Long Term Care Insurance

Almost 10 million people needed some sort of long term care in the United States in 2000. Of these 10 million people, 37% were under the age of 65 while 63% were over the age of 65. Nearly 70% of those turning 65 will need long term care within their lifetime. So what is long term care and why does such a large percentage of United States citizens need this type of coverage?

What is Long Term Care?

Long term care is a variety of services and supports that you may need in order to meet your personal care needs. Most of this type of care is not medical, but rather assistance with basic personal tasks in your everyday life. These tasks may be such things as:

Bathing
Dressing
Using the Toilet
Transferring to or from the Bed or Chair
Caring for Incontinence
Eating

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living

There are other long term care services and supports available besides those previously listed. These are for the assistance of everyday tasks that are oftentimes called Instrumental Activities of Daily Living or IADLs. These types of tasks are such things as:

Housework
Managing Money
Using the Telephone or Other Communication Devices
Taking Medication
Preparing and Cleaning Up After Meals
Shopping for Groceries or Clothing
Caring for Pets
Responding to Emergency Alerts (such as fire alarms)