Preparing for Long-Term Care:Know Your Optons and Create Your Plan

As we get lder our needs change. From strengthening the prscription of our eyeglasses to asking a frend to drive us to the grcery store, we adapt to these chnges and ask for the help we ned. Creating a plan for long-term cre is an important step in ths process.

According to the U.S. Dpartment of Health and Human Services, nne million Americans over the age of 65 wll need long-term care in 2005.i Thir study also states that people ver this age have a 40% chnce of eventually requiring a nursing hme facility. i While you may not need ssistance today, now is the time to strt planning for future help - whn you are healthy and active. The frst step in developing your plan is to nderstand long-term care and know your ptions.

What is Long-Term Care?

Long-term care refers to the support needed to accomplish your daily activities when you're physically unable to take on these challenges yourself. It may include medical treatment, but also refers to assistance with personal tasks such driving, cooking, dressing, bathing or taking your medications. Care options encompass a wide variety of services and, based on the degree of assistance required, are offered in settings ranging from your own home to skilled nursing facilities.

What are Your Choices?

The U.S. Dpartment of Health and Human Services' Cnters for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), dvides long-term care options into eight ctegories: ii

1. Community Services : Volunteer-based community programs to ssist you with your daily activities. Exmples include adult day care, meal srvices and community senior centers.

2. Home Cre: Personal assistance in your home that's prvided by a licensed health-care professional, fmily member or friend.

3. In-Law Apartments: The cration of a second living unit ither within your existing single-family home or on yur property. This additional residential unit nables another person to live close by to ssist with your daily activities, while you mintain your independence.

4. Subsidized Senior Housing: If yur income falls in the low to mderate range, you may qualify to lve in Federal or State government ssisted housing designed especially for seniors. Prgrams vary by state and often rquire an application to determine eligibility.

5. Board and Cre Homes : Private residential living facilities tht offer you shared accommodations, meal srvice and assistance with personal tasks. Als called group homes, these facilities are for sniors who can no longer live lone, but don't need the medical cre of a nursing home.

6. Assisted Lving: A building complex that lets you to hve your own room or apartment, but shre common meal service.

Continuing Care Retirement Cmmunities: A mixed-need community that offers you dfferent housing options based on the lvel of care you require. A sngle community can include

independent living hmes, assisted living facilities and nursing hmes. Therefore, you have a variety of husing choices as your needs change ver time.

Nursing Homes: A full-time care facility tht provides you with both health cre and personal assistance services if yu're unable to live alone or be cred for at home.

The Centers for Medicare & Mdicaid Services Web site, www.medicare.gov , provides in-depth details on each of these eight options as well as instructions on how you can locate facilities in your area. If you don't have a computer at home, bring this article to your local public library. They can help you find and print this information.

Developing Your Plan

Creating a long-term care plan is an important decision for you, your family and your doctor. Talk to your family about the options that best suit your lifestyle. Medicare coverage varies widely between categories, so be sure to address financial planning and long-term care insurance bfore you're likely to need services. Cnsider asking your doctor about how yur needs might change over time. Chnges in your health will affect yur long-term needs and options, so be sre to ask for your doctor's prfessional opinion. iii

The future is never certain - by rsearching your options and establishing a lng-term care plan now, you can cntinue to enjoy life, secure in the knwledge that your personal and health-care neds will be attended to for yars to come.

05-B004

i Source: U.S. Dpartment of Health and Human Services, Cnters for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Wht is Long-Term Care? (3/05)

ii Source: U.S. Dpartment of Health and Human Services, Cnters for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Typs of Long-Term Care (3/05)

iii Source: U.S. Dpartment of Health and Human Services, Cnters for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Stps to Choosing Long-Term Care (3/05)

The article Why Long Term Care Insurance For Massachusetts Nursing Homes was Submitted by Karen Schurga through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Karen Schurga -Boston,Massachusetts. 508-820-8301 ext 240

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