Thursday, December 13, 2012

Michiganders' Confidence in Long Term Care Costs


Half of the population of Michigan who are over the age of 50 admit that they are not confident they can afford Michigan long term care costs should they need more than a year of home care or facility care. According to them, the government of Michigan has to put priority on providing affordable long term care services especially for the elderly.

At present, most individuals and families in Michigan are paying approximately $85,000 annually for a private room in a nursing home. Since not everybody in this state has secured a long term care insurance (LTCI) policy, which could alleviate one's financial burden such as long term care expenses, they are forced to pay from out-of-pocket.

It 's not only nursing homes that provide LTC service at high rates, even community-based LTC facilities such as an assisted living center can rip one's savings account. On an average, elderly folks in assisted living facilities shell out $36,000 annually while it's $20,000 for regulars of adult day care health centers.

In-home care in Michigan is not any cheaper, too, as recipients of this type LTC in Michigan are paying $22 per hour for a home health aide who assists them in their activities of daily living (ADL) namely eating, bathing, dressing, continence, toileting, and transferring. To sum up their annual expenses only on a home health aide that would be close to $44,000.

Now if an elderly receiving in-home care is living alone, which is often the case these days, then there is much likelihood he would regularly acquire homemaker services apart from a home health aide. Home health aides do not render household chores so if one needs somebody to cook and prepare his meals, clean his house, wash his dirty laundry, and run errands for him, he has to hire a staff from a home health agency that provides homemaker services which charges $21 per hour.

Michigan Long Term Care Costs

The population of senior Michiganders aged 85 and older is growing at a very speedy rate but not every one of them is ready to face the cost of care.

Only a few residents of Michigan have secured a comprehensive LTCI policy which will shoulder their future LTC expenses whether these are incurred in a nursing home, community-based LTC facility, or at home.

Michigan's government is constantly trying its best to work out programs that will make LTC accessible to the elderly population and disabled individuals. Two of its programs, in fact, are currently benefiting a lot of people under and over the age of 65 who are receiving home care and community-based LTC services. These programs are called Adult Home Care and MI Choice Waiver Program.

Not everyone, however, will be fortunate to never need nursing home care. Truth of the matter is, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services said 40% of elderly people aged 65 and older are going to be admitted into a nursing home at some point in their lives. Now you may be one of them or you may not.

Suffice to say that with a definite LTC plan you wouldn't mind entering a nursing home someday should this be recommended by your physician because you are financially secure. That's all you need, a good plan for Michigan long term care costs.




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