Long-term care in North Carolina.

Much of long-term care is not considered health care, as it is custodial, social, and supportive. But excellent long-term care is also preventive, timely, and accessible, and it provides space for long-term care recipients to find joy and meaning in their lives. This issue of the NCMJ provides abroad overview of long-term care, practical information about programs in our state, and tips for how to make use of these programs. Commentaries and sidebars in this issue also highlight new ideas, innovation, and transformation. This issue brief sets the stage by describing major events that have shaped the current framework of long-term care services and supports. It also discusses current trends that are influencing long-term care, including the emphasis on quality improvement methods, culture change, health care reform, the influence of geriatrics in primary care, and the desire for home-based care. Although we are not yet where we want to be in North Carolina, we are moving toward a long-term care system that will serve all North Carolinians well.