Nowadays, people have to know where to turn to for long term care resources because the cost of care is continuously soaring. Choosing not to know anything about this subject will eventually take its toll on you afterward when it's your turn to need long term care (LTC).
In spite of the prediction of the Department of Health and Human Services that 78 million of the elderly population over the age of 65 will need personal care and medical assistance at some point in their lives, only 10 million of them have actually taken the necessary steps to secure their future health care with a well planned long term care insurance (LTCI) policy.
In relation to the growing number of the elderly population that will require care anytime soon, LTC experts have also foreboded 10 million of the 78 million will succumb to Alzheimer's over the next 10 years.
Alzheimer's remains cureless and the cost of caring for a loved one who has acquired such illness is way too high that you'll eventually run out of funds in no time. Only an LTCI policy with a good coverage designed for Alzheimer's can spare your family from going impoverished.
Getting people to come up with a concrete LTC plan is basically the reason which triggered leading LTCI providers to come together at the 3 in 4 Need More LTC Campaign kickoff. According to LTC experts, the complacent attitude of many people towards LTC can be attributed to the fact that they are many years away from requiring care.
Looking Into Helpful Long Term Care Resources
We are abounded with many resources for LTC, the cost, facilities and people who are most likely to need it.
The government serves as a good source of information. As a matter of fact it has been constantly egging the public on buying an LTCI policy to minimize the cost of federal health programs such as Medicaid, which covered 49% of the overall long term care expenses of the nation in 2010.
People can't rely solely on Medicaid especially if their health condition requires intensive care and medical attention, as the health program's funds are gradually dwindling down. As a matter of fact, if you qualify for Medicaid assistance you should stop hoping for top of the line nursing homes or home health aide services.
Aside from the government, your insurance agent who is affiliated with top LTCI providers is also a good source for complete LTC information. They can even provide you with LTCI quotes and help you identify which one will work for you.
Insurance agents would normally advise their clients to identify their future health care needs, cost of care in their state of residence, budget for the annual premium, and total amount of assets which they intend to protect before purchasing an LTCI policy.
Then there's the media. It would be best to monitor the LTC write ups of a journalist or columnist who is assigned to the business beat. There's no doubt that they constantly keep abreast of the new happenings in the industry. Opinions and comments of radio commentators only tend to swerve people's minds away from the facts that are presented by legitimate long term care resources.
