Long-term care is not just for the elderly -- it refers to any medical care and facilities that someone utilizes for an extended period of time due to chronic illnesses, injuries or disabilities. These services include, but are not limited to: care in a nursing home or in your own home, home health care, adult day care, hospice care, etc. Long-term care services can be very costly, especially for someone unable to work due to their illness. This is where long-term care insurance comes into play.  

Long-term care insurance coverage is determined based on three levels:

• Skilled care is for those with a medical condition that need someone to look after them around the clock. Usually, a nurse or a therapist is hired to provide continuous care.
• Intermediate care is provided for those who don’t need to be looked after all the time. A trained medical worker drops by from time to time to check up on the patient.
• Custodial care is the type of long-term care most patients need. Most of these individuals need help doing daily activities, such as eating, getting dressed, bathing, and going to the bathroom. The care giver does not need to be professionally trained since the patient usually doesn’t have a medical condition.

Patients can also receive long-term care away from home in hospitals, nursing homes, or hospices.  

Most of the time, people will need insurance to cover long-term care because of the high cost. Long-term care insurance is available for people of any age, as accidents and illnesses could happen to anyone. The amount of long-term coverage you buy depends on how much you want. You can purchase a long-term care insurance policy at daily benefit rates according to how much care you need each day. It might be a good idea to purchase a policy for an extended period of time if you know you will need long-term care for more than just a few weeks. This will allow you to get the services at more affordable premiums.