In fact, the odds are that well over 50 percent of all people will need long-term care at some point. Most people, especially those enjoying robust health in middle age, don’t think it will happen to them. My goal is to help people understand how likely it is that they will need this kind of care one day, and to help them prepare for it financially.

The following true story is a perfect example. A top financial advisor sent a client to me for long-term care insurance. Within weeks of receipt of her policy, the woman was diagnosed with a severe and life-threatening illness and submitted a claim for benefits. Much to her relief, and that of her family, she is receiving the benefits of the long-term care policy that her financial advisor urged her to buy.

Many people try to investigate long-term care policies but give up when they realize the enormous complexity of the contracts and issues involved. Just as you go to other professionals, such as attorneys and accountants, to help you sort through legal and financial issues, you also need a long-term care specialist who will help you navigate this otherwise overwhelming subject. (You don’t pay separate fees to get this advice!)

Long-term care insurance coverage is one of the most important asset protection tools available. Consider: you can easily spend between $75,000 if you sleep through the night and $150,000 to $250,000 a year – for care at home with two 12 hour shifts. If you need skilled nursing care in the home setting, that figure can skyrocket. A good long-term care insurance policy not only preserves assets, but also peace of mind. With a contract in place, you can really look forward to the future with optimism.

There’s a reason I’m so passionate about this kind of insurance product. My own beautiful and brilliant mother – may she rest in peace – needed help for many years late in life. My father paid an enormous sum so that she could stay comfortably in their home. She died in her own bed, and, believe it or not, had a smile on her face when she did. She was fortunate to have ended her journey through life in a familiar and loving environment. My own father, at age 95, needed round-the-clock care at home for two years because he began to fall in 1996 and 1997. He spent $72,000 a year for his unskilled, yet loyal and devoted caregivers. At 97 he had a massive stroke and spent $10,000 a month on his caregivers, therapists and supplies until he died at age 98 in 1999. How I wish he had had the opportunity to buy this kind of protection for himself and for my mother years ago. During his last nine months his savings were dramatically depleted and we lived in fear of his outliving his assets. On the other hand, my mother-in-law purchased long term care insurance, and it paid for her caregiver at home for five and a half years prior to her passing. What a blessing.

There’s another reason I care about this so much. I have worked as a gerontologist and social worker in nursing homes and mental health centers. At the nursing homes, I was shocked and horrified at the impersonal and low level of care offered and was immensely saddened to see the loss of dignity and the obvious loneliness of the patients. How they wished they could have been at home. Studies have shown that people at home live longer than those in nursing homes. Home care can indeed cost much more than nursing home care, but it’s hard to put a price on dignity. In fact, the majority of people who have long term care insurance and are collecting benefits are doing so at home. All of the clients we have at this time, who are receiving benefits from their long term care insurance policies, are doing so in comfort and dignity at home

Since 1982, I have been selling life, health, disability and long-term care insurance. Over the years, I have seen the quality of long-term care insurance policies steadily improve. Today, companies offer contracts that cover the care that you would want if you were in need of home care, either due to illness or disability. With the quality of these policies so much better than they have ever been, now is the time for you to select a long-term care insurance policy that’s right for you.

At Shoff & Shoff Insurance, long-term care insurance is our specialty and our passion. We pride ourselves in helping you find the type of company and contract that will provide you with a contract will suit your needs. We work with a number of leading long-term care insurance companies that we know and trust.