As the costs of long-term care continue to rise, many people are concerned about how they’ll pay for their ongoing medical needs as they age. While Medicare or health insurance may help cover most of your medical costs, such as doctor visits and hospital stays, it does not typically cover custodial care unless medical care is also needed.  

Contact Lalani Insurance Agency in Sugar Land, Texas, to learn more about how long-term care insurance can help mitigate the costs of necessary care later in life. 

What Is Long-Term Care Insurance? 
Long-term care insurance is designed to help cover the costs of routine care when the insured person has a chronic medical condition that may be related to aging.  

What Does Long-Term Care Insurance Cover? 
In general, long-term care helps the insured person receive professional care when they can no longer care for themselves by independently performing activities of daily living (ADL): 

The six primary ADLs commonly recognized in health care and caregiving contexts are as follows: 

• Personal hygiene—Activities related to maintaining cleanliness and personal grooming, such as bathing or showering, oral hygiene (e.g., brushing teeth or flossing), hair care and toileting.
• Dressing—Choosing and putting on appropriate clothing, including managing buttons, zippers and other fasteners.
• Eating—The ability to feed oneself independently, including the physical act of bringing food to the mouth, using utensils and drinking from a cup or glass.
• Transferring—Moving from one position to another, such as transferring from a bed to a chair, or getting in and out of a wheelchair. This may involve assistance or the use of assistive devices like crutches or a walker.
• Continence—Maintaining control of bladder and bowel function. This involves being able to control and manage urination and defecation or managing and using incontinence products if necessary.
• Ambulation or mobility—The ability to walk independently or with the use of mobility aids like canes or walkers. It includes tasks such as standing up, walking, and maintaining balance. 

In general, long-term care insurance may help cover the following: 

• Short-term hospice care for terminally ill individuals in a nursing home, hospice facility or their own home. 
• The costs of medically necessary temporary or respite care at a daytime care facility, nursing home or at home. 
• Resident care or alternative care at an assisted living facility. 
• Occupational therapy, nursing care or rehabilitation at home. 
• Assistance with daily tasks, including dressing, toileting and bathing.  

This list is not exhaustive; each long-term care plan may offer different coverage. There may be some coverage overlaps with Medicare or health insurance, depending on your coverage. Your agent can help evaluate your potential future needs and help locate an appropriate plan.  

Your policy may have a waiting period before benefits start, dollar limits and time limits. Some long-term care plans have an exclusion period lasting several months after you purchase the coverage. Certain plans may exclude the costs of care performed by a family member.  

Contact Us 
The team at Lalani Insurance Agency can help you get the long-term care insurance to help ensure your ongoing care as you age. Contact us today to get a personalized long-term care insurance quote.