Of the 12 million people needing long-term care, only 1.5 million are in nursing homes. Other choices include home care, assisted living and adult day care. Long-term care doesn't happen just to an individual, it happens to an entire family. One in three workers take care of an aging family member. Worker productivity is affected by family health problems.
Insurance can provide personal and professional care services at home to ease the caretaking load.
There are several types of care related to illness and physical conditions. Some medical conditions require specially trained nurses or therapists, usually 24 hours a day. Intermediate nursing care requires daily supervision but not 24 hours a day. The level of care ranges from bathing and dressing at home to skilled services in a nursing home. Medicare sometimes covers some skilled nursing care in nursing homes or at home, but there is no coverage for intermediate or custodial care or prolonged home health care.