Oklahoma Long Term Care Insurance
Long term care insurance is a relatively new concept, but one that has been receiving a lot of attention lately. For many families, deciding how to care for aging parents or an ill family member presents difficult challenges, creating undue stress, financial hardship and more. If you are considering long term care insurance, take the time to read a little about what it is, how it works and how it can more effectively prepare you and your loved ones for the future.
What is Long Term Care?
Basically, long term care services are designed to assist those who can no longer appropriately take care of themselves because of an accident, illness or aging. Usually, long term care includes assistance with activities of daily living (ADL’s). These include bathing, dressing, eating and moving from place to place. Long term care assistance can take place in your own home, at a nursing home or in an assisted living facility.
Care is provided by skilled professionals like registered nurses or home health aides who help with preparing meals, dressing, bathing and anything else that needs done. It’s important to remember that long term care is not restricted to the elderly. In fact, an automobile accident or other illness can affect a younger person’s ability to care for themselves, leading to the necessity of care.
Long Term Care Insurance versus Heath Insurance
When you purchase long term care insurance, you are securing funds for covering the costs of long term care services similar to how health insurance pays for medical treatment. However, there is a significant difference between traditional health insurance and long term care insurance and the two are uniquely separate. In most cases, when you are insured with medical insurance, your doctor’s visits and hospital stays are covered. If your health progresses to the point of needing long term care, most traditional health insurance policies will not cover these services. As a result, Oklahoma long term care insurance is designed to pick up where traditional health insurance or even Medicare leave off.
Typical Benefits
You can generally depend on coverage for skilled or professional caregivers including registered nurses, occupational, physical and speech therapists. If they visit you at home, they will generally perform services and leave within the hour. If you are receiving care from a home health aide or certified nursing assistant, they will stay an average of 4 to 8 hours, completing all the tasks necessary to help the insured with ADL’s. Assisted living and nursing facilities provide a higher level of long term care, usually providing 24 hour care as patients are generally unable to remain at home.
In addition to helping with the activities of daily living, long term care insurance can help seniors and those who are incapable of performing certain basic activities remain independent for a longer period of time. Particularly for children of aging parents who are concerned with the safety of their loved ones, long term care offers workable solutions. As an efficient, affordable way to ensure loved ones receive the treatment and care they deserve, Oklahoma long term care insurance is simply a smart choice.
