Ask most any nurse, doctors, or health care professionals the value of long-term care planning, and you are bound to get stories of joy, love, compassion, perseverance. Ask again, and you may get the stories of sadness, desperation, fear, and frustration felt by the families that failed to plan.
Healthcare professionals have a unique perspective on Long Term Care planning. Faced with daily exposure to illness, injury, disease, and the effects of old age that create a long-term care need makes them more inclined to think “what if?” about their planning needs.
Interestingly, if you were to take a random survey of those that had long-term care plans in place against those that do not, you would most likely find health care professionals do not have any plan in place, or have an inadequate or overpriced plan through their employer or group.
Some organizations (hospitals, unions…etc.) offer a negotiated group offering for Long-term care protection to healthcare professionals but this is not always the best rate available to them. It is highly recommend that before committing to group coverage, health professionals should consult with an independent agency to explore all their options.
In addition, with the constant advances in medical science, people are surviving more conditions than in the past, but facing an increased need for ongoing care. Protecting your choices for ongoing care with long-term care plans is where you make the best decision.
There are some basic considerations when thinking about long-term care planning. Healthcare professionals are often advised about patient’s Living Wills. A living will tells which treatment you want if your life is threatened, including Dialysis and breathing machines, resuscitation if you stop breathing or if your heart stops, and/or tube feeding.
Often, patients and their families will reveal information about their intentions for long-term caregiving too. Unfortunately, many times patients and families will ask for advice because no plans have been made for how to manage a long-term care event or how to pay for it.
The government reports that 70% of people that reach age 65 will have a long-term care event during their remaining lifetime. The majority of the people needing care will be woman. Also noteworthy is that 37% of people needing long-term care services are under 65.
Nurses are a particularly vulnerable group because their job demands can create musculoskeletal problems. The American Nurses Association published a report in 2011 that showed 42% of nurses surveyed had been injured on the job at least once in the last 12 months.
Healthcare professionals are often motivated to pursue their chosen field because of their motivation to help. That generous spirit can be a burden late in life for even the most generous.
For this reason we find that we have had a significant number of people from the healthcare field investigate Long Term Care plans and make those plans part of their safety and security. A Long Term Care plan secures their income, assets and futures. Take a moment today and see how simple planning for long-term care can be: fill out the form to the right for your free guide.