As with just about anything in life, planning ahead for long-term care is a good idea that will help you be prepared for a time when you may need home health care services to safely live your life. When planning ahead and saving for retirement, make long-term care a part of the planning. Not everyone will need long-term care when they reach old age, and some people will need lesser amounts of home care than others. Some elderly individuals need care on a full-time basis, receiving help with essential tasks like personal hygiene and ambulation. Other seniors may only need part-time elderly care, receiving help with tasks like meal preparation and transportation.
What’s great about planning ahead is that you can prepare yourself for various scenarios. You don’t want to reach your golden years and have difficulties with everyday living only to realize you don’t have the resources to get the assistance you need.
When planning for long-term care, it isn’t as simple as saving up money to cover costs. While that is an important thing to account for, there are various other factors that need to be taken into consideration to properly plan for long-term care.
Use the following information and visit LongTermCare.gov to help guide you through the long-term care planning process.
Consider Health Problems and Care Needs
While it can be difficult to know what exactly your care needs will be when you reach old age, your current health and family history can help you figure out what kind of care you may require at such a time. For example, if you have vision problems that have worsened throughout the years, then you might have to eventually give up your driving privileges and may require transportation services. Or your family may have a history of Alzheimer’s and dementia, which may mean you are at risk of the disease as well.
For some people, you may just want to have some extra help with things like housekeeping and meal preparation during your golden years. That said, consider what kind of assistance you want in addition to the care you think you may need.
Residence Options
When receiving long-term care, an elderly individual can get such care in various settings, such as in an assisted living facility, nursing home, or retirement home. However, many seniors prefer to remain in the comfort of their own homes and wish to receive care there. This is because elderly individuals worked hard to get their home and do not want to give it up. Sometimes, seniors are in situations where it’s better for them to remain at home, such as with Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. Home care also provides more freedom and independence than living at a home or facility does.
In such a case, there is home health care available, allowing seniors to get whatever care and assistance they need without having to go elsewhere.
With the various options, it’s important to consider your own wants but to also learn about the different choices available. There are differences between nursing homes, retirement homes, and other elderly facilities, and you need to know what they are. That way, you will have a better understanding of the care available and what suits your own wants and needs.
Save Up and Figure Out Expenses
Long-term care can get expensive, so the sooner you save, the better off you’ll be when you need to pay for such services. When you reach old age, you may have family that is willing to help you with these expenses, but most people do not want to rely on others for finances. Knowing this, take the time to put money aside in a savings account for these future expenses. Consider what you are planning for and how much it’ll cost to help you figure out how much you should be saving. For example, home care can be one of the more costly options for long-term care, so you may need to save more money for this if you want to go that route.
Long-term care insurance and life insurance can also help pay for costs, so inquire about this kind of coverage.
With old age, the federal government can provide you with some assistance to pay for medical care. However, there are limitations. Many people may think Medicare, health insurance available for those 65 and older, will help with long-term care costs, but this isn’t true. It can help cover short-term care in a nursing home but not with long-term assistance and daily personal care activities.
Medicaid, on the other hand, does cover long-term care, but it isn’t a health insurance program that is available to all seniors. Medicaid is only available for individuals with low income. That said, it’s in your best interest that you don’t plan to rely on government assistance.
Getting Long-Term Care
If you are exploring long-term care options, then consider the various choices available, including home health care. Home care is generally preferable and allows individuals to remain at home in a comfortable, familiar setting while still receiving the care they need.
At Assisting Hands Home Care, we provide senior home care services to help elderly individuals lead safe, healthy lives in their own homes. We customize elderly care plans to our clients’ own unique care needs to ensure that they get whatever help they need.
