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Long Term Care isn't just Nursing Homes.
When we say Long Term Care most people think "nursing home". And for most men, the next thought is "I'd rather die." But Long Term Care insurance also covers care you receive at home. The fact is, of the 12 million people needing Long Term Care, only 1.5 million are in nursing homes.
Long Term Care actually refers to a wide range of services provided to those with a chronic illness or disability. At its core, it involves assistance with the most basic and personal activities of daily life; getting out of bed, getting dressed, going to the bathroom, etc. However, it can also include help with secondary tasks such as assistance with cooking and cleaning.
As a report in the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging (February, 2000) put it:
"It [Long Term Care] differs from other types of health care in that the goal of Long Term Care is not to cure an illness, but to allow an individual to attain and maintain an optimal level of functioning."
The second misconception about Long Term Care is that it is something that happens only when you're old. Given that one study showed that baby boomers defined "old age" as over 85, while the average life expectancy is 82, one can conclude that most baby boomers really are still thinking that they'll die before they get old.
However, people can become incapacitated due to injury or illness at any age. Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's at 30. Ex-Superman, Christopher Reeve, was paralyzed at age 43. The fact is, over 37% of those receiving Long Term Care are under 65.
