Home is Where the Heart is! (and Long Term Care)

When people hear the words “long term care,” they often think of nursing homes or assisted living facilities. However, what many do not realize is that almost 80% of care is provided at home.1

Recent statistics indicate an increase in the amount of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients who are dying at home as opposed to in caregiving facilities and nursing homes. According to a report by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention the percentage of patients receiving care at home continues to increase steadily.

This report highlights the following points about Alzheimer’s care shifting towards home healthcare*:

  • 54.1% died in a nursing home or other long-term care facility, compared with 67.5% in 1999
  • 24.9% died at home, compared with 13.9% in 1999;

*This data from the most recent year studied to date – 2014

The extensive care required by an elderly individual, especially an end stage Alzheimer’s patient, is enough to cause physical and emotion stress on even a paid caregiver, yet alone an unpaid loved one. By planning ahead for medical complications such as Alzheimer’s, family members can reduce the risk of having to manage care on their own, and therefore, can eliminate the stress that follows.

Proactively purchasing a long term care policy allows patients and family members alike to have peace of mind in knowing that their loved ones are protected. It also allows individuals to choose to live out the rest of their life in the comfort of their own homes rather than dying in a nursing home.

1 Congressional Budget Office, Rising Demand for Long-Term Services and Supports for Elderly People

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