It felt almost revelatory to realize the nearly perfect correlation between climate change deniers and people who refuse to plan responsibly for their long-term care.
Both denials appear to involve active refusal to accept facts.
According to one of many sources you may know (Google), the majority of us (77% in this instance), believe in global warming. That’s a strong majority.
This is approximately the same percentage of Baby Boomers who are concerned about their ability to pay for long-term care, depending on the study you read.
Fewer than one-third of us have saved for long-term care.
According to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, only about ten percent of us who are age and income-appropriate own long-term care insurance (LTCi).
The facts are conclusive, there’s an 8,000 pound elephant of long-term care in the room.
Here’s additional information on how unwise it is to deny the need for long-term care planning.
In the case of long-term care denial, I can give you one story after another about otherwise well-educated, affluent friends, who can afford LTCi premiums, have had first-hand experience being a caregiver, and who would be catastrophically affected if they need care for anything but a short period of time.
If I hadn’t seen in excess of 300 of the LTCi policies I’ve sold during the past 25 years pay off for my clients, if I hadn’t seen the transformative difference LTCi ownership makes, if I hadn’t been often thanked by clients for selling them their LTCi, I might almost be amused by the excuses people give me for not being willing to discuss long-term care planning with me.
I can understand hoping for the best, waging a fierce battle against the odds, and cultivation of an ever-present positive attitude. These things are helpful. This is not the same as denial. Denial is a straightforward avoidance of, a refusal to accept the facts. Such denial often leads to tragic outcomes.
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