Long term care; what is it? To me it is when my grandfather makes sure that my grandmother does not freak out when she doesn't remember where she is. It is when he cooks for her everyday just so she will take her medication on time. It is how he arranges travel plans for my aunts, uncles and mom to stay with their mother in Barbados so she does not forget their faces, like my great-grandmother did to her children. It is everything he does to make her life a little less confusing because with her Alzheimer's, confusion is all she thinks about. This is my definition of long term care.
Unfortunately, my definitions don't not always fly. Long term care represents the special attention that certain people need in order to function daily. Some are IADL's but more are ADL's, which means that they need people there to help them use the bathroom, eat and even walk. Due to their chronic conditions like cancer and Alzheimer's, the care they need is constant and important because without it, they could die. Long term care has its place in healthcare, and it is not leaving any time soon.
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