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Let's try to keep this simple...
 

Your health today is probably the BEST it will be for the rest of your life. As we age, the chances of becoming ill and incapacitated rise dramatically.
 

Each day, after we awaken, we perform 6 activities without ever giving it a second thought. This is normally how our routine goes: we transfer from our bed and walk to the bathroom (it's time to head there since we maintained continence all night while sleeping). We do our toileting, then bathe or shower and get dressed. Now it's time for breakfast - so we prepare the meal, sit down and eat.
 

These are also known as the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) - bathing, continence, dressing, eating, toileting & transferring.
 

Most of the time we routinely perform these 
activities subconsciously - that's until we suffer an illness, then things are not so easy anymore.
 

What exactly is long-term care?
 

Basically, long-term care is help (someone providing care for you) in your own home, in adult day care, in an assisted living facility or in a nursing home which will last for at least 90 days.
 

Most people receive this help from family or friends creating an emotional and financial burden on these caregivers. Others use their savings to pay for professional caregivers to do the work putting a strain on their finances since this care is very expensive.
 

What are the odds that you will need this type of care?
 

The need for long-term care can happen in an instant or gradually as a person's health declines. Some of the reasons for receiving long-term care include: chronic disease, prolonged illness, injuries sustained as a result of an accident, disability, or cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's Disease that limits a person's ability to think or reason. 
 

We all think we won't need long-term care. Yet, Americans are living longer than ever. The longer you live, the more likely you may become ill or have an accident and need some type of long-term care. In fact, you may already know of friends or family members who have needed long-term care. A sudden illness or injury can happen at any age.
 

The odds of entering a nursing home, and staying for longer periods, increase with age.
(A Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance, published by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), August 2004.)
 

The best way to determine the odds of you getting sick and needing long-term care is to take a look at some statistics.
 

A sad fact is that you have insured your car and home just in case you have an accident or damage to your property but you have probably neglected to cover the increasing risk of needing long-term care if you become ill.  Statistics show that your long-term care risk is by far greater than having a car accident or damage to your home.
 

There's a better way for most folks to take care of this risk and not wipe out their savings.
It's call Long-Term Care Insurance.
 

Just in case you expect your health insurance or Medicare to pay for long-term care if you become ill, you'd better discover now that this will not be the case. Health insurance generally pays your hospital expenses and your doctor. Medicare is the federal government's health care program for people over age 65. Neither pays for long-term care unless that care is skilled rehabilitation for a very restricted period of time.
 

This is where Long-Term Care Insurance comes into play. This type of insurance protects you from the risk of having to use your savings to pay for care. Without Long-Term Care Insurance you will have to spend your own money (usually after retirement) creating a tremendous financial burden on families.
 

THE FACTS:
• Most private medical and major medical insurance plans do not cover long-term care.
• Medicare generally covers some nursing home care, but only for a limited time.
• Disability insurance only replaces lost income.
• Medicaid pays only for nursing home care after you have spent most of your assets.
 

That's why many Americans are looking at Long-Term Care Insurance.  
 

"My kids say they will take care of me..."
 

You probably have wonderful children who will try to help if you become ill and incapacitated. The fact is they also have their own lives and families to care for and caregiving involves tremendous patience along with countless hours. Caregiving usually causes a great deal of stress for both the caregiver (children) and the patient (parent) if this is the only alternative down the road.

Why not help the situation by taking out Long-Term Care Insurance to maintain your independence and choice of care, eliminate the chance of becoming a burden to your family and avoid the possibility of outliving your money.
 

Let's look at the three types of care:
 

Skilled Care - (½ of 1% of all care provided)
A level of care which requires the training and skills and 24 hour-a-day supervision of a Registered Nurse, is prescribed by a doctor, and which may not be provided by less skilled or less intensive care. Skilled Care may be defined differently by Medicare than by insurance companies.
 

Medicare will generally pay for Skilled Care only for limited periods of time, when such care is expected to improve the medical condition of the patient, and when it is delivered in a Participating Skilled Nursing Facility. Medicare will not pay for such care when no medical improvement is expected, as is the case in many Chronic Conditions.
 

Intermediate Care - (4½% of all care provided)
Occasional nursing and rehabilitative care ordered by a doctor and performed or supervised by skilled medical personnel. A less-intensive type of care than Skilled Care, often involving a lot of Personal Care as well as occasional nursing care.
 

Custodial Care - (95% of all care provided)
True long-term care-sometimes also known as "custodial" care-refers to a variety of services that help a person with comfort, personal, or wellness needs.
 

These services assist in the activities of daily living (ADLs), including such things as bathing, dressing, using the bathroom, transferring from a bed to a chair, etc.
 

Medicare will not pay for long-term custodial care in a nursing facility. However, it may pay for recuperative care in a nursing facility after a hospitalization. There are restrictions on the length of time Medicare will cover services in a nursing facility.
 

Medicare and health insurance generally will cover Skilled and Intermediate Care for a limited amount of time under certain conditions and will only help with Custodial Care if it's provided along with Skilled or Intermediate Care.
 

You will have to spend down your assets to acceptable levels to try and qualify for your state's Medicaid program.