The Long Term Care (LTC) Blog
Alzheimer’s is The 6th Leading Cause of Death in U.S.
More than 5 million Americans are living with the disease and that number only continues to grow. It is also the only cause of death among the top 10 without a way to prevent, cure, or even slow its progress. The Alzheimer’s Association would like your donation to fund research, contribute at www.ALZ.org However, be…
Read MoreWho Will Care For You When Your Health Changes?
Do you remember Ozzie and Harriet from the fifties? How about Leave it to Beaver? What did June Cleavers and Harriet both wear? Dress, heels, apron and pearl necklace. What did she do during the days when husband was at work and children in school? She had the time, space, and energy to have parents…
Read MoreTime Your Loved One(s) Need Care?
A weekend Wall Street Journal article suggests paying close attention to your parents during holiday visits this year. Is the normally tidy house now neglected? Is there hoarding? Do you notice memory problems or physical unsteadiness? It might be time to gather the family and assess what things they might need help with. There are also…
Read MoreFinancial Advisors Struggle with Health Care Planning
This is a common concern I hear from financial planners. Many financial planners do a wonderful job of advising their clients on how to invest their money, when to collect Social Security, how to pay less in income taxes, etc. They manage money and most do a very fine job of it. The problems start…
Read MoreWall Street Article on Assisted Living Costs Increasing
This weekend’s WSJ features an article titled The Cost of Living Longer. It describes the difficulty families have finding affordable assisted living facilities for their loved ones. Facilities are bundling their add on costs into the monthly fee and you may be paying for services you do not need. The average assisted living facility cost…
Read MoreBill in Congress to Restrict Medicaid to Really Needy
Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., MD (R, LA) introduced the Medicaid Long-Term Care Reform Act of 2012 (H.R. 6300) on August 2, 2012. This legislation advances the cause of responsible LTC planning and rational LTC public policy. The short description of H.R. 6300 and the full text can be found on http://thomas.loc.gov. This bill may…
Read More450 Billion Reasons to Help Consumers
An article in Forbes Magazine recently quoted a study performed by AARP that approximately 42.1 million unpaid caregivers are helping family members with their “limitation in daily activities.” “Caregivers can be children, spouses, siblings or even close friends, but the ‘average’ caregiver is a 49-year-old woman who spends nearly 20 hours per week caring for…
Read MoreYou Still Can Help Your Client Once They Are Already IN the Nursing Home!
I met a couple this weekend at a farmer’s market who purchased LTCi from me years ago. They thanked me and hoped they never have to use it. They also told me of a friend who is now in a nursing home and I explained that I can often still protect some of their money…
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