About Long Term Care Insurance

Long-term care is care that is needed when an individual has a chronic or acute illness and needs assistance in the activities of daily living. This may include; bathing, eating, toileting, transferring, continence control and dressing. Additionally, the need may arise if an individual is diagnosed with a cognitive impairment such as dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

The need for long-term care often begins gradually with a need for help with daily activities such as bathing and dressing, or it may suddenly occur after a major illness, such as a stroke, a broken hip or a heart attack. It is impossible to know exactly if, and when, the need for long-term care will occur. A national study projecting nursing home usage noted, that among people who live to age 65, almost half will need nursing home care. They also reported that women are more likely to need nursing home care than men.(1)

When people think of long-term care, they believe it is for senior citizens and they don’t have to worry. The facts show otherwise. Over 40 percent of people receiving long-term care are under the age of 65. The reasons are varied; accidents, multiple sclerosis, stroke, brain tumor, or even Parkinson's disease. (2) All of these conditions may occur at any time. Though we would like to think otherwise, they can happen to anyone...at any age.