Are you one of the many Americans who plans to stay independent in your home for many years? It can come as a shock that you might suffer from some type of disability that leaves you in need of support from a long-term care facility.
If your plan is for your children to take care of you, this is an important consideration to discuss directly with your family. Family caregivers might be able to step in to help provide support during a health crisis, but this isn’t the only plan you should rely on as you age.
Consider that the number of Americans who need help with activities of daily living is expected to grow from 12 million today to more than 27 million in 2050. Daily help with these ongoing activities could come from family caregivers, but it’s often hard for family members to coordinate and manage this when the care needs are advanced.
While it’s believed that there are as many as 50 million unpaid caregivers around the country, not every family will be able to make this work given other obligations, lack of knowledge about the medical components of care, or geographic distance.
Even if you think that your situation might change in the future to make family caregiving more of an option, you can’t neglect the opportunity to plan ahead for Medicaid. Finding ways to pay for the cost of long term care can give you and your loved ones some peace of mind.
At our Massachusetts elder law planning office, we help walk you through all the options with proactive planning. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
