Prepare Now While You Can For Long Term Care
January 20, 2010 by Adam Kaywood
Filed under Lifestyle
Long term care is a term that means both medical and non medical services that are used by individuals that have a disability or a chronic illness. They include both personal and health related needs. Some of these needs classified as non medical would be getting dressed or taking a bath. In many cases long term care takes place in a facility of some sort that provides either assisted living or nursing care. But, it can also take place in the home of a relative or the home of the person needing care. It should be noted that not all people receiving this type of care are elderly.
The baby boomer generation is starting to get to the point of needing some sort of care. Statistics point to 12 million seniors will flood care services in around 2020. Many times family members will take a person needing care into their home and care for them but still need help. Others will be placed in a nursing home or other facility.
Care for a long period of time can cost a great deal of money. Many people make a living caring for those that have trouble caring for themselves and they should be compensated for it. Medicare will pay for those that become sick and because of health reasons they go into nursing care. However, if the person is in relatively good condition and just can not do a few things for themselves Medicare will not pay and other arrangements need to be made. Help in bathing, or cooking, or cleaning, or getting dressed is called custodial care and these things are not covered by Medicare.
In some states a low income person that has no assets at all might be approved for medical and custodial care through Medicare. It is hard to say if it will or not because every state has different rules. There are several factors that dictate if a person can use Medicare for long term care and they include income and the resources that person has at hand.
Care that lasts long term has several different levels with nursing care just the tip of the iceberg. There are services that deliver meals, there are transportation services, cleaning services or adult day care services. They have low costs but must be paid for out of pocket of the individual or the family of the individual.
If a person needs to be supervised part of the day but not for 24 hours adult day care may be the answer. Here the person will participate in social and recreational plans throughout the day. Another service provides a button that is worn around the neck and can be pushed if there is an emergency of some type. Telephone services call the individual on a daily basis and if they do not answer they send help. This service is great for the person that wants to stay independent as long as possible. If a person can not drive there are volunteer services that will take them where they need to go. Medicare will pay for transport in an ambulance for an emergency but nothing else. If a person can no longer cook for themselves there is Meals on Wheels. Cleaning services are also available but must be paid for with other funds besides Medicare. In many cases the financial burden falls on the individual or their families.
Long term Care insurance is available and will cover non medical and custodial services as well as nursing care. The cost varies from area to area and depends on the age and health of the person. It is paramount that a person obtain this insurance prior to needing it because you have to pass a physical in order to be able to buy it. It is available to people in all ages but the younger you are the less you will have to pay. These policies generally have to be sought out and purchased individually. They are rarely part of an employment benefit package.
Before you go out and buy a policy go to Long Term Care Insurance, ask questions and request a long term care insurance quote. We represent 20 of the top LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.
categories: long term care,baby boomers,seniors,health,financial planning,retirement planning,family,lifestyle,education,consumer guide,asset protection
Budgeting For Retirement And Your Future
January 9, 2010 by Adam Kaywood
Filed under Lifestyle
Budgeting for retirement is very important to your future. Retirement is a great time in a persons life and no one wants to spend this time worrying about paying bills. Our bills will always be here and in fact may increase with our age. Everyone gets older and with that age comes certain health concerns. It is important to have a plan for paying these bills and taking car of ourselves.
You will need a budget plan in order to save for your retirement years. You will need to ask yourself a few questions. How much is my income? What do I spend my money on? Can I cut out any expenses? Once you have answered these questions it is time to figure out how much money you can save each month. Figure out how much money you spend every month and what you spend it on.
If you are spending money on anything that is not necessary you could try cutting it out of your monthly expenses. If you are already spending the money every month you could add that money to your nest egg. Any extra money you can save for retirement is always a good thing.
If your company offers a retirement plan such as a 401K plan you should definitely check into it. A 401K plan is a great way to save for retirement. You have your company withdraw a predetermined amount each pay period to put in your plan. The company you work for will usually match your contribution.
It is important to figure out how much money you want to have in your savings once you retire. Try to budget into your expenses the amount of money you will need to save every month to reach that goal. If you add a certain amount of money to your savings every month then you can reach that goal with no problem.
Do not be detoured from adding that money on a monthly basis’s. It is best to have your money automatically sent to your savings account from the payroll department of your company. If you can arrange for your employer to pull out a specific amount every pay period then you will not miss the money as much.
Try to make a budget for retirement that will actually be easy for you to stick to. If you make an unrealistic budget then the chances are that you will not stick to it. Having a nest egg when you retire can actually make your retirement much more enjoyable.
For more information on how Long Term Care Insurance can help prepare us as we age. Also you can get a long term care insurance quote. We represent 20 of the top LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.
What Is Long Term Care Insurance And When To Buy
December 17, 2009 by Adam Kaywood
Filed under Lifestyle
It’s difficult to watch ourselves age. It’s also difficult to watch our parents age. It’s even more difficult when it comes to figuring out how to help them when the time comes. This type of help can be anything from some financial assistance, a few trips to the doctor’s office, or helping them find a long term care facility they – or you – can afford. Perhaps you and your parents should have considered buying some long term care insurance years ago. But what is long term care insurance?
Long term care insurance is an excellent investment, no matter what age you are when you buy your policy. Unfortunately, too many of us ignore the fact that we are going to get old someday, and we put off anything to do with forcing us to deal with our own mortality. Until it’s almost too late.
The longer we wait, however, the more expensive it gets, and the fewer options we can have on the policy itself. Finally, when the need arises, we can’t do much about it. Most insurance carriers have policies that get pretty prohibitive when it comes to buying coverage after a certain age.
This type of insurance, in actuality, is one of the most reasonably priced types of coverage when it comes to costs vs. Benefits. A policy purchased in your forties, for example, with standard coverage such as nursing homes and rehab (or hospice), will probably be less expensive than your car insurance!
The policies can be customized to your needs, or at least, what you think these needs might be. Even though it’s impossible to tell the future, you can always get a good idea of what you should add to these policies simply by understanding your family’s medical history. If your family has a history of coronary heart disease in their 50s, you should seriously consider the best possible coverage if at all possible. In reality, you can’t afford not to.
Different carriers have different types of coverage, different options, and even different health providers. For example, if Uncle John stayed in a particular facility a few years ago and everyone in the family had good things to say about that place, you may want to check out insurance companies that use this facility as a provider.
In the end, you’ll be glad to have this type of coverage whether it’s for your parents, or for yourself.
For more information on how Long Term Care Insurance can help prepare us as we age. Also you can get a long term care insurance quote. We represent 20 of the top LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.




