It doesn’t matter if you’re young, middle-aged or well past retirement, it’s critical that you turn your attention to the future. And when it comes to estate planning, that means focusing on long-term care.
It’s your hope that you never require long-term care in a nursing home, but this is something that many people go through at some point in their life. Some people only need nursing home care for a temporary period of time, such as after leaving the hospital after a surgical procedure. Others, however, require ‘round-the-clock care.
It’s better to be safe than sorry, so you want to prepare for the possibility of spending time in a nursing home facility in the future. Here are three details that require your attention:
- Choose a facility in advance: This isn’t a requirement, but you should at least gain a better understanding of the nursing home facilities in your local area. The more research you do up front, the less you have to worry about should the time come to make a decision. Furthermore, choosing a facility in advance is useful to your loved ones should you be unable to communicate your feelings.
- How to pay for nursing home care: There are many ways to pay for care, but no matter the direction you head it’s a must to plan in advance. Some of your options include long-term care insurance, Medicaid and personal assets. For instance, if you want to purchase a long-term care insurance policy, it’s best to do so when you’re relatively young and healthy. This keeps your premium down.
- The impact on your loved ones: Even though you’re the one moving into the facility, this will impact your loved ones in a variety of ways. Maybe you want them to be able to visit you often, so choosing a facility close to home is critical. Talk to your loved ones about your plans and concerns.
If you’ve yet to add a long-term care component to your estate plan, now’s the time to do so. This will allow you to address the details above, as well as any others that are important to you.