Long-Term Care
Long-Term Care
If you ever have been involved with providing extended care for a loved one then you most likely thought about what would happen if you needed that same care. Not only are there emotional and physical burdens placed on family members and loved ones, but there can also be significant costs associated that can deplete a lifetime of savings.
Our Long Term Care professionals will help you decide;
- Tailored policy options to fit your needs
- Cost of coverage
- What discounts you might qualify for
- Determine your health rating
- What policy will best fit your needs
There is no obligation or costs involved in speaking to our representatives if you have ever wondered about long term care we can help.
Long Term Care or LTC refers to care that is required by people for an extended period of time, this can be due to medical, physical and cognitive conditions caused by accident, illness or frailty.
Long term care involves receiving assistance or supervision to perform activities of daily living when tasks can no longer be performed independently.
Here is a list of Long Term Care services that are offered:
- Home Health Care features home making services that include personal care, nursing and therapy.
- Adult Day Care Community day care services offered in a part-time group setting with social interaction and security
- Assisted Living Facility Adult Foster Home Residential Health Care Apartment like conditions with Personal Care Assistance and Non-Skilled Care Services
- Hospice Care For Terminally Ill (6 months) that features Inpatient Facility Care and In-Home Care
- Nursing Facility and Nursing Home Institutional Care Facility due to necessity Featuring Skilled Care, Intermediate Care and Custodial Care.
UNDERSTANDING LONG-TERM CARE
Tip: Won’t Medicare Pay for It? After a three–day hospital stay, Medicare will cover the first 20 days in a skilled nursing care facility completely. For the next 80 days, it will cover all but $157.50 per day. And after 100 days, it won’t cover anything.
Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2015
Addressing the potential threat of long-term care expenses may be one of the biggest financial challenges for individuals who are developing a retirement strategy.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 70% of people over age 65 can expect to need long-term care services at some point in their lives.1 So understanding the various types of long-term care services—and what those services may cost—is critical as you consider your retirement approach.
What Is Long-Term Care?
Long-term care is not a single activity. It refers to a variety of medical and non–medical services needed by those who have a chronic illness or disability—most commonly associated with aging.
Long-term care can include everything from assistance with activities of daily living—help dressing, bathing, using the bathroom, or even driving to the store—to more intensive therapeutic and medical care requiring the services of skilled medical personnel.
Long-term care may be provided at home, at a community center, in an assisted living facility, or in a skilled nursing home. And long-term care is not exclusively for the elderly; it is possible to need long-term care at any age.
How Much Does Long-Term Care Cost?
Fast Fact: Getting Care Now. Some 1.4 million adults live in skilled nursing facilities. Another 4.8 million remain in their own homes but get help with personal care from other people.
Sources: CDC, 2015. (Data from 2013 report is the latest available.)
Long–term care costs vary state–by–state, and region–by–region. The national average for care in a skilled care facility (single occupancy in a nursing home) is $91,250 a year. The national average for care in an assisted living center (single occupancy) is $43,200 a year. Home health aides cost a median $20 per hour, but that rate may increase when a licensed nurse is required.2
What Are the Payment Options?
Often, long-term care is provided by family and friends. Providing care can be a burden, however, and the need for assistance tends to increase with age.4
Individuals who would rather not burden their family and friends have two main options for covering the cost of long-term care: they can choose to self-insure or they can purchase long-term care insurance.
Many self-insure by default—simply because they haven’t made other arrangements. Those who self-insure may depend on personal savings and investments to fund any long-term care needs. The other approach is to consider purchasing long-term care insurance, which can cover all levels of care, from skilled care to custodial care to in-home assistance.
When it comes to addressing your long-term care needs, many look to select a strategy that may help them protect assets, preserve dignity, and maintain independence. If those concepts are important to you, consider your approach for long-term care.
The Best-Laid Plans
Source: U.S. News and World Report, November 13, 2015
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2015
2. Genworth 2015 Cost of Care Survey
