Long-term care is when a person needs someone to care for them because they cannot manage a number of daily living activities on their own any longer and it is envisaged that this will happen for the foreseeable future. It comprises of help with daily living activities such as washing, dressing or eating and can take place in the home or in a residential or nursing care home.
The onset of needing care can happen at any time, this change can happen very suddenly as when a person suffers a stroke or accident. Alternatively their dependency needs may increase slowly, typically as a result of permanent conditions such as arthritis, a stroke or dementia.
What is long term care insurance and what does it do? Long term care insurance is a way of insuring against the costs involved in paying for long term care. It is another name for an immediate needs annuity which, once in place, produces a monthly payment to a registered care provider for the rest of a person’s life.
The risk of a life time care insurance policy is that if a person dies early the original outlay is lost unless there is an element of insurance against premature death.
The lump sum cost of the care plan is determined by a person’s age, sex and state of health which is assessed following receipt of medical information from the nursing home and the client’s doctor. The more ill and frail a person is, the lower the premium will cost as the expense is directly linked to the life insurance companys view on the person’s expected lifespan.
The lump sum premium is calculated by taking the shortfall between the income coming in and the cost of the care fees going out. The resulting shortfall can be accommodated by payment of a single premium to an insurance company. Automatic indexation or escalation of benefits can be included to cover annual care fee increases.
If a care provider will agree to keep their annual care fee increases to say five percent each year, the long term care insurance plan can be structured to match this rate for the rest of the persons life.
Even a guaranteed care plan cannot take into account increased care costs if there is a need the need to move care homes. This may be due to a requirement for nursing care or if the present care home closes for some reason or is taken over by a larger group. A regular NHS contribution is made for persons assessed as needing registered nursing care. However if the person’s health has deteriorated to such an extent that they qualify for continuing care, this is fully funded by the NHS.
One main advantage of this type of scheme over others is the tax efficiency. This is due to the fact that the benefits are paid direct to the care provider so has no impact upon the person receiving the care.
before you start providing for long term care payments make sure you access Barbara Davies’s vital free report concerning long term care insurance plans .