By Attorney Tammy A. Weber, CELA*

October is National Long-Term Care Planning Month. For those of you who have not yet contemplated what “long-term care” means for you or your loved ones, this is a nice reminder to educate yourself. Long-term care is defined as the different services available and needed to deal with your personal health or personal care needs.

I have been involved in thousands of long-term care planning situations with clients. Some of them plan ahead, and many do not. It is much easier to deal with a long-term care crisis if you have already contemplated and assessed your personal and family health history, your finances and various insurances, and your living situation.

This hit me personally last year. I was on a vacation with my daughter out of the country when I had a freak accident that resulted in a broken left fibula. Fortunately for me, the fibula is not a weight-bearing bone; however, there was still pain and restricted mobility. I elevated, iced, took ibuprofen, and adjusted the itinerary for the rest of the trip. The airlines were great with assistance in navigating the airports. When I arrived stateside, I learned that the fibula was broken and was instructed to get to an orthopedic surgeon to assess the damage and develop a plan. I am healthy and had never broken a bone before, so I had no experience with a cast or the changes and adjustments in one’s body when things are no longer balanced.

I live in a two-story home, with the bedrooms upstairs. I never thought I would stare up at the 13 steps to get from one floor to another and wonder if I could ascend safely with the requisite strength or look down at those same steps and wonder if the second accident was looming. The right side of my body started doing extra work to support the deficiencies of the left side. Several days after receiving my cast, an old basketball knee injury resurfaced (and probably some arthritis), and I could barely walk from the bed to the bathroom unassisted. I texted my youngest brother at 6 am and asked him to bring me my daughter’s crutches from the basement. I was almost ready to check myself into a personal care home to get through the six weeks. I was doing the mental math of the cost of doing so and having someone watch my house. It was hard to ask for help, but I decided to ask for help rather than going to a personal care home and had wonderful friends and family who assisted. I was fortunate that this ended up being a short-term situation for me.

Many of you have been there with injuries, cancer, joints wearing out, etc., and you understand. The physical issue or diagnosis comes unexpectedly. You never know whether all will be well, or if the physical event will turn into a long-term and permanent condition. Trust me, if you do not heal or become strong enough, you are not in the head space to be making the best care and financial decisions. Take the time now to think about what options you have and determine whether those options are sufficient. If your options are not what you had hoped, figure out how to augment them. What Long-Term Care option is Right for You? addresses options for you depending upon your physical, mental, and financial condition. You can review How to start the conversation about long-term care planning for some tips on having the conversation with your loved ones. After you have done your personal assessment, see a Certified Elder Law Attorney, your financial advisor(s), and other members of your trusted professional team.