Long Term Care

No, I'm talking the long term care of the little ones we all hold so dear. I am talking long term care of an older person. Long term care is something that no one really wants to talk about. Being incapacitated enough that your loved ones can no longer care for you is not something that anyone wants to think about, much less talk with loved ones about.

I have had quiet a minites experience with long term care though and I recognize how important it is to have those conversations with your family.

My grandfather on my dad's side, spent a few years in a long term care facility because of dementia, alzheimers disease, and his history of debilitating strokes. It sompliy got to the point where his wife of 50 years just could not care for him in their home any more. It was a hard decision to place him in a long term care facility but a neccesary one and one that they had planned for.



Of course now, I happen to work in a long term care facility and I can see, yet again, the importance of planning. Long term care is expensive you guys. Like, ridiculously so and medicaid/ medicare/ regular insurance only pays a fraction of what it takes to provide care for your family members.

So, investing in long term care insurance is definitely a must have in this day and age. Things aren't going to get cheaper. Still, getting the older generation to talk about investing in such a thing is hard. Really hard. Reminding them though that they aren't commiting to anything, just planning ahead, really helped the conversation go along with my parents.

Have you had "the big talk" with your parents? How did it go?