This post was brought to you by J Women’s Network and Genworth. All opinions are my own.
I know, Long Term Care is probably on nobody’s mind these days at all. Most of us probably think we won’t need Long Term Care for many many years why worry about it. Well, the cold hard truth is… You never know when you may need Long Term Care. You could be perfectly healthy in tip top shape, yet, leave your house and end up in a major car accident and the unfortunate happened, you need Care for the rest of your life, you have elderly parents or grandparents and they wake up one day and are no longer able to care for themselves.
God forbid this will ever happen to any of you, but you have to think ahead; be prepared and ready “IF” it ever is needed; your family will be thankful that you prepared for moments like this and if you end up living to 100 and never need Long Term Care… Good for you.. way to go, but at least you planed in case something does happen.
What if you have parents that are up there in age, do you know that no matter how hard you try to care for them there comes a point where you need to get some Long Term Care and it can go rather quickly sometimes, too; even without notice. My Grandma was one of those and I just recently got a call from my aunt telling me that grandma had some health issues, at age 82 that wasn’t unexpected, but a week later the phone call was totally unexpected, grandma would need full time care; within a little under a week she went from being able to take care of herself, her house and her yard to needing 24/h care and dementia has set in; so scary.
Things change in the blink of an eye and when my aunt researched for care she couldn’t believe that it would cost almost $6,000 a month for a nurse to care for grandma during the day and some nights; who can afford that? I know a lot of low income seniors may be able to make it through with Medicare, but the care you get is not the best that you would want your parents to have; the wealthy of course don’t have to worry about Long Term Care cost, they just write that check and get the best they can get; It’s us… the middle … that can’t get help from Medicare but that can’t open a wallet either; we need to prepare and that’s why Long Term Care insurance is so important!
I wish grandma would have looked into that, or us kids a few years ago, but you know… just like you are probably saying “This will never happen to us”… is what we said, too. So, just take a minute and read the article that I found over at Genworth, that was rather interesting and explained a lot about why Long Term Care is so important for anyone. Then grab your family tight, give them hugs and kisses and make the right decision for you and your family to keep everyone happy and healthy and worry free for a long time to come.
Would love to hear your thoughts about Long Term Care.. think it’s a good idea or wasted money??
Karen Glatt says
I think it is a very important for our parents and other relatives to get long term care insurance because a lot of times the elderly parent can not care for themselves and they can not live at home by themselves so they need long term care. I think it is a caring thing to get long care insurance so the children do not have to be burdened with the cost. So many people can not afford to care for a parent long term.
Robin Wilson says
Unfortunately having had Lupus for over 30 years it is something I think about far too often. But ppl like me sadly cannot get life, long term insurance. And if I am eligible it is only with a price tag that I simply cannot afford. But I agree that everyone should get it!
Rachee says
I have only recently started thinking about long term care. I know I won’t be young forever but it seems so far away that I procrastinate! I will be looking into this for myself soon. Don’t want to be the cat food lady!
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Michele says
I am lucky, so far, my Mom is still able to live at home and is pretty self sufficient and has her mental faculties–no she does not have long term insurance-she still does not believe in it. I do not have the funds so I am hoping that she never will need full time care. As for myself, well, I have no siblings and am single-if something happens I won’t know about it anyway-sad but true. I also do not have the funds to pay the premiums!
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Annemarie says
I have never really thought about it. But my Mom is 78 and she is having her hip operated on and we are trying to get short term care and it is so complicated. It has made us think about long term care.
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Annie Mai says
I work in long term care (LTC) as an occupational therapist & it’s a touchy subject for me personally since I’ve had my grandfather placed in LTC earlier this year only to pass away. A person doesn’t usually last more than 5 years after being admitted into a LTC, sadly. If I had it my way, I would keep everyone in the comfort of their homes with a personal aide to assist as I personally believe in aging in place rather than being placed. However, I can see that some families cannot afford the time to take care of a loved one (or sadly, they don’t care for the person) & they opt to place them in a LTC. People tend to age a LOT faster in LTC facilities & depression skyrockets. Bottom line: I’m telling my kids to NEVER place me in LTC.
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Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
Long term care is one of those things that most people don’t think about, but you’re right – you never know when something might happen. I think it’s definitely a good idea.
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Liz says
That same thing with the overnight change happened with my MIL. It was heartbreaking and we were definitely not prepared but we got it handled. Thinking ahead is good idea because sadly, it’s inevitable for most of us.
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Aisha Kristine Chong says
I think it’s a good idea.
A lot of things can change – in a split second things can change. It’s always better to make precautions – just in case anything happens, right?
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April says
With my family, I guess I am pretty lucky as we are very close knit (at least on my husband’s side). We actually making plans now for my mother-in-laws care. My husband and I will eventually be moving in with her and taking care of her. My mother-in-law is currently taking care of her mom who is 97. Though a nurse could come over and help, we would rather not have it. Since I am stay at home I can do it. We also will be sharing the care load with my sister in law though she is too young right now (only 17). We haven’t discussed what would happen if she needed care for dementia though. I think that would be the only thing I would be afraid to take care of myself. Though Grandma (97) has dementia and we just make sure someone is always there. I will be bringing certain situation long term care up when we talk more with my MIL about those things.
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Amber Edwards says
we are facing a time when my mom needs long term care, but her insurance no longer covers long term care. it is rather intimidating trying to discover what our options are now.
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Rosey says
I agree that long-term care is a must-have. I used to have it with my job but I’ve since moved out of state and do not have the coverage. I miss it. It’s a nice security to have in place.
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Jennifer Williams says
My mother might need this sooner then we thought, this will all be new to me so thank you for sharing.
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Pam says
It’s really hard when unexpected health issues arise. We have been through this with my dad.
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Pam says
Wading through all of this right now with my parents. Not sure what the answer is. Right now my mom is private paying for home health care for my dad. When the money runs out, medicare and medicaid will kick in. It is hard to know what the right answer is.
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Le-an Lai Angeles Lacaba says
In the Phil, we usually build our houses next to our parents or we let them move in with us. Nevertheless, it really is important to plan ahead, no matter how long it would be before you use the plan.
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Cynthia L says
Long term care has been on my mind a lot lately! My MIL is ill and it has me thinking about my own health care. Thanks for sharing all of this great information.
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Chrishelle says
I am a nurse employed at a long term care facility and have seen so many families unprepared for placing their loved one, both financially and emotionally. As your parents get older it is a subject that must be explored. Although my mom is only in her 60’s my husband knows if something happened to her I would be her caregiver. Very important topic to discuss.
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teresa mccluskey says
I think long term care is important for family, children and less stress in future.
Tough Cookie Mommy says
I think this is such an important conversation to have because one never knows the curveballs that life is going to throw at us. Having a plan in place due to unforeseen circumstances is imperative.
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katherine says
I was the caregiver to my husband’s parents for a while. It is hard!
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patricia says
I think being prepared is really important as anything can happen quickly.
Amanda Love ~ Growing Up Madison says
Anything can happen in a split second, you never know what can arise. I think it’s a great idea to have a plan for longterm care.
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Mel Cole says
I wish my Dad in law got this Long Term Care Insurance before he died. I could recommend this to my Mom in law who is also looking for Health Insurance right now.
amanda says
my mom used to work at a nursing home – definitely expensive.
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Abby Rogers says
The cost of long term care is on the rise these days and life expectancy is much longer, two of the factors that people should consider when thinking about purchasing long term care insurance. Based on the statistics found on http://www.ltcoptions.com, about 70% of people in the United States who are 65 and above will require the said type of care. And because of the inflation, it’s highly recommended to purchase coverage for this. It’s better to be safe than sorry in the future, so while you still have time, money and you are still eligible for low rates because of your age and perfect health. It’s not that expensive like what everyone thinks as long as you purchase and you explore your long term care options first. It’s more expensive if you pay for your expenses out-of-the-pocket.