November is not only celebrated as “National Family Caregivers Month”, but we're also celebrating National Long-Term Care Awareness Month.  

Before this month ends, use this time to educate yourself on the subject of long-term care, and its' importance to you and your loved ones both now, and in the future.

"Long Term Care. So... What is It?"

Both the Genworth Life Insurance Company of New York and the National Institute of Aging give good definitions of long-term care and additional related information.

(*Note: We are not endorsing the products of or have any personal/business relationship with the Genworth Life Insurance Company of New York.  The information provided here is for educational purposes only)

Genworth's definition is:

"Long term care is the care you may need if you are unable to perform daily activities on your own. That means things like eating, bathing, dressing, transferring and using the bathroom. The goal of long-term care is to help you maintain your lifestyle as you age. Medicare, Medicare supplement insurance, and the health insurance you may have at work usually won’t pay for long term care...

The need for long term care impacts the entire family, not just the person requiring care. For example, if your son or daughter is taking care of you, it may bring you closer together in some way. But providing that care can be time-consuming, stressful, or exhausting for a caregiver. It also takes them away from their own obligations including their children, their spouses, and their job."

Genworth's site also provides further information by covering the topics of:

• Why would you need it?
• Who is affected?
• What are the factors that affect who'll need long-term care?
• Choices in care settings
• Types of care settings
• Understanding Medicare and Medicaid
• How to pay for care?
• How much do long-term care services cost?
• Cost of care trends and insights

The National Institute on Aging's definition of long-term aging states that:

"Long-term care involves a variety of services designed to meet a person's health or personal care needs during a short or long period of time. These services help people live as independently and safely as possible when they can no longer perform everyday activities on their own...

Long-term care is provided in different places by different caregivers, depending on a person's needs. Most long-term care is provided at home by unpaid family members and friends. It can also be given in a facility such as a nursing home or in the community, for example, in an adult day care center...

People often need long-term care when they have a serious, ongoing health condition or disability. The need for long-term care can arise suddenly, such as after a heart attack or stroke. Most often, however, it develops gradually, as people get older and frailer or as an illness or disability gets worse."

The Institute also covers:

• Who needs long-term care?
• What are the different types of home-based long-term care services?
• Are you a long-distance care giver? When it's time to leave home
• Home health care
• Homemaker and personal care services
• Friendly visitor and senior companion services
• Emergency medical alert systems
• Advance care directives
• Making housing decisions: aging-in-place
• Talking to your parents about long-term care
• Making financial decisions about long-term care

Finding Local Services for Long-Term Care

The U.S. Federal Government website, LongTermCare.gov, offers links to several websites to find long-term care services, including the Eldercare Locator.

We've covered quite a bit of information during this month on the informational needs of family caregivers and the need for long-term care awareness.  Let this month be your "jumping off point" to an even better balanced and abundant life!