Ross M E, Wright M F
School of Nursing, University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center 77030, USA.
J Community Health Nurs. 1998;15(2):77-89. doi: 10.1207/s15327655jchn1502_2.
As people age, there is an increase in chronic illness and disability and thus a growing need for long-term care. Unfortunately, the concept of long-term care can be very complex and confusing. Elderly individuals and their family members frequently have many questions, such as the following: What is long-term care, and who needs it? What long-term care services are available? Who will provide the services? Where will the services be provided? How much will the services cost, and who will pay for the expenses? Indeed, the cost of providing long-term care, whether in an institution or in one's own home, may represent an enormous burden for individuals and their families. Nurses, especially community health nurses, are in a prime position to address these questions and concerns to ensure appropriate care and services for their clients. This article addresses the questions clients frequently ask by defining long-term care and discussing long-term care services, settings, and providers. In addition, 4 methods of financing long-term care will be presented.
随着人们年龄的增长，慢性病和残疾情况增多，因此对长期护理的需求也日益增加。不幸的是，长期护理的概念可能非常复杂且令人困惑。老年人及其家庭成员经常会有许多问题，如下所示：什么是长期护理，谁需要它？有哪些长期护理服务？谁将提供这些服务？服务将在哪里提供？服务费用是多少，谁将支付这些费用？实际上，无论是在机构中还是在自己家中提供长期护理，其成本都可能给个人及其家庭带来巨大负担。护士，尤其是社区健康护士，处于解答这些问题和担忧的有利位置，以确保为其客户提供适当的护理和服务。本文通过定义长期护理并讨论长期护理服务、场所和提供者来解答客户经常提出的问题。此外，还将介绍4种长期护理的融资方式。
