What are some options for Long Term Care?
By Jorge Hiram Garcia, Your Insurance Advisor | April 26, 2010
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The primary issue when receiving long term care for most seniors is what level of independence will they be able to retain. In effect, what this really means is what kind of level of independence can they afford. As always, it comes down to money, and being able to afford to pay for the appropriate level of long term care.
The type of long term care that is available to many seniors is also directly in correlation to the amount of assistance that they are able to get from their families and relatives. Individual family situations vary widely and affect the options available to these seniors.
Also, the type of assistance that family members and relatives can provide is a determining factor. Is the assistance purely financial or economic? Or, is actual hands-on assistance and companionship, also available? There are many types of assistance, and levels of assistance, that family members can provide to seniors. Delivering on this assistance, however, requires much planning and discussion, and can be a touchy issue for some family members.
Typical arrangements that may require family involvement, or assistance, include:
- Staying at Home – This option may depend on the type of assistance that the senior person needing long term care requires. The senior person may require daily or weekly assistance with personal or medical care that is not provided by home care or other agencies. This level of help can be as simple as helping with shopping, cooking or maintaining a home. Assistance may also be required for transportation and dealing with financial matters such as physically paying bills and expenses.
- Moving In With Family – If senior people are unable to maintain themselves in their own home, they may still be able to avoid the expense and loss of independence created by moving in to a residential care facility. Moving in with family members may be a more affordable option, and in some cases, may be the only option available to some seniors. This kind of arrangement may allow family members to supplement the home care provided by outside agencies, and help keep costs affordable for the senior requiring long term care.
- Entering a Residential Facility – The biggest concern for most seniors entering a residential care facility is the loss of independence that such an act requires. Maintaining contact with their friends, neighbors and families, and being able to leave and visit these friends, neighbors and family members is the single greatest concern for seniors considering this type of living arrangement.
In the end, it may all come down to exactly what kind of arrangement the senior can afford for his or her long term care needs. The assistance of family members, and the willingness to provide this assistance by these family members, can be an accurate determinant in what options are available to those needing long term care. Learn more about long term care insurance, and how affordable it can be.
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