What is Long Term Care?

Long term care is the term given to long term care provided to individuals either in their own home, in community settings or residential care homes, either by family or professional carers to help with everyday activities such as eating, bathing and dressing necessitated because of chronic illness, disability or frailty.

Our Hope

We all hope that our retirement will be a long and happy one and that we retain our health, independence and dignity in our own home until the very end.

The Reality

The reality is that

• In England alone during 2007-8 an estimated 2.1 million contacts from new clients were made to local authorities. Source Community Care Statistics 2007-8 - www.ic.nhs.uk
  
  
• In England alone there were 326,000 people in residential or nursing care of which only 26,000 were in local authority staffed care homes. Source: Community Care Statistics 2006 - www.ic.nhs.uk
  
  
• Due to medical advances we are living longer. As we live longer it is more likely that due to frailty we will find it more difficult to do the basics in life.
  

This is supported by Government statistics which shows that although:-

• Female life expectancy has risen from 76.8 in 1981 to 80.4 in 2001. A rise of 5%, the corresponding number of years lived in poor health rose to 11.6 years in from 10.1 in 1981 - a rise of 15 %
  
  
• Male life expectancy rose during the same time from 70.9 in 1981 to 75.7 in 2001- a rise of 6.7%. The average number of years they might live in poor health rose to 8.7 years in 2001 compared with 6.5 in 1981 -a rise of 34 % !
  source: Department of National Statistics 22nd July 2004

There are basically 4 distinct different types of long term care which people may need, these are :-

• Continuing NHS Health Care
• Intermediate Care
• Domiciliary Care
• Residential Care Home

To find out more about the different types of long term care and the financial implications of each, call us on 0800 970 4885 or complete an enquiry form.