Latest Data on Care Needs Of Persons With Disabilities

Jesse Slome, long term care insurance price and planning expert

Jesse Slome, long term care insurance expert

There are millions of Americans who need assistance with activities of daily living according to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI).  In recognition of International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3, 2018) the Association’s director shared some relevant data.

“I am pleased to mark this special day by sharing the latest estimates of why current residents in assisted living and similar residential care communities (RCCs) need assistance with activities of daily,” shared Jesse Slome, director of the long-term care insurance association.  Slome was holding his weekly call with senior agents and highlighted the international day that recognizes persons who have disabilities.

According to a study of current participants across all adult day services centers from the National Study of Long-Term Care Providers, the greatest need for assistance of current residents in RCCs was bathing (64%) followed by 57 percent who need help with walking.  “Some 48 percent need help with dressing, 40 percent with toileting, 29 percent need help with transferring and 19 percent need help with eating,” Slome shared.

Slome noted that the data could be helpful when insurance professionals discuss the importance of planning for the very real risk of needing long-term care.  “Almost everyone over the age of 50 is intimately familiar with someone who has needed this type of care.  They are unable to perform activities of daily living which is the truest definition of the word disability,” Slome points out.  “What consumers unfortunately don’t understand is that long-term care insurance is only an option while you can still health qualify for the protection.”

Use the information to convey what happens to real people once they are disabled as a result of natural aging, Slome advised.  “Since far more people need help with bathing and walking, I’d start by talking about these needs as a reason you might one day need long-term care,” Slome advised.  “We salute the importance of today as a way to educate consumers of the importance of planning for the realities which impact those who live a long life.

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance advocates for the importance of long-term care planning and helps consumers connect with knowledgeable professionals who are independent advisors.   Consumers looking for local long-term care insurance agents or cost comparisons should visit the Association’s website at http://www.aaltci.org or can call the organization’s national headquarters at 818-597-3227.

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