Long-Term Care [LTC]
Long Term Care (LTC) is what we commonly refer to when we think of a “nursing home,” in the traditional sense. Stay in an LTC facility is generally for a period of fourteen months or longer and provides assistance with daily tasks and personal care when a patient is at risk of injury. While it is often helpful in more advanced life-stages, Long Term Care is not limited to the elderly. LTC might also include surgical recovery patients with long term bed rest and therapy needs; patients suffering from chronic conditions with long term effects; or patients who have sustained a stroke, nerve damage, or similar event and require physical therapy for rehabilitation.
One important distinction between LTC facilities and SNF care is the financial implications if governmental funding, like Medicaid or Medicare, are contributing at all to your payment plan. Beyond private pay and insurance coverage, the major difference in payment option effects between facility types, is that Medicare will usually cover SNF care, but not Long Term Care.