Congratulations. Too many people fail to plan ahead for the probability of needing Long Term Care and its potentially devastating financial, physical, and emotional impact. This site can help guide you through the planning process particularly around the decision to buy Long Term Care insurance – arguable the cornerstone to a prudent LTC plan.
To start, we recommend reviewing the
Basics including the some little-known statistics about the likelihood of needing Long Term Care as well as some basic definitions and terminology around Long Term Care.
In our articles on
Financing Long Term Care you'll learn what Medicaid/Medicare and your own health insurance will pay for when it comes to Long Term Care, what may be available in your community, as well as private financing options.
Our Long Term Care
insurance articles will guide you through the basic pro's and con's of purchasing Long Term Care insurance and how to compare policies.
You can also review
case studies that outline prototypical Long Term Care financial plans.
As you work through your own financial plan you’ll need to keep in mind your own particular circumstances. For instance:
Do you have any pre-existing health conditions?
Who will take care of you if you need care?
Are there limitations to the care your spouse or family could provide?
How much you can afford to spend on Long Term Care without affecting your family circumstances? How much do you want to pay out of your own pocket?
What is the cost of care in your area?
Do you have a strong preference for remaining at home or in an informal setting if you need care?
By answering these questions and making a plan now, before you need care, you have a greater variety of cost-effective options open to you. You are also increasing the likelihood your particular preferences will be fulfilled.
This can be a traumatic time as you try to ensure that you or a loved one gets the best care without running through all of your finances.
To start, we'd suggest you look through our
Disease articles to help educate yourself on the particular factors associated with your condition. This can form the basis of your care program and financial plan.
If you currently need care, Long Term Care insurance will no longer be an option. However, the are
alternatives. Review our Financial articles for information on potential public services that might be available to you as well as alternative financial tools.
Our
case studies, can demonstrate how different financial tools are used by clients with different physical and financial situations.
Caregiving provides some practical information around providing care for family members.