Aging in Place is Kentucky’s Long Term Care Trend

Author: KathRbrts | Posted: 06.12.2011

While nursing homes in other U.S. states are overcrowded, those in Kentucky have many vacancies since residents here associate Kentucky long term care with their homes.

Aging in place has been a growing trend in Kentucky. In fact, the AARP Foundation is allocating more funds to in-home and community-based care rather than to nursing homes as nine in 10 Kentuckians have said outright that they don’t want to be placed in an institutional facility.

People in Kentucky are independent by nature but ironically more than half of its elderly population over the age of 65 said they are not confident that they can fund their long term care (LTC) needs in the future.

This is the only downside to one’s receiving care at home as he is more likely to depend on family members. It’s all right to receive in-home care if you have a specific plan that will eventually shoulder your expenses for a caregiver and other services that come with this type of LTC setting.

One thing that you should not be is a freeloader because this will affect so many lives in a very unpleasant way. Sure you’ve heard stories of people who have sacrificed their jobs, whose savings were wiped out and who never got around to planning their future health care needs because they got stuck on the heavy task of providing unpaid care to a loved one.

If you want to receive topnotch in-home care in the future, you have to start working on a concrete plan today instead of assuming that somebody from your family will shoulder your needs. Your spouse, children and even children-in-law have their own lives to plan so it would be unfair of you to demand attention and monetary assistance from them just to ensure your comfort.

Kentucky Long Term Care Costs

At present, families in Kentucky pay out on average $78,936 annually for home care services that are provided to their elderly loved ones. This number is inclusive of the annual rate of a home health aide which is $40,040, based on Genworth Financial’s 2011 Cost of Care Survey, and homemaker services which is currently $38,896.

Should an in-home care patient acquire a serious health condition and require care in a nursing home he has to be ready to spend $201 daily or $74,825 which is the average annual rate of a private nursing home room in Delaware.

If he doesn’t have that much in his bank account then he can start spending down his assets until it is no more than $2,000 to qualify for Medicaid.

Turning to Medicaid is such a pathetic move and LTC specialists will agree to this because it is not a program that is really designed to provide LTC coverage. It is actually intended to assist low income families with their health care needs.

Unfortunately, the population of Medicaid beneficiaries has increased over time and it’s because of many people’s neglect of their priorities.

Don’t entrust your life to the hands of others. Plan your Kentucky long term care and look forward to a life with dignity.



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