Long term services and support in Connecticut

When discussing long term services, John C Parker reports a question, which often comes up is - what are these services? The answer is - the assistance to help an individual with eating, dressing, bathing, toileting, transferring, and incontinence when unable to perform these activities independently. Professionals in this industry call this assistance help with activities of daily living (ADLs).

Note: To be considered a long term service, vs care such as follow up services after being in a hospital for surgery, which are acute care long term services or support are expected to be required for a prolonged period (90 days or more).

Call (860) 739-0005 to talk with John about this and the most effective way to pay for this help!

Do many people need long term services?

The normal human reaction when told 60% or more of those who live to age 65 will require long term services and support is - it won't happen to me! However, no one can say yes or no since "Life Happens" situations can occur at any time. These findings about needing help are insightful:

• People are living much longer, which means over 80% of us know someone who is receiving help with daily life activities because some of their "parts wore out" or they were having trouble with mental ability.
• By age 75 70% or more of us will need help. People by then have, on average, 2 or 3 chronic conditions, which often leads to needing help. In some cases it's as high as 10 or 12 conditions!

A couple other points about needing help:

• Think about the accident Christopher Reeves had several years before he died.
• 88% of people indicate they are worried about having physical limitations in a later life stage.

Stories about the value of Long Term Care insurance to four people can be seen here!

What's involved in this special kind of help?

When a person first needs assistance it is usually non medical to help around the house, prepare meals, etc. and provided by a Homemaker, sometimes called a Companion. More substantial assistance such as with two or more ADLs could be provided by a Home Health Aide. The next level of home based help is medical related for more complex situations and provided by an LPN. The highest level of home based assistance is help from an RN. Home is the most common location, by far, where people receive these special services and whether the help is periodic or around the clock, it's where they want to be. This is what is often called the desire to - age in place.

     Note: About 80% of long term services and support are provided in the home.

Adult Day services: The individual goes, during the day, to a center and receives health and therapeutic services. Individuals benefit from interacting with others. These services are growing in popularity and are a good option to give the regular care giver time to go to work or to get some rest. Some Adult Day service providers offer transportation to take individuals to and from their home.

Assisted living: Individuals have a private room, receive meals in a common area, and have access to a range of services. It's an excellent choice when a person needs more extensive help and can no longer live independently. One big value in Assisted Living is socializing, which improves an individuals quality of life and makes them quite popular. Some assisted living facilities offer extra services for people with cognitive conditions. Safety is also important for family members since they know help is there if a person falls or has a sudden illness.

When more complex help and services are needed, such as around the clock nursing, they can be provided in a nursing home.

What about the cost of long term services and support in Connecticut?

A October 2009 survey tells us in the Hartford area:

• A Homemaker coming to your home can be up to $27 an hour.
• If you were to need help from a certified home health aide (up to $34) say for eight hours 3 times a week - the cost can be over $800 a week. This amount of assistance could be over $7,000 a month in just 15 years and quickly use up years of savings!
• Adult Day services cost up to $82 a day. On a 5 day a week basis, this would be be $1,777 a month.
• The rate for Assisted Living facilities can be up to $6,150 a month and up to $7,600 in other parts of the state.

Nursing home costs in Connecticut are next to the highest in the U.S! They can be over $12,300 a month for a private room in the Hartford area. The Connecticut Partnership for Long Term Care reports the annual cost, throughout Connecticut, of a semi private Nursing Home now averages $119,500.

Since these special services are very expensive the important question becomes - where will funds come from to pay these big bills? The most effective and economical way to pay these bills is to take action now and buy Long Term Care insurance. This approach is much better than having no protection, quickly using up a nest egg, and becoming a burden on children. Adding to the issue of expensive services is the fact they are forecast to double in 12 to 15 years!

Don't want to burden children or lose control, call John C Parker today at 860.739.0005 about buying this special coverage. When you buy it helps protect the savings nest egg you have been working on for many years!

More information on what you and your family will gain is on the Value page.