Levels of Care
Levels of care range from minimal assistance and supervision to intensive medical support. The person you are caring for may experience and progress through multiple levels of care during your time as a caregiver.
Companion Care: Social interaction, transportation, assistance with errands, and supervision
Home Care or Personal Care: Assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing, meal preparation, chore services, and others
Aging Services: Programs provided by Area Agencies on Aging to help older adults stay happy and healthy at home and in their communities, including support with health, wellness, nutrition, protection from abuse, Medicare, prescription medication, and more.
Adult Day Services: Offer personal care, nursing, social services, activities, meals, and emergency care. Some centers also provide physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and other medical services. These centers help support caregivers by providing access to supervised activities while enabling the individual to continue living at home.
Respite Care: Temporary supervision and support provided to an older adult or person with disabilities so that their family caregiver can get a short break from their care responsibilities.
Living Independence For the Elderly (LIFE): Comprehensive, all-inclusive medical and supportive services. The program is known nationally as the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).
Home Health Care: Skilled nursing, therapy (occupational, speech, physical), and rehabilitation services provided at home, often after an illness, injury, or hospitalization.
Rehabilitative Care: Short-term care and therapy following an injury, illness, or surgery, including speech, physical, or occupational therapies.
Independent Living: Safe housing designed for active older adults who need little or no daily assistance but offers access to services such as housekeeping, meal services, and social programs.
Domiciliary Care (Dom Care): Provides a homelike living arrangement within their community. Dom Care providers open their homes to individuals aged 18 and older who need supervision, support, and encouragement and are unable to live on their own.
Assisted living facility (ALF): Housing for those who may need help living independently but do not need skilled nursing care. The level of assistance varies among residences and may include assistance with bathing, dressing, meals and housekeeping. The out-of-pocket costs vary depending on the level of assistance provided.
Memory Care: Specialized care for those living with dementia.
Skilled Nursing Care: Higher medical and personal care offered in nursing home facilities with 24/7 access to care and supervision.
Life Plan Communities: A community that offers independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care within a single campus, allowing residents to transition between care levels as needed.
Safety and Complaints in Long-Term Care: Pennsylvania’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program helps people with complaints about long-term care services. It aims to solve these problems and make the long-term care system better for residents and their families. Request assistance from a Long-Term Care Ombudsman.
Palliative Care: Comfort care focused on individuals with serious illness or chronic pain.
Hospice Care: Comfort care focused on supporting the needs of individuals near their end of life.
Palliative and hospice care are types of patient-centered care that provide support to individuals with serious health conditions. Palliative care can be provided at any stage of illness. Hospice care is appropriate for individuals who are expected to live for six months or less. Both palliative and hospice care use teams made up of different kinds of medical and other professionals, such as physicians, nurses, and social workers, to provide coordinated care for patients and meet the medical, social, spiritual, and other needs of the patient and the patient’s family.
Find a palliative care or hospice provider through the PA Hospice and Palliative Care Network.
Settings of Care
Settings of care may range from the home and community to facility. You and your care recipient may find a suitable setting based on their needs and desire to remain in their homes and communities.
Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS): Services provided directly in the home or a community location that supports older adults to remain in their homes and communities while accessing the services they need. HCBS may be provided in the home, at adult day centers, or other community locations.
Living Independence For the Elderly (LIFE) Centers: Participants receive coordinated care in a LIFE center while also receiving home-based support. LIFE includes comprehensive, all-inclusive medical and supportive services. The program is known nationally as the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).
Independent Living Communities: Age-restricted communities with homes or apartments designed for the needs of older adults.
Personal Care Homes: Designed to provide safe, comfortable and supportive residential settings for adults who do not require skilled nursing services, but who do require assistance or supervision with activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, or both.
Assisted Living Facilities: A long-term care alternative to allow individuals to age in place. Residents will receive the assistance they need to age in place to develop and maintain maximum independence, exercise decision-making and personal choice. Assisted Living Facilities are paid completely out of pocket.
Memory Care Unit: Secure environments designed for individuals living with dementia.
Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF): Nursing homes or facilities offering full-time medical care and rehabilitative services for individuals with significant health needs. Many rehabilitation centers are connected to SNFs.
Inpatient Hospice Facilities: Dedicated facilities focused on providing end-of-life care for patients whose conditions can no longer be managed at home.
Life Plan Communities: Integrated communities that offer long-term housing and care solutions as an individual’s care needs change, often requiring an entrance fee and monthly payments.
Printable Worksheets
The Caregiver Decision Worksheet includes a list of questions intended to help you as the caregiver identify solutions and make informed decisions.
The Long-Term Care Facility Worksheet includes list of questions to ask before choosing a facility.
The Older Adult Housing Needs Worksheet includes a list of questions to evaluate the best housing option based on their individual needs, preferences, and resources.
The Home Health Hiring Worksheet includes a list of questions to information about each home health service you’re considering.
The Home Safety Worksheet identifies potential hazards in the home of the person you are caring for. Use it to identify any changes or repairs needed to help keep them safe. Reevaluate every six months or as the needs of the person you are caring for change.
