Baygroup Blog
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It’s sad but true: by the time most people realize they wish they had a long term care insurance policy, they are too sick or old to buy one.
So, in an effort to mitigate the crushing financial toll long term care will have with no planning, many of them end up doing short-term planning– let’s call it crisis planning. Crisis planning isn’t about optimal strategies. It’s all about limiting the financial destruction and trying to make up for the fact that no real plan for how to pay for care is in place.
Getting long term care planning done well in advance of when you actually need it stacks the deck in your favor. That’s why people in their 40’s-60’s are benefiting themselves by visiting the topic of long term care planning decades in advance of their 80’s, when they are most likely to have a claim.
Modern consumers have greatly benefited from the ability to comparison shop and order from virtually any purveyor. This reality has even started to infiltrate the healthcare market.
However, long term care decisions for yourself or a loved one tend to be more difficult and cannot necessarily be made at the touch of a button through technology like Siri and Alexa. Whether the search is for a home health care worker, or, a facility such as an assisted living facility or nursing home, the choice is often a complex and nuanced one.
November is long term care awareness month. Even though long term care is often discussed in the news, it is frequently confused with healthcare.
Genworth has released its 2017 cost of care findings.
The national median hourly rate for homemaker services rings in at $21/hour. Meanwhile, the national median hourly rate for home health aide services is $22/hour. The median for adult day care is $70/day. While assisted living facilities will cost you $3,750/month. Lastly, nursing care for a private room will run a median average of $267/day, while a semi-private room is a daily rate of $235.
More information can be found at the following link:
Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that is characterized by problems with memory, behavior, and thinking. Symptoms usually appear slowly and worsen with time, eventually interfering with everyday tasks. Alzheimer’s makes up 60-80% of dementia cases, but it is important to remember that not all dementia falls under the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. While mild memory loss can be a normal part of aging, Alzheimer’s is characterized by growing severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. The disease can be broken down into seven specific stages outlined below to help provide an idea of what to expect if you or a loved one is diagnosed:
The number of Americans who need long term care will more than double by 2050. Will you be ready?
With so many people bearing the emotional and financial brunt of being a caregiver, we looked for the best tips to help ease the day-in-day-out stress that comes with such an important role.
Long term care services include help with everyday tasks such as bathing, eating, dressing, using the bathroom, etc. According to a new study by LifePlans, Inc. on behalf of America’s Health Insurance Plans, 50% of Americans will need some type of long term care during their lifetime. About 30% of those care recipients will need it for five or more years. As health insurance does not cover this type of care, it is important not to underestimate the high cost involved.
The new year is set to bring in an unwelcome surprise for many seniors in America when it comes to their taxes. Those 65 and older who itemize their medical expenses will now only be able to claim a deduction once their cost reaches 10% of their Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)- up from 7.5% in previous years. This change technically went into effect on December 31, 2012, but if a senior or their spouse reached the age of 65 between then and December 31, 2016, the 7.5% rate was then locked-in for that time period due to a large opposition from seniors carrying the highest burden of medical bills. However, this all changes on January 1, 2017 when the 10% cut-off for medical expenses becomes the rule, not the exception, for everyone.