An often-overlooked aspect of the aging process relates to those without close relatives. According to a 2021 Census Bureau report, there are 22.1 million seniors living alone. Furthermore, the trend has been growing in recent years. The same report found 15.2 million adults 55 and older were childless.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Due to the frequency of older adults with chronic health conditions, seniors will have a growing need for assistance. As health conditions mount, the ability for older adults to perform such tasks as basic home maintenance or daily activities such as meal preparation, getting to and from doctor appointments, managing multiple medications and even dressing bathing and toileting can decline.
If facing challenges alone, you may be more at risk of a fall. And a fall can be more serious if you are alone. You cannot look to your spouse or adult child for help. You need to have systems in place to tap into help when you need it, and make sure you know how to pay for that help. If you are aging alone, a long-term care policy may be much more important than a life-insurance policy.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, adults 65 and older have a 70% chance of needing some type of long-term care, whether in the home or in a care facility such as assisted living. But only 7.5 million adults in the U.S. (less than 3% of the population) carry long-term care insurance that would cover a home health aide or an assisted living facility. It is easy to kid yourself that it will not happen to you!
For those with limited income and assets, Medicaid covers many long-term care costs. There are programs both for nursing home care (ICP Medicaid) and home and community-based programs (HCBS Medicaid). Medicaid is the largest funder of long-term care services in the U.S. But most people rely on unpaid caregivers, such as family or friends. If you are aging alone, you need to plan for Medicaid so that you can tap into that support when you need it.
It can be helpful to stay socially connected. If you volunteer, or attend a church, or keep in close touch with friends, you will automatically have more choices of people to ask for help when you need it. There is strong evidence linking social isolation and loneliness to poorer health, including higher rates of stroke and heart disease, and higher levels of stress and depression. Of course, if you have been a loner most of your life, that’s probably not going to change in your 70s. But you can still seek out opportunities in any community to mentor young people, or to read to or deliver food to older people.
We are fortunate in Collier County to have many avenues available to pursue involvement. In addition to all the local churches and synagogues, the Naples Senior Center has many programs and a growing client base of active involved seniors. The Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida is based in Ft. Myers, but covers both Lee and Collier county to provide a helpline for seniors and disabled adults. And many seniors have enjoyed volunteering through the years with established institutions such as Naples Community Hospital, Collier County Public Library, or Artis Naples.
At Burzynski Elder Law, we have a program to help those who wish to plan for successful aging. We offer the Life Care Planning model of service to help you identify and plan for payment sources when or if you need care in the future. We can help you locate a good long-term care policy, and also examine if you have appropriate coverage for Medicare and your supplemental. We can help you tap funds from Medicaid and, sometimes, VA for long-term care needs. We can help you structure your assets to qualify for the available programs. We can design your estate planning documents to tailor to your wishes. Making your wishes known and identifying your trusted friends or advocates is crucial if you are aging alone. If any of this describes you, you owe it to yourself to explore the pre-planning available with a Life Care Plan. Call for an appointment today at 239-434-8557.