Getting Your Doctor Involved: Long Term Care Planning

(by Rhonda Spranger) Every year hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on long term care. While some of these costs are covered by government health insurance programs, a lot of the expenses related to long term care are covered by private funds and savings. People who do not have insurance coverage, or who do not have a large nest egg to work with, often have to deal with sub-par treatment or no treatment at all. If you want to ensure that you receive the best long term care possible, then you need to plan for your LTC needs early.What is Long Term CareLong term care, basically put, is chronic medical treatment. It takes several forms. First long term care can include hospitalizations, nursing home care and assisted living facility care. Next is can include at home services like nursing care, housekeeping and personal care. Finally, long term care can include things like rehabilitation therapies, IV therapies and medical supplies that you need on an on-going basis like bandages, glucose strips and meters and bladder control pads.Family HistoriesThere are several things that you need to take into consideration when planning for your long term care needs. The first thing that you need to consider is your family history. Your family history is a great tool to use as a predictor of the types of long term care that you will need. For example, if your dad and grandfather both had strokes, then you have a good chance of having one or more strokes in your lifetime. Family histories can also be used to predict when you will need your LTC insurance to kick in.Enlisting the Help of Your DoctorYour current medical condition can also be used as a planning tool. However, to get the most from this tool you will need the help of your doctor. During your next check up or physical, have your doctor run a panel of tests to gage how healthy you are, as well as to identify health risk factors. Then talk to your doctor about what possible health concerns you may develop, and how your current health concerns may impact your need for long term care.To get the most from your doctor’s visit, you will want to prepare a head of time. Create a list of questions about your health and your family health history. Also ask about the types of treatments that are needed by the health risks that you have. This will help you to identify long term care insurance programs and plans that will fit your future LTC needs.

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