Understanding the Need to Prepare for Long Term Care
Much like death or disability, thinking about a potential long term care event is difficult. It is critical to the financial, physical and emotional well-being of your family to put a financial plan in place prior before you require medical assistance. It may be difficult to anticipate what could happen in the future. Tending to long term care costs sooner than later ensures that you and those you love will not feel the financial burden if that time does come.
In the event that you are plagued with a physical impairment or chronic illness, you may need to rely on long term care. You may also require long term care if you experience a decline in intellect and require ongoing care, supervision, and assistance completing life’s daily tasks.
These are conditions that can be medicated, yet not cured. Ailments and diseases that fall under this category include the following:
- Alzheimer’s
- Parkinson’s
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Brain Tumors
- Strokes
- Spinal Cord Injuries
Long term care provides the necessary attention for you while in need, at the same time lessening the burden on your family to step in and provide it instead.
Your children may feel obligated to take care of you, in turn allowing their own life goals to be placed on the back burner. This sacrifice often takes a severe emotional and physical toll on a loved one to provide care while juggling all the other obligations they have. Having to reallocate your own funds (or those of your family) may also limit your ability to take care of other financial responsibilities.
When opting to purchase life insurance, you may do so in order to protect your family in the event of an unexpected death. Long term care insurance can be looked at with the same regard.
Long Term Care insurance can be purchased as a stand-alone policy that provides funds for extended care costs or as part of a Permanent Life policy. The death benefit here can be accessed for a qualified Long Term Care event prior to the insured’s death. If you become frail and require extended care services, the benefits from a Long Term Care policy can be accessed if the insured requires assistance in the six activities of daily living.
These are defined as:
- Eating
- Dressing
- Bathing
- Toileting
- Continence
- Transferring (getting in and out of bed, chair, etc.)
The benefits may also be accessed if you have a cognitive condition such as dementia or Alzheimer’s that requires supervision to prevent harming yourself or others. Long Term Care insurance provides funds when the family needs it the most.
We encourage you to review this information carefully so that you can make good choices now that will keep you and your family feeling safe and cared for later on in your life. Contact us today to help you consider your best options.
