Home-based long-term care: providing services, preparing for challenges

Should they find themselves faced with the need for long-term care and support, a majority of Americans will tell you they would wish to retain their independence and dignity, remaining in their own homes and active in their communities as long as possible given their conditions or disabilities. It's not only seniors and the aging population, but also millions of younger disabled individuals across the country. Many view this choice not merely as a preference but a right they cling to fiercely. Yet as widespread as this sentiment may be, many of our nation's citizens and their families and loved ones find themselves unclear about the process, unaware of their options in long-term care, and often uninformed at the time of hospital discharge of available resources to help.