Deciding on purchasing long-term care (LTC) insurance is a great start to investing in your future long-term care health care strategy, especially to pay for home care costs that include ongoing caregiver services.

Purchasing LTC care insurance is not a popular move among many healthy adults who don’t feel the need for it.

Long-term care insurance is often considered when unexpected circumstances arise that pressure individuals to pay for certain health care costs such as home care that include ongoing caregiver services.

For aging individuals

As such, for some aging folks, it may be too late to go through the process of obtaining a LTC insurance policy.

In the grand scheme of things, depending on needs, it may still be cheaper to pay for LTC insurance premiums than to pay out-of-pocket for services such as home care.

But the good news is, home care costs are also tax deductible and counts as qualified unreimbursed medical care expenses that exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income.

Additionally, consulting with a tax professional is certainly advised for more in-depth information on this.

So how does one use their LTC insurance if they own a policy?

The LTC insurance carrier will most likely set up an appointment for an intake assessment in person.

Then, six ADLs are used to measure one’s physical abilities to determine benefits qualification.

The law requires tax-qualified policies to pay or reimburse benefits if you are impaired in two out of the following six ADLs:

• bathing
• dressing
• transferring
• eating
• toileting
• continence

What does one do if they’re denied LTC insurance coverage and/or don’t qualify for it?

Often the denial letter will have key points as to why the denial happened.

It may be just a simple reason one can resolve right away.

Or if the reason is a little more complex, the letter may explain how to resolve the matter to be reconsidered.

If you receive a denial letter, as courtesy, our office can help you with the letter and guide you through the process.

Caregiver Services

Our office can provide assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) services in the privacy of you or a loved one’s own home.

Our caregivers have experience and training in providing in-home care.

They have successfully passed background checks through the CDSS Guardian System, as well as being insured and bonded through the agency, TB test cleared, and being CPR certified.

Moreover, our care plans are individualized to meet your needs.

Benefits of Home Care

• Freedom and independence
  • There’s nothing more valuable than being in your own space and living freely.
  • Assisted living and/or nursing homes will limit one’s freedom and independence no doubt.
  • Why not enjoy your well-deserved freedom and independence in the comfort of your own home by getting home care for you or your loved ones?
• Health and wellness
  • Home care promotes authentic healing.
  • Research shows that patients heal more quickly and comfortably at home than in an institutionalized setting such as a hospital or nursing home and there is significantly less chance of rehospitalization when recuperation is at home.
• Individual attention and respect
  • Home care services are delivered one-on-one, which assures more private attention than a nursing home or a facility.
• Family centered care
  • Home care supports and keeps families together.
  • With home care, families tend to stay more involved with the care and maintain closeness with their loved one(s).
• Personalized care
  • Our caregivers offer personalized care to the needs of the family and the individual on any given day, whether that need is as simple as being a companion or more complex as with personal care for Alzheimers or dementia.
• Cost-effective care
  • Home care is usually less expensive than costs for a nursing home or even assisted living.
  • A good rule of thumb is that 8 hours a day or less of home care will be less expensive than moving elsewhere.
• Home cooked meals
  • A home caregiver can prepare healthy and nutritional meals specially customized for the individual.
• Safe exercise routines
  • Implementing a personalized daily exercise program with the added safety of a qualified professional such as a physical therapist being present is another option.
• A comfortable setting
  • One can never underestimate the benefit and comfort of their own home, whether that be just enjoying a favorite chair or enjoying the daily cup of tea in a familiar corner.
• Rides to appointments
  • Home care offers accompaniment on transportation to and from various appointments, social activities or errands, allowing families more free time together as well as additional peace of mind.
• Overall satisfaction
  • In-home care leads to a higher satisfaction with life and dignity when physical frailty is an immediate factor.

Common misconceptions

Often, LTC policy holders may think that their insurance will cover all home care costs.

Sometimes, the misconception arises from thinking that Medicare or another health insurance plan will cover home care costs too.

Another is thinking that there will be no out-of-pocket costs.

Whether it be groceries or bills one has to pay perhaps with the assistance of a caregiver, there will always be some kind of out-of-pocket costs.

Sometimes, the family may arrange grocery purchases with the agency. This would be an out-of-pocket cost that the LTC insurance policy wouldn’t cover.

In addition, if the LTC insurance company caps the amount to pay for home care coverage on a daily or weekly basis, any additional time would be paid out-of-pocket by the client.

But again, some care costs are also tax deductible and counts as qualified unreimbursed medical care expenses that exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income.

We recommend consulting a tax professional for budgeting and planning to maximize benefits while getting the care services needed.

Never alone

So with our caregivers by your side 24/7, you or your loved one never have to be alone.

Let someone take care of you so you can be in harmony with your life and family.

Your life is too precious.

Care is our business and responsibility.

Refer a friend who needs a home care provider.

Call us today for a free assessment and to receive care that you or your loved ones need.

We are located in Placentia, CA in Orange County, in between Fullerton and Yorba Linda, but we also serve our broader surrounding cities and counties, so don’t hesitate to call us!