors and family members to use when choosing a skilled nursing home. The checklist covers available medical care, meals, resident safety, and other important topics.
Levels of Care for the Elderly
This article explains the difference between skilled care and other types of care for seniors.
How to Choose a Skilled Nursing Facility
This resource guides families in choosing skilled nursing facilities for their loved ones.
This guide explains how to choose a nursing home and includes a helpful checklist for seniors and their family members.
How to Choose a Nursing Home Facility
This resource explains the Medicare considerations related to choosing a nursing home. It also allows readers to download a nursing home selection checklist.
Long-Term Care Ratings
Long-Term Care Insurance: 4 Risks to Avoid
This article explains the importance of checking a long-term care insurance company’s financial rating before buying a policy.
State-Level Inspection Reports for Long-Term Care Facilities
This resource provides links to state inspection reports outlining deficiencies found in long-term care facilities. Reviewing these deficiencies before selecting a facility can prevent family members from putting an elderly loved one at risk.
10 Things You Should Know About Buying Long Term Care Insurance
This article explains why financial ratings are important when choosing a long-term care insurance company.
This site allows users to find quality ratings for long-term care facilities and nursing homes in California.
This report explains how consumers should interpret the financial stability ratings of long-term care insurance companies.
Long-Term Care Facility Quality Ratings
This resource explains how the Arizona Department of Health Services determines a long-term care facility’s quality rating.
Ratings for Nursing Homes
This resource allows users to check nursing home ratings in all 50 states. Users can also access abuse reports for U.S. nursing homes.
Find Ratings for Nursing Homes Near You
This resource allows users to search for nursing home ratings based on facility name, city, or state.
This article from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services explains how the five-star quality rating is assigned.
Nursing Homes and Care Homes Ratings
This article explains why nursing home ratings are so important for consumers.
Nursing Home Rating System May Not Tell the Whole Story
This article from the “Florida Times-Union” explains why the new five-star quality ratings may not help consumers find the best nursing homes.
How to Find the Star Rating for a Facility
This guide explains how to find a nursing home’s star rating.
Dementia Facilities
This checklist is meant to help families who need to choose a care facility for loved ones with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
Dementia: Choosing Residential Care
This guide explains how to choose a care facility for someone with dementia.
Residential Care Options for Loved Ones with Dementia (PDF)
This booklet explains how to evaluate a dementia care facility and emphasizes the importance of visiting each prospective facility.
Hospice Eligibility Guidelines for Persons with Dementia (PDF)
This resource explains the criteria used to determine if someone with dementia is eligible for hospice care.
Choosing the Right Type of Facility
This guide explains the four types of facilities that can care for someone with dementia.
Alzheimer’s and Dementia Facilities
This resource allows consumers to search for dementia and Alzheimer’s care facilities by state.
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