| Long Term Care The
advent of modern medicine has given us a
longer lifespan...not care-free one. The
longer we're alive, the more certain will
be the need for someone to provide long
term care (feed, clothe, bathe, transport,
etc.). Imagine the burden placed on loved
ones, emotionally and physically, if they'd
have to provide this care on an on-going
basis. How would new bills be met?
There are basically 3
options:
1. Pay for it yourself
The average cost of nursing home care is
now over $50,000 per year, and rising. Half
a million Americans fall into poverty while
paying for this. Even wealthier families
will usually run out of savings before long.
Assuming donations from family, friends
or the sale of your assets, would funds
be enough to cover increasing expenses for
2 years, 5 years or longer?
2. Rely on the
government
Medicare covers a small fraction of long
term care, for about 90 days. Medicaid covers
more, but requires you to deplete most of
your assets and income to meet certain "poverty
requirements".
Assuming the government
still has resources to support these programs,
there's still the over-looked matter of
location and quality of care. Do you prefer
a certain climate, environment or proximity
to loved ones? Will the care-givers be responsive
to your specific needs?
3. Purchase a
LTC policy
Planning ahead with a long term care policy
can protect you and your family from the
burdens of care and paying for needed services.
Funds can be adjusted to meet costs for
in-home care, as well as nursing home and
assisted-living facilities, providing more
choices of location and quality of service.
This is the single greatest
threat to your estate, and an inevitable
challenge to face as you continue to age.
However, the solution is fairly simple and
surprisingly inexpensive if you do something
about it now. We can show you everything
you need to know |