Long-term Care (LTC) is care that is needed when an individual is no longer able to perform the “Activities of Daily Living” (ADL’s). Activities of daily living include eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, continence, transferring (ex. moving from a bed to a chair) or when substantial supervision is needed due to a cognitive impairment (thinking disorder). Typically, LTC is chronic in nature and is needed for such conditions as Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s, or a stroke.

While LTC is usually needed later in life, younger people may also need LTC due to accidents of all sorts, including recreational accidents, or illnesses like multiple sclerosis. Some 43% of individuals needing LTC are working age adults aged 18-64 (5.1 million). (Kaiser Family Foundation, Kaiser Commission: Medicaid and the Uninsured, November 1999.)

LTC can be provided in a variety of settings, including your own home, in an assisted living facility, a nursing home, or an adult day care center. Most people who need care (about 80%), live at home, not in facilities. (Georgetown University Long-term care Financing Project, “Long-term Care Support for Family Caregivers,” March 2004.)  Since LTC is really a family issue, the choice of where to receive care is up to you and your family.

Long-term Care Insurance (LTCi) helps defray the cost of assistance with the activities of daily living or the cost of supervision due to a severe cognitive impairment. Once the criteria is met for payment of benefits in your particular policy, long-term care insurance allows you to receive the type of care you need in the setting that’s right for you. Since all LTCi policies, policy versions, and companies vary, it is essential to seek an expert who will operate in your best interest to help you understand the nuances of coverage. NOT ALL LTCi IS THE SAME! There are varying degrees of coverage and quality related to when the policy was purchased, the company selected, the policy form chosen, and the customization process used.