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Understanding the Continuum of Care

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Understanding Continuum of Care Services Damita Boone HCA/210 August 3, 2012 Stacy Hull Vance

• What is long-term care? Provide an example.
Long-term care is a variety of services that includes medical and non-medical care to people who have a chronic illness or disability. Long-term care helps meet health or personal needs. Most long-term care is to assist people with support services such as activities of daily living like dressing, bathing, eating, and using the bathroom. Long-term care can be provided at home, in the community, in assisted living or in nursing homes. Long-term care can be given at any age depending on the situation or disability. The type of long-term care an individual may receive depends on their current situation but all situations are subject to change. For example, my current patient had no use of her arms so she needed 24hour care. I had to feed, dress, bathe, groom, and even drive her to the places she needed to go. Unless her current condition changes, she will always need assistance. I was doing private duty so I took care of her in her home. The shifts were split between two other people so our performance for her was at good standards.
• What is the continuum of care services in the United States?
The continuum of care services is a concept involving an integrated system of care that guides and tracks a patient over time through a comprehensive array of health services spanning all levels of intensity care. Continuum of care is a vital component in providing health care services. It provides you with everything an individual needs to have their care managed effectively from basic care, like prescriptions and making appointments, to more advanced care, like hospital stays and critical care. This creates a medical

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