A new Web site launched last month by the state of Connecticut should help baby boomers navigate the decision-making process for long-term care for their parents ”“ or for themselves, when the need arises. The site ”“ www.ct.gov/longtermcare ”“ was mandated by the General Assembly to provide easy access to comprehensive information on the various elements of long-term care.
“We”™re seeing an increasing demand for long-term-care information to help older adults and persons of all ages with disabilities,” said Julian Evans Starr, executive director of the Connecticut Commission on Aging. Commission representatives, the Office of Policy and Management, the Long-Term Care Advisory Council and Infoline helped develop the Web site.
The site suggests that while long-term care once meant nursing home care, the concept has broadened to include everything from in-home care to provide occasional help with daily living, partial assistance at other “adult day care” sites in the community, and 24-hour assistance in a managed residential setting or an institutional setting such as a nursing home.
“It”™s clear the need will grow significantly over the next several decades,” Starr said. Federal government statistics estimate the number of people needing long-term care could almost double from 15 million in 2000 to 27 million by 2050. In Connecticut, demand for long-term-care services among those 40 and older is expected to rise from 188,000 last year to 240,230 by 2030 ”“ a 28 percent increase, the state said. In addition, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that more than 400,000 people in Connecticut, 13 percent of the state”™s population, have a disability, the state said.
“People need information on the variety of services that will help them lead more independent lives in the least-restrictive setting, whenever possible in their own homes and communities,” Starr said.
That”™s where the new Web site comes in. The easy-to-navigate site has eight major informational headings, including a directory of long-term-care providers, planning for long-term care and paying for it. Options for paying include sections on long-term-care insurance, Medicaid, private pay, and reverse mortgage loan programs.
The state”™s long-term care plan says such care covers services needed to help people with basic functions such as eating, dressing or bathing, or tasks necessary for independent living such as shopping, house cleaning and managing finances ”“ needs that are met in the home, community, residences or institutions.
“In reality, hundreds of thousands of residents of all ages require long-term care because it encompasses the array of services and supports needed for expended periods by people with physical or mental disabilities or those who are chronically ill,” said Gov. M. Jodi Rell in a media release. “Whether we require care ourselves or provide it for a loved one, virtually all of us are likely to be touched by the need for long-term care at some point in our lives.”
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