Experts estimate that roughly 60 percent of the population will need long term care at some point in their lives. Long-term care can be the result of an accident or it could be the result of a sudden onset health condition, like a heart attack or a stroke. It could also be necessary after a gradual decline that comes with old age or chronic conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
What is Long Term Care?
Long term care is a general term that describes a variety of services that someone else will provide to you when you can no longer do them yourself. It can either be temporary or permanent.
These services allow the injured person to still live as independently as possible because most long term care assistance is provided in the home. In most situations, services are provided by friends or family members, but there are professional services available as well. Care centers and facilities like nursing homes and adult day cares are often available in the community.
Long Term Care After an Accident
Serious car accidents can sometimes be so detrimental that they require the use of long-term care facilities. Often, however, this care may only be temporary. Those who may need temporary long term care include:
- Those who are rehabilitating after an accident or injury
- Those who are recovering from a work-related illness
- Those who are recovering from surgery
- Those who have a terminal medical condition
Those who need ongoing long-term care (for months or years) might include those who have chronic pain or chronic medical conditions. Those who have permanent disabilities following an accident may also need long term care.
Generally, anyone who cannot function on their own and needs supervision and help can benefit from long term care.
Seeking a medical opinion on your future care requirements will help establish what your medical and care expenses may be going forward. Of course, it is also generally good for your health.
Having a realistic grasp of what your future care may look like will also help you mentally and emotionally cope with any physical limitations. Suddenly requiring long term care can be difficult, but having a medical expert let you know what to expect will help.
Common Services Provided in Long Term Care
Long term care helps with physical and emotional needs. It can be adjusted based on the unique needs of each individual. Some common services include helping with:
- Managing pain
- General transportation needs
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Providing physical or occupational therapy
- Feeding
- Attending medical appointments
- Shopping and running errands
- Providing meals
- Yard maintenance
If you or your family cannot provide long term care for your loved one after an accident, then there are services that will help you with this. However, these services come at a cost.
Paying for Long Term Care
Not all insurance plans will cover long term care, even temporary long term care. In fact, sometimes a long term care insurance plan should be purchased separately to be sure that you are covered. While these plans vary in price, not having this type of plan can be very expensive.
One way to combat the cost of long term care after an accident is to bring a personal injury lawsuit. If your accident, fall, construction accident, etc. was caused by someone else’s carelessness or recklessness, then you may have a valid personal injury claim.
Bringing a personal injury claim could award you compensation that will cover many of the costs associated with your injury, including:
- Lost wages
- Lost future earning capacity
- Medical expenses
- Future medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Long term care expenses
Hire an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer
If you think that you or a loved one may have a personal injury claim, our Stuart personal injury lawyer at Fetterman & Associates, PA can help.
We understand what you and your family are going through because, unfortunately, we see similar cases every day. Call 561-845-2510 for a free case evaluation or use our live chat feature below.
Related Link :
Understanding Long Term Care: What Your Settlement Needs to Cover