Long Term Care

What is Long Term Care?

Long-Term Care is a wide range of medical, personal and supportive services for individuals who, because of illnesses or disabilities, need special assistance with their normal daily activities for more than 90 days.  These services can be provided in their home, assisted living facilities or in nursing homes.

Why The Need for Long Term-Care?

Long-Term Care services can become necessary because of sudden, serious illness or accident.  With the advancements of science, many elderly people are living longer and the type of health problems that plague them are chronic.  This can be the loss of activities of daily living or battling Alzheimer's disease.   According to government statistics

The Cost of Long-Term Care in California

The cost of long-term care can be very expensive in California, just one year in a nursing home can cost between $45,000 and $80,000.  (2004 CA annual average $58,000).  Home care services are also very costly.  Having someone come to one's home three times a week to help with bathing, dressing, preparing meals or other household chores can run into hundreds of dollars each week.  Even more expensive is care from a nurse of physical therapist.

The Real Cost of Long-Term Care

It's not the annual premium of a long-term care insurance policy that cost so much.  It is costs associated with losing all or part of your life savings.  It is the indirect costs to family and friends that may take care of you.  Their costs can include the loss of wages, benefits and reduced leisure time with their family and friends.

I Thought Medicare Would Pay for it! 

Medicare will pay only for care in a skilled nursing home after a hospital stay of at least three days and beginning within 30 days of leaving the hospital.  You may qualify for limited benefits at a skilled nursing facility if both the facility and your diagnosis and treatment plan meet Medicare's strict standards.  You are not provided custodial care.  If you qualify, you pay nothing for the first 20 days, except for any charges that Medicare does not allow.  For the next 80 days, you pay charges up to $109.50, and Medicare pays all remaining allowable charges.  No benefits are available after 100 days of care in a benefit period.

According to a 1988 Harvard university study, less than .5% of those in nursing homes were received skilled care.  95% were receiving custodial care; a level of care not covered by Medicare.