Continuum Of Care: A Comprehensive And Integrated System

Users of long term care vary in age including young as well as the elderly. Many of these people need help with daily living assistance due to a disability or disease.
The elderly may have more than one reason to need assistance. They could suffer from physical disabilities and illness, and have dementia or Alzheimer’s which affects their mental capabilities.
Younger consumers of long term care include those who may be born with a disability or congenital defect. There are children and young people with physical handicaps like cerebral palsy, spina bifida who need care with daily care. Some diseases like AIDS or an injury may be debilitating enough to require assistance with daily living. There are the mentally ill who could be born with the disease or have it develop later in life including children with learning disabilities or autism who may require long term care.

This will cause a great increase in the need for elderly care. (Pratt, 13-17).

The Continuum of Care:
As stated in our textbook: “ A comprehensive and integrated system to meet the many different needs of care among vulnerable people”. (Pratt, 25).
Continuum care is a comprehensive approach to long term care. It is an integrated system of healthcare. It focuses on physical and mental health, and social services that may be needed, Continuum of care is focused more on the consumer’s needs rather than be provider or payer driven. It focuses on consumers includes health education, ambulatory care, acute care in hospitals, long term care, and residential care and housing. ( Pratt,