Long-Term Care

History of Long-Term Care

I chose to research the long-term care industry because its something that has affected my family. As my grandmother has gotten older we have had to start researching nursing homes and assisted living facilites. I thought it would be interesting to look into the history of long-term care. I hope you enjoy it!

The roots of long-term care can be traced back to 12th century England, where shelters for the aged and handicapped were associated with monasteries, run by workers appointed by the king and the local bishop. Royal orders by the government during the 16th and 17th centuries established LTC institutions independently of the church and locally in each community. (ltcedu.com)

As America was colonized during the 1700’s, similar institutions were established in the United States. Most American cities and counties established homes for the aged which remained in place through the 19th century. As average life expectancies increased rapidly during the industrialized early-20th century, the demand for LTC facilities grew. (ltcedu.com) Also at that time, the federal government began enacting various programs to aid aging Americans who were struggling to pay for the expenses associated with LTC. Legislation included the Social Security Act in 1935 and Medicare programs in 1965. (ltcedu.com)

Construction of new nursing home facilities took off during the 1950’s when the government offered subsidies to builders of these LTC institutions. This legislation led to so much new construction that, by the early 1960’s, the industry had become almost totally unregulated. (ltcedu.com) New policies were issued by the federal government outlining the quality of care that was to be assured to each individual receiving care paid by Medicare. Of course, this regulation does not explicitly apply to privately-paying individuals, and therefore leaves many inconsistencies in the regulation of the LTC industry. (ltcedu.com) As the aging population in the U.S. continued to increase, so did the number of LTC facilities being constructed. From 1991 to 1999, the number of LTC properties providing assisted living services grew 49.4 percent.

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