It also complements the fact that it November is National Caregiver Month, a celebration of over 15 million Americans.
November is the time of the year which most effectively underscores the importance of long term care insurance as it is both National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness month and National Caregiver month.
This is a time in which to learn more about dementia and thank those who care for individuals affected by it.
At the start of this month, President Barack Obama released a statement that recognized National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness month, pointing out that there are currently about 5 million Americans who are living with the illness, which is “currently an irreversible, incurable, and fatal disease”.
The president’s proclamation drew the attention of the entire country to a disease that does not just impact the individual who has it, but also all of their loved ones as they must, together, “experience the tragic realities of a disease that gradually erases cherished memories, affects behavior, and destroys the ability to live independently and carry out the simplest daily tasks.” It is also a brutal reminder of the number of these families who are not covered by long term care insurance.
Long term care insurance is an expensive form of coverage and many families simply cannot afford it.
The president took the opportunity, in his proclamation, to ask the nation to come together for this month in order to recognize everyone across the country whose life has been affected by Alzheimer’s, “and we renew our commitment to making progress in the war against it.” These are quite carefully selected words and, as anyone who has been touched by the disease knows, it can feel like it is a war, made up of many battles. While some of those battles are large and others are small, they are, quite unfortunately, never ending.
These present challenges that are large enough for family members who have the benefit of assistance provided by care workers that are paid for either by the family or through an insurance policy, but they can be much greater for families that cannot afford this help.
Long term care insurance can provide help in covering the types of costs associated with ongoing personal care in a nursing home, assisted living facility, or even at home. For those who can afford the high premiums, the type of assistance that it can provide to families with Alzheimer’s disease can be invaluable.
