Long-term care is a variety of services that help meet both the medical and nonmedical needs of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods of time.

It is common for long-term care to provide custodial and non-skilled care, such as assisting with normal daily tasks like dressing, feeding, and using the bathroom.
Increasingly, long-term care involves providing a level of medical care that requires the expertise of skilled practitioners to address the multiple chronic conditions associated with older populations. Long-term care can be provided at home, in the community, in assisted living facilities, or in nursing homes.

Long-term care can be provided formally or informally.
Formal: Services typically provide living accommodation for people who require on-site delivery of around-the-clock supervised care, including professional health services, personal care, and services such as meals, laundry, and housekeeping.
Informal: Care and support are provided by family members, friends, and other unpaid volunteers. It is estimated that 90% of all home care is provided informally by a loved one without compensation for caregiving.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Internet. Accessed on January 18, 2016.