Long-Term Care: It’s best for seniors to plan ahead
Long-term care is often the largest retirement expense for seniors. An unfortunate illness or chronic condition could require continual care, which can be costly. Long-term care insurance and Medicare can help cover such expenses. However, Medicare will only pay a maximum of 100 days of residence at a nursing home. People who are 50 and older should plan ahead to investigate the variety of inexpensive care options available so they try to avoid the high costs associated with long-term care. One way in which to reduce the cost of long-term care relies upon where you live. US News & World Report recently listed the 10 most affordable cities for long-term care. Their list, presented in alphabetical order not by rank, shows the most inexpensive cities in which to purchase various types of long-term care. If you feel you may need long-term care, costs might be reduced simply by retiring in one of these cities:
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia — The Atlanta area has low costs for all types of long-term care
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Illinois — Long-term care expenses are about average in Chicago, but there are deals to be found
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas — You don’t need to pay high prices for nursing home care in Texas
Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Michigan — The costs of long-term care in the Detroit Metro Area are below average
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas — The Houston area has many affordable long-term care options for seniors, including adult day health care
Las Vegas-Paradise, Nevada — The Las Vegas area’s assisted living facilities are among the most affordable of all the major metro areas in the country
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida — Assisted living facility rates have dropped five percent over the past five years
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona — This warm-weather paradise includes plenty of affordable long-term care options, including nursing home care
San Antonio, Texas — This is the most affordable major metro area for adult day health care
St. Louis, Missouri — Affordable options include assisted living or hiring a home health aide
For more information about affordable long-term care, click here to view an in-depth article in the Money Retirement section of US News & World Report titled: How to Find Affordable Long-Term Care. The article offers helpful tips about performing your search and advice about long-term care insurance. When you decide it’s time to locate long-term care for yourself or a loved one, visit AlternativesforSeniors.com to review the many senior living and care options available. Blog Date: September 20, 2013 Writer: Ryan Allen
