When it comes to long term care, many of us mistakenly believe that this is a future event that will not impact us. Research demonstrates, however, that many Americans will need some kind of long-term care at some point after the age of 65.
What exactly is long term care? Long term care is often defined as “a range of services and supports you may need to meet your personal care needs. Most long term care is not medical care, but rather assistance with the basic personal tasks of everyday life…”
Long term care daily tasks are often referred to as activities of daily living and include things that becomes more difficult as we age such as bathing, eating, using the bathroom, getting dressed and more. Additional daily long-term care services that become more difficult to manage as we age, referred to as “Instrumental Activities of Daily Living,” include shopping, pet care, managing money and taking medications.
This type of support can be expensive no matter where you receive it. A recent report shared that the cost of long term care is on the rise across America, including in Wisconsin. Most of us want to stay at home but, as we age, in order to do so and get the help we need, we will need a caregiver. For many of us, a family caregiver is not a possibility, so we will need to pay for a caregiver to come into our homes to provide homemaker or home health aide services. In Wisconsin, according to the most recent Genworth study, the cost of this care on average is $4,200 per month.
There may come a time when we or the seniors we love are no longer able to live at home safely. At this time, we may need assisted living facility care or 24/7 care in a skilled nursing facility. According to the same Genworth study, the average cost of the former is on average $3,900 per month while the latter is $7,800 per month. There are very few of us who can afford this additional monthly payment in our household budgets and we will very quickly have to turn to our savings to pay for this cost of care.
When we are facing the need for long term care support, it is crucial that we determine how to get good care and find a way to pay for it. In our firm, we work with families each day to accomplish these two goals. Whether you have time to plan or find yourself suddenly in crisis and need immediate solutions, we are here to help you.
At the Hougum Law Firm, we know and understand the challenges you face and we want to help you plan ahead to protect yourself and those you love most. Contact us to schedule an appointment with Attorney Alan Hougum.
