HOW TO USE THIS BOOK ............................................…....…….........8

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................……….........9

Preface
LIVING LIFE AS YOU CHOOSE ...................................….....….…......15

Chapter 1:
FOUR KEY CAUSES OF NURSING HOME PLACEMENT .........….…......16
C = Crisis . B = Burnout . S = Savings Depletion . The
Unanticipated Risks of Assisted-Living Facilities

Chapter 2:
NURSING-HOME HOSTAGES ...............................................…...…....22
Sarah’s Story . The Institution . The Aesthetics . The Horror
Stories . There’s No Place Like Home

Chapter 3:
BRINGING MY FATHER HOME .............................................….........33

Chapter 4:
THE FOUR-STEP SOLUTION .................................................…..…...37

Step One: Long Term Care Insurance

Chapter 5:
A TALE OF TWO FAMILIES .....................................................….....41
Meet the Wilsons… . The Impact of Fred’s Long Term Care
Expenses on Fred and Janet Wilson’s Retirement Assets . Thinking
Responsibly about the Future

Chapter 6:
IS LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE RIGHT FOR ME? ........…...........47
The Twelve Questions My Clients Ask Most . #1 — Isn’t Medicare
Enough? . #2 — Why Shouldn’t I Spend Down My Assets and Go
on Medicaid? . You Don’t Get Something for Nothing. . #3 —
What Are the Odds That I’ll Need Care Someday? . #4 — I’ve
Got Money. I’ll Self-Insure. . #5 — It’s Hard to Spend Money on
Something I May Never Need. . #6 — I Don’t Want to Pay
Premiums for the Rest of My Life! . #7 — When I Get Sick I’ll
Deal with It. Why Should I Worry about It Now? . #8 — I’ve Got
Great Genes; No Strokes or Dementia in My Family. . #9 — We
Have Longevity in Our Family — Why Do I Need LTCI? . #10
— Why Should I Buy Now? . #11 — Why Should I Pay More to
Be Insured by a Top-rated Company? . #12 — Why Does
Underwriting Take So Long?

Chapter 7:
YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE .…...63
What is Long Term Care Insurance? . What Benefits Are Covered
by LTCI Policies? . LTCI Benefits . The "Elimination Period"
—a Vital Aspect of LTCI . LTCI Benefits and Your Taxes .
Worldwide Coverage . Premiums — and How to Protect Them .
Protecting Your Benefits against Inflation . The "Pool of Money"
. Comparing Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Benefits . Certification
. A Brief Summary . Variables to Consider When You Sit Down
to Compare Long Term Care Insurance Policies . Find a Broker
You Can Trust to Keep Your Best Interests at the Forefront

Step Two: Geriatric Care Management

Chapter 8:
TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF .......................................…..…77
"In Sickness and in Health…" . "My Kids Will Take Care of Me"

Chapter 9:
GERIATRIC CARE MANAGERS —
A MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE ……………………………..…...80
A Geriatric Care Manager’s Success Story.

Chapter 10:
HIRING CAREGIVERS ...........................................................…….84
Caregiver Interview Sheet . Is Your Home Ready for You?

Chapter 11:
MORE ABOUT GERIATRIC CARE MANAGEMENT................….......92
by Steven Barlam, MSW, LCSW, Geriatric Care Manager
For Out-of-Town Family Members Who Could Benefit from a
Local Professional to Provide Supervision, Feedback and Support .
For Those Who Want to Do the Right Thing and Are Just Not
Sure What That Is . For Families in Which the Siblings and/or the
Parent(s) Can’t See Eye to Eye on What to Do in Response to the
Parent’s Needs . For Those Who Feel All Alone in the Process of
Caring for an Older Family Member and Want Professional
Support and Guidance . What Is Geriatric Care Management? .
Who Are the Geriatric Care Managers?

Chapter 12:
THE "DAGWOOD" GENERATION — HELPING PARENTS PLAN ...99
Let Your Parents Make Their Own Decisions . She May Look a
Lot Worse Than She Feels! . Whose Problem Is It, Anyway? .
How You Can Help an Elderly Parent . Facing Reality: Parents
Get Older . In Summary…

Step Three: Putting Your Plans in Writing

Chapter 13:
AN ATTORNEY HELPS YOU PLAN .............................….............109
by Caren R. Nielsen, Esq..
Advance Health Care Directives . Durable Power of Attorney for
Finances . Last Will and Testament . Trusts . Joint Tenancy .
Gift Giving . Conservatorships . Get Professional Advice

Chapter 14:
LONG-TERM CARE DUE DILIGENCE
FOR PROFESSIONAL FINANCIAL ADVISERS .......................…....119
by Stephen A. Moses.
A Country in Denial . A System in Crisis . Professional
Obligations . Neither Understandable nor Forgivable . What
They Don’t Tell You…

Step Four: Finding an Ally

Chapter 15:
NO ONE CAN DO IT ALONE ..............................................…....129

Getting Organized

Chapter 16:
REVIEWING THE FOUR-STEP SOLUTION ..................................133
What Do I Do Now? . Getting Organized . Letter Prototype .
Better Five Years Too Soon Than Five Minutes Too Late

Chapter 17:
THE GIFT TO YOU, YOUR SPOUSE, AND YOUR FAMILY ..........138
Everyone Wins

Afterword:
RELIGION AND EUTHANASIA ....................................................140

Appendices

Appendix A:
THE HIGH COST OF WAITING .................................................149
The Cost of Waiting . If the Policy Is Purchased at Age Fifty-Five
. If the Policy Is Purchased at Age Sixty-Five . If the Policy Is
Purchased at Age Seventy-Five

Appendix B:
WHY AN INFLATION RIDER IS A MUST ...................................152
Comparing the Growth of $200 per Day in Benefits Increasing at 5
Percent Compound vs. 5 Percent Simple Inflation

Appendix C:
WHAT IS A NURSING HOME? WHAT IS AN
ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY? .................................................154

Appendix D:
WHY AFFLUENT PEOPLE SHOULD CONSIDER BUYING LONG TERM CARE
INSURANCE..............................................................................155
by David Donchey, CLU

Appendix E:
CARE MANAGEMENT TRUSTS ................................................160
by Ferd H. Mitchell and Cheryl C. Mitchell
Understanding Care Management Trusts . The Personal Care
Trustee . The Financial Management Trustee . Questions and
Answers . Issues to Consider Before Setting Up a Care
Management Trust

Appendix F:
ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS .................................................167
REFERENCES ...........................................................................170