Glossary Of Terms - L

Long Term Care
refers to a broad spectrum of medical and support services provided to persons who have lost some or all capacity to function on their own due to chronic illness or disabling injury. Services are rendered in a setting apart from the acute care center of a hospital, and are usually of long duration and require a lower medical skill level to administer.

Long Term Care Facility
A place which:

1. Is licensed by the state where it is located; and

2. Provides nursing care on an inpatient basis under the supervision of a physician; and

3. Has 24 hour-a-day nursing services provided by or under the supervision of a registered nurse (R.N.), licensed vocational nurse (L.V.N.), or licensed practical nurse (L.P.N.), and

4. Keeps a daily medical record of each patient; and

5. May be either a freestanding facility or a distinct part of a facility such as a ward, wing, unit, or swing-bed of a hospital or other institution.

These facilities are sometimes known as nursing homes, extended care facilities, convalescent care facilities, or nursing sanitarium and usually admit those people requiring either a constant or semi-constant skilled level of medical care.

A Long Term Care Facility does not mean a hospital or clinic, an Alternate Care Facility, a boarding home, a place which operates primarily for the treatment of alcoholics or drug addicts, or a hospice.

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