If you’ve flown recently and you’re like most people, you probably tune out during the in-flight announcements. They always say the same things and it’s not important to prepare for something that could never happen to you. Although the announcements are repetitious, a false sense of security causes us to believe an emergency could never occur.
The odds of being injured in a plane crash is 1 in 11 million while the odds of someone over the age of 65 needing some type of long-term care is more than 2 out of 3.
Although plane crashes are extremely rare, medical emergencies or chronic health conditions are common. So as any good Eagle Scout will tell you, “Be Prepared.” This isn’t an appeal to eat healthy or exercise, that is a type of prevention, but you should be ready for what could happen. Preparing for a long-term care event can mean lots of different things depending upon your situation.
For almost everyone, legal preparations are necessary; an advance directive for healthcare will tell people how to carry out your wishes and a will and trust will provide guidance after your death. Many people need basic financial planning, such as life and long-term care insurance or making sure accounts are properly titled and have beneficiaries. Not to be overlooked are the myriad of social and health-related arrangements. Since surveys show that 9 out of 10 people want to age in place, do you know how you might pay for assistance in the home after an illness or accident?
The final category can be one of the most challenging to navigate. Sometimes vital lessons are only learned by helping a friend or loved one when they need help. When the time comes for us to make plans for our own healthcare or find resources in our community, there isn’t a roadmap. After a hospitalization or long-term care event, we are left asking “Now what?!?”
Give us a call to find out more about the types of services we offer, and how you may need to plan for them.
