Long Term Care Insurance Expert | Honey Leveen | Houston, TX
Helping you make informed LTC decisions
Falls are the #1 cause of injury among seniors; they are a slippery slope to decline, but with appropriate care, can often be avoided. Many people do not report them.
This article describes what I routinely observe in my practice. LTCi ownership can make accessing appropriate, high quality care quicker, less stressful, and easier.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/falls-leading-cause-of-injury-and-death-among-older-americans/
Here’s a link to the December 2012 Report on Shortfalls in Medicaid funding. This is an annual report commissioned by the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and performed by Eljay, LLC.
Not surprisingly, the report (page 6) states that:
This is very scary stuff!
Obviously, the government is less and less capable of providing long-term care.
I hope that those of you who do not already own reasonably priced long-term care insurance (LTCi) will take heed and plan responsibly for your long-term care. LTCi is the reasonable – and sure – way to ensure you will have all the options you’ll prefer if long-term care is needed.
At long last, we have a string of incredibly positive articles featuring LTCi news! Writers are really doing their homework and digging into the research. They are reporting on the many benefits of long term care insurance (LTCi).
It can feel tricky when to make that decision. At what point do we need to leave traditional independent living and move into an assisted living community? This article in U.S. News & World Report (Aug. 9, 2019) gives some simple indicators to look for:
As we age, it is more common to experience multiple medical conditions at the same time. Degrading vision along with a neurological disease like Parkinson’s creates a formidable challenge in maintaining independent living.
And, as I’ve often discussed, the brain deterioration of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease can result in forgetfulness (taking prescriptions properly), poor decision-making and poor motor skills (prone to dangerous falls).
When that time comes, will we be able to recognize the signs? And with all those signs staring us in the face, will we be willing to accept the decision ahead of us? Roxanne Sorensen, an Aging Life Care specialist, reports that, “Families are making some of the most important decisions of their life while they’re emotional. They don’t have time to think about it. They’re in a crisis situation, and now they’re faced with the decision of where mom or dad is going to be institutionalized for the rest of their life.”
Once again, we’re reminded that the time to make these plans is before the decisions have to be made. When we’re less emotional and more level-headed. Plus, having this conversation early provides extra time to research local community options and make the best possible choice. What a luxury to have the time to join a waiting list for the more popular places instead of taking “whatever we can find”.
The very same week, the same publication printed a separate article on LTCi news. They list some of the great benefits of moving to assisted living. Here’s a sample of offerings from some communities:
Of course, these benefits will vary from facility to facility, so be sure to do your research EARLY to find the best match for your needs.
In more LTCi news, the Baby Boomer generation is facing the hard decisions as they try to manage the long term care needs of their parents. In fact, 9 out of 10 boomers who expect to be caregivers recognize that they’ll be making significant sacrifices in their own lives for the sake of their parents’ care.
These sacrifices range from cuts in personal spending and travel to reducing work hours or completely leaving their careers.
The good news is that the boomer generation is more willing to have the important conversations with their children when it comes to planning for their own care in later life. They recognize how likely it is that they will need long term care. And they are making the necessary plans to prepare themselves and their family for that future.
The article cites a study that concludes, “With one-third of caregivers tapping into their nest eggs to pay for health care expenses, it’s vital that payment planning for future caregiving is considered and prioritized in equal measure.”
Reading these 3 recent articles completely align with the themes that drive my passion for my work in long term care insurance. I believe it’s better to stay ahead of problems. The time to act is when “the writing is on the wall”, not when the wall is crumbling down around you.
I know how important it is to have these difficult conversations with our loved ones (and ourselves!). It is my mission to support people in creating the best possible environment in their later years. One of quality living, dignity and independence.
To begin, click here to receive your free no-obligation quote for your own LTCi policy.
Falls are the #1 cause of long term care need. They are typically a result of decreased body strength, balance issues, vision problems, home hazards or foot pain. Usually it’s a combination of two or more of these factors.
As we age, falls become more complicated to bounce back from. While most falls don’t lead to permanent injury, one out of five do result in serious injury, like broken bones which don’t heal as well or brain trauma.
The National Council on Aging explains how preventable most of these accidental deaths are. So if we have the means to avoid the injuries, why are they continuing to happen more frequently?
In my experience, many fall-related deaths are caused because people fail to accept the fact that they need to slow down and/or need help in their simple, daily tasks. They shrug off stumbles or occasional falls as “part of getting old”. As their needs rise, they continue to deny their declining capacity. As if this denial of reality will postpone the worsening of their situation!
I see this in my new community at Shell Point Retirement Community and, I must admit, I expected my neighbors to be more in touch with the reality of their true needs. We live in an environment where the full spectrum of care is available and paid for. And that level of care is above average.
I have a neighbor who resists using her walker even though she admits to having great difficulty with her arthritis. She admits to her difficulties with opening jars and dressing herself because of her arthritis. And there are many similar examples of this “head in the sand” avoidance.
The simplest way to reduce falls is to be brutally honest about your actual need and circumstances, and then taking the appropriate action. People evidently have huge difficulty doing this.
Denial of the facts is something I’ve written about extensively. I understand that resisting the truth of our declining health is part of our survival instinct (or maybe just our ego?). It’s just a shame that so many intelligent people are unable to override this instinct more often.
In doing so, they may suffer the ultimate consequence.
Take the first step to proactively plan for your future care and well being. Click here to receive your free, no-obligation quote for long term care insurance.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that falls are the second highest cause of injury in seniors. Falls trail just behind traffic-related injuries. In fact, over 37 million of these falls are serious enough to require medical attention, globally.
Here in the U.S., the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that one in four seniors, aged 65+, fall each year. Those falls mean more than 2.8 million visits to the emergency room. Tragically, there are over 27,000 deaths each year from falls.
The WHO lists multiple fall prevention strategies to help reduce risk, including:
The rest of the list, along with a discussion of other risk factors can be found here on the WHO website.
The CDC explains that the total cost of the injuries from falls was about $50 billion in 2015. By 2020, these costs are expected to be over $67 billion.
There has been a lot of work raising awareness around preventing these falls. Unfortunately, many seniors react in fear, so they change their regular activities. They choose to stay home and “play it safe”. However, reducing their social interaction and physical routines creates their own problems. They often experience an increase in alienation and depression.
You don’t have to hide in fear of falls! A thoughtful long term care insurance (LTCi) policy can help you easily prepare to navigate this road. Perhaps you want to hire trained home healthcare professionals. Maybe you’re looking for a facility that is properly equipped with safety features to reduce your risk. These options become available to you, especially when you plan in advance for your future needs.
The first “step” is beginning your research. Click here to receive your free, no-obligation quote for your own LTCi policy.
"Honey - Whenever I need a clarification regarding our “LTC” you are “Johnny on the spot” responding in a very prompt manner, reassuring me, informing me in a concise way, patient with me as I massage the understanding in my own words. Your knowledge is current and expressed with confidence, offered in your conscientious and upbeat personality. 
It is a pleasure to work with you. Thank you for your expertise." ~ Nancy Damon, Houston, TX
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Here’s how to reach me:
Honey Leveen, LUTCF, CLTC, LTCP
“The Queen, by Self-Proclamation, of Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCi)”
404 Royal Bonnet
Ft. Myers, FL 33908
Phone: 713-988-4671
Fax: 281-829-7177
Email: honey@honeyleveen.com
Email: honey@honeyleveen.com