Long-Term Care Planning Is Important for Women

Long-Term Care Planning Is Important for Women

The prospect of needing long-term care is an important, yet sometimes overlooked, part of financial and retirement planning. Yet it may be especially vital for women to consider as they often face the need for long-term care as both a caregiver and recipient.

Women as caregivers

While you may think most long-term care is received in a nursing home setting, the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information (National Clearinghouse) estimates that about 80% of care is provided at home by informal (unpaid) family caregivers. Of those caregivers, about 60% are women (www.longtermcare.gov).

In many instances, the care provided for chronically disabled older adults is quite intensive and time-consuming. Women who act as family caregivers of older people with high levels of personal-care needs may face considerable financial, emotional, and physical strain. For instance, caregivers may face financial challenges due to lost wages from reduced work hours, time out of the workforce, extended family leave, or early retirement. Reduced work hours or extended time out of work may also affect the ability to contribute toward retirement savings, potentially resulting in a loss of retirement income.

Caregivers also may face emotional strains and poor health related to their caregiving responsibilities. This may be especially true for older women caregivers and younger women who may be caring for an older family member in addition to managing their own household.

Women as long-term care recipients

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), women outlive men by an average of 6 years (www.cdc.gov). Because they tend to live longer, women are at a higher risk than men of needing long-term care (source: National Clearinghouse). And the National Clearinghouse reports that women, on average, need care over a longer time than men (3.7 years vs. 2.2 years). With a longer life expectancy and a greater likelihood of needing long-term care, women often must confront their long-term care needs without the help of their spouse or other family members.

Paying for long-term care

Long-term care can be expensive. An important part of planning is deciding how to pay for these services.

Buying long-term care (LTC) insurance is an option. Many LTC insurance policies pay for the cost of care provided in a nursing home, assisted-living facility, or at home, but the premium paid generally depends on the age of the insured and the policy benefits and options purchased. And premiums can increase if the insurer raises its overall rates. Even with LTC insurance, you still may have some out-of-pocket contributions in addition to premium payments. For example:

• Not all policies provide coverage for care in your home, even though that’s where most care is provided. While the cost of in-home care may be less than the cost of care provided in a nursing home, it can still be quite expensive.
• Most policies allow for the selection of an elimination period of between 10 days and 1 year, during which time the insured is responsible for payment of care.
• The LTC insurance benefit is often paid based on a daily or monthly maximum amount, which may not be enough to cover all of the costs of care.
• While lifetime coverage may be selected, it can increase the premium cost significantly, and some policies may not offer that option. Most common LTC insurance benefit periods last from 1 year to 5 years, after which time the insurance coverage generally ends regardless of whether care is still being provided.

Government benefits provided primarily through a state’s Medicaid program may be used to pay for long-term care. To qualify for Medicaid, however, assets and income must fall below certain limits, which vary from state to state. Often, this requires spending down assets, which may mean using savings to pay for care before qualifying for Medicaid.

Women may have to confront particular challenges when planning for long-term care. A financial professional can help with some of the complex issues you may face when preparing for the possibility of long-term care, both as a caregiver and a receiver of care.