Long-term care encompasses a continuum of services for people with a variety of disabilities and chronic conditions. Services may be provided in the home, in an institution, or as part of day programs. Long-term care includes an array of health services, supportive housing, social services and assistance with activities of daily living. Examples of long-term care range from a nursing home providing care for a person with Alzheimer's disease to a home health aide helping an elder person dress in the morning.
The issues surrounding long-term care affect all elders, Americans with aging parents, providers, individuals with chronic conditions, taxpayers, and policymakers.
Long-term care has become a critically important topic in the public debate. Key factors driving this issue's growing importance include the following:
- Americans 85 and older comprise the fastest-growing age group in the nation.
- Most older persons have at least one chronic condition.
- Chronic conditions, rather than infectious diseases, are now the leading causes of illness and death in the United States.
- Family caregivers face increasing strain trying to balance caring for loved ones with the demands of work.
- Federal and state governments face massive and growing expenditures for long-term care.
- Health care delivery systems are poorly designed to address chronic care needs.
As policymakers grapple with these and related issues, relevant and unbiased information is vital to guide them in their work.
