LONG-TERM SCARE

Lately, the news has been dominated by discussions about health care reform.  For many people, however, the urgent issue is long-term health care.  “What will happen if I end up in a nursing home?  How will I pay for it?  What kind of care will I receive there?  Will it be possible for me to be cared for at home?”

When a family member becomes ill, these can be overwhelming issues to face.  We should think about our own individual long-term health care plan.  There are steps that can be taken before a long-term health crisis hits that will make the problem easier to deal with and easier to afford.  The key is addressing it before the crisis hits.  We call it a Life Care Plan because we try to factor in all phases along the elder care continuum.

In the next posts, I will discuss many the aspects of Life Care Planning which make it a really revolutionary approach to planning for the unique needs of seniors and individuals dealing with chronic illness.

Comments

[Allison]

A very relevant issue. How do we get our families, especially our elders who are usually parents, to start the discussion? There is often great reluctance.