By now you’ve probably heard how Long Term Care Insurance (LTCI) can preserve your retirement savings. But have you thought about how LTCI could preserve your marriage as well? Think about it, sure you don’t mind making soup when they have a cold, doing their laundry, or vacuuming out their car. But when the time comes and your partner needs Long Term Care (LTC), are you going to be physically and emotionally able to take care of them and yourself? How will this affect your relationship?
Purchasing an LTCI policy can preserve your relationship in the way you’re comfortable with. Instead of being a nurse or a caregiver or a bath aid, you can simply be a husband or a wife. They can maintain their privacy and dignity in areas that they wish, and you can both maintain a level of comfort and ease. You purchase life insurance to take care of your loved ones when you’re gone. Consider purchasing LTCI to take care of them while you’re still here. As they begin to struggle with their activities of daily living (ADLs) – transferring, dressing bathing, eating, toileting and continence - you can have peace of mind knowing they have coverage to get the care that they need.
If your spouse needed help transferring or dressing, consider if you are physically strong enough to lift them without hurting them. Then think about your own back, shoulders, and arms being strained or hurt. My stepmom threw out her back multiple times helping my dad in various situations after his ALS diagnosis. She would be in tremendous pain for days and have to call other people to help him when she wasn’t able to.
When it comes to bathing, the hardest part physically is usually getting the patient over the edge of the bathtub. A trained bath aid will know how to position themselves and their patient so that there is less risk of slipping and falling. Currently my grandma just needs help getting in and getting out due to the arthritis in her hip, but she can do the actual cleaning herself. So, my family hired a bath aid two days a week for just a couple of hours. Grandma doesn’t have an LTCI policy, so those expenses are adding up quickly.
Eating seems like the easiest of the ADLs. However, many elder care issues cause patients to choke more often or require a special diet. An LTCI policy can cover a caretaker at mealtimes, or the cost of living in a facility that knows how to handle these types of situations.
"A well-trained caregiver knows what to do and when to do it, without having to ask uncomfortable questions. They leave their patients’ dignity intact, and their personal relationships preserved."
Lastly, the two most delicate of the ADLs, are toileting and continence. My dad used to joke that he changed my diapers, and by golly one day I’d change his. But after his diagnosis, I believe this was his biggest fear. No one wants to ask for help with toileting or continence. Especially from a spouse or a child. A well-trained caregiver knows what to do and when to do it, without having to ask uncomfortable questions. They leave their patients’ dignity intact, and their personal relationships preserved.
To learn more about LTCI, short term care insurance, or hybrid products, speak to a specialist today. Find out if you qualify, how much your policy would be, and when the best time to purchase would be. Preserve your retirement and your relationship, all at the same time.
You must be logged in to post a comment.