Long-term care refers to a continuum of medical and social services designed to meet the needs of people living with chronic health problems that affect their ability to perform everyday activities. Long-term care services include traditional medical services, social services and counseling.
The goals of long-term care are much more difficult to measure than the goals of acute care. Whereas the primary goal of acute care is to return an individual to a previous functioning level, long-term care aims to prevent deterioration and promote social adjustment to stages of decline.
This article originally appeared on McKnight's
