Where Do I Get Advice on Long Term Care?
Finding out that you need long term care can be a stressful life change to accept. It is even more stressful and daunting to then determine how to pay for that long term care. Most consumers do not know how to plan for their long term care costs and do not know where to go for advice. There are a number of different ways to fund long term care. It is important to know your options in order to make the best decisions why trying to fund your long term care
Advice on long term care can be quite extensive for beginners because it really depends on what you know you will need from your long term care. This will depend on what your exact needs are once you realize that you do, in fact, need long term care. Determining how much you will need to pay for your long term care will depend on several different factors. These include your mobility, your overall health, the level of support and help that you will need as well as your assets, savings, and income.
There are several benefits that may be available to you to help offset the cost of long term care. For example, NHS Continuing Care may be available to you if you have a disability, illness, or are impaired because of an accident. Continuing Care is a healthcare package that is arranged and paid for solely by the NHS. This can be provided to you in a hospital, nursing home, hospice, or even in your own home if you qualify. This benefit is typically used more by those that have demonstrated health needs rather than social care needs.
Aside from NHS Continuing Care, there are also other financial assistance benefits for which you may qualify. Your local authority may also be able to assist you with the costs associated with long term care as well as give you advice on your long term care options. Qualifying for this kind of assistance depends on several factors including your needs as demonstrated through a needs assessment process as well as your overall ability to pay for you care independently as documented through a financial assessment.
If you do not qualify for any of the financial assistance benefits outline above, you may be required to self-fund your own long term care. This could mean that you must pay for your care in full or you may have to pay for a part of your long term care. Getting advice on long term care should be your first step in the process of determining how to fund your care.