Elderly care, or simply
eldercare (also known in parts of the English speaking world as
aged care), is the fulfillment of the special needs and requirements that are unique to
senior citizens. This broad term encompasses such services as
assisted living,
adult day care,
long term care,
nursing homes (often referred to as
residential care),
hospice care, and
home care. Because of the wide variety of elderly care found nationally, as well as differentiating cultural perspectives on elderly citizens, cannot to be limited to any one practice. For example, many countries in
Asia use government-established elderly care quite infrequently, preferring the traditional methods of being cared for by younger generations of family members.