I have written and spoken about Long Term Care (“LTC”) a lot over the years but now it’s personal.

When I first started in the financial industry back in 2003, my mother said to me “Start with Long Term Care”. My response, not knowing anything at that time was “What? Why?” and she educated me with so many reasons from the costs to the fact that my siblings and I couldn’t simply stop our lives to care for her.

So, I got trained and licensed to offer traditional LTC insurance and later learned about hybrid solutions with Life Insurance or Fixed Annuities where it’s still your estate asset if never used. I teamed up with several specialists and went on to help folks secure a plan.

From there I added a Series 65 investment Advisor Representative credential, but I never forgot my roots. For many years I heard excuses about why many didn’t see the need even though the costs and the risks were growing at alarming rates but that is changing.

I’ve watched many clients, and their families, struggle with caregiving plans due to a variety of health issues. I’ve seen some use their policies successfully and others have to draw down their assets or lean on family/friends which takes its toll… In some cases, the caregiver got sicker and even predeceased the spouse from physical and emotional stress.

My brother was officially diagnosed about 3+ years ago with Lewy Body Dementia after a false Parkinson’s diagnosis several years prior to that. We intervened when he was developing severe memory issues. Thankfully, he had bought a LTC policy 14 years prior, which I quickly filed a claim under to help pay for his new living community in MA.

Bottom line, here are the numbers (as of 9/2025);
He paid $23,449 into his policy over 14 years, deducting some of the premium on taxes. He has received $118,141 in benefits starting at ~$6,000/month (goes up annually with inflation) so far and has remaining benefits of $181,859 which should last >2 more years. In total, the benefits are $300,000. I’d say that was a smart risk to take. And combined with Social Security it is helping to stretch his assets out longer to pay for a safe, caring community.

I have identified at least 8 different options for this type  of planning, each depending on the situation. Plan for possible care, don’t wait for a crisis.Feel free to contact me to discuss yours. Jane@CtoCFP.com or 508-945-7500



-$600 billion of unpaid care provided by informal caregivers in the US each year
-$475 billion annual cost of paid care at home, community or in a facility.
-22.3 hours is the average number per week Caregivers as a caregiver. 

-80% of informal caregivers incur out-of-pocket expenses related to caregiving of those 39% spend approx. $375 dollars on out-of-pocket expenses per month.

On average, a caregiver has;
28% stopped savings
23% took on more debt
22% used up short-term savings
19% left bills unpaid or paid them late
 
-The average caregiver is a 50-yr-old female 71% of caregivers underage of 65 are also employed.
-$303,880 average lifetime loss of income and benefits experienced by informal caregivers -$324,044 for women $283,716 for men
-64% of people receiving care at home get their care solely from unpaid help.
-53 million unpaid caregivers
-2 in 10 employed caregivers report having to stop working entirely
-4 out of 10 had to reduce their work hours
-2023 - $360 billion for Alzheimer’s and other dementias alone

2023 – national average long-term care cost
Adult daycare - $25,480
Assisted living - $66,126
Homemaker services - $70,699
Home health aide - $77,769
Nursing home care - $120,304
 
Site sources
·        “Caregiving in the U.S. 2020,” AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving (May 2020).
·        Electronic Caregiver: “Millennials, the Next Generation of Caregivers”- June 20, 2022
·        Kaiser Family Foundation “10 Things About Long-term Care Services and Supports” – July 8, 2024.
·        Family caregivers’ unpaid work valued at $600 billion: report” – McKnights Senior Living, March 9, 2023, Kathleen Steele Gaivin
·        A Place for Mom “Caregiver Statistics: A Data Portrait of Family Caregiving” – Claire Samuels, June 15, 2023.
·        “Reducing Costs for Families and States by Increasing Access to Home and CommunityBased Services,” Joseph Caldwell, March 2022.
·        Kiplinger: “The High Cost of Senior Caregiving”- Ella Vincent, August 3, 2023.
·        Internal Revenue Code Section 7702B(c)(2)(B)

I have written and spoken about Long Term Care (“LTC”) a lot over the years but now it’s personal.

When I first started in the financial industry back in 2003, my mother said to me “Start with Long Term Care”. My response, not knowing anything at that time was “What? Why?” and she educated me with so many reasons from the costs to the fact that my siblings and I couldn’t simply stop our lives to care for her.

So, I got trained and licensed to offer traditional LTC insurance and later learned about hybrid solutions with Life Insurance or Fixed Annuities where it’s still your estate asset if never used. I teamed up with several specialists and went on to help folks secure a plan.

From there I added a Series 65 investment Advisor Representative credential, but I never forgot my roots. For many years I heard excuses about why many didn’t see the need even though the costs and the risks were growing at alarming rates but that is changing.

I’ve watched many clients, and their families, struggle with caregiving plans due to a variety of health issues. I’ve seen some use their policies successfully and others have to draw down their assets or lean on family/friends which takes its toll… In some cases, the caregiver got sicker and even predeceased the spouse from physical and emotional stress.

My brother was officially diagnosed about 3+ years ago with Lewy Body Dementia after a false Parkinson’s diagnosis several years prior to that. We intervened when he was developing severe memory issues. Thankfully, he had bought a LTC policy 14 years prior, which I quickly filed a claim under to help pay for his new living community in MA.

Bottom line, here are the numbers (as of 9/2025);
He paid $23,449 into his policy over 14 years, deducting some of the premium on taxes. He has received $118,141 in benefits starting at ~$6,000/month (goes up annually with inflation) so far and has remaining benefits of $181,859 which should last >2 more years. In total, the benefits are $300,000. I’d say that was a smart risk to take. And combined with Social Security it is helping to stretch his assets out longer to pay for a safe, caring community.

I have identified at least 8 different options for this type  of planning, each depending on the situation. Plan for possible care, don’t wait for a crisis.Feel free to contact me to discuss yours. Jane@CtoCFP.com or 508-945-7500



-$600 billion of unpaid care provided by informal caregivers in the US each year
-$475 billion annual cost of paid care at home, community or in a facility.
-22.3 hours is the average number per week Caregivers as a caregiver. 

-80% of informal caregivers incur out-of-pocket expenses related to caregiving of those 39% spend approx. $375 dollars on out-of-pocket expenses per month.

On average, a caregiver has;
28% stopped savings
23% took on more debt
22% used up short-term savings
19% left bills unpaid or paid them late
 
-The average caregiver is a 50-yr-old female 71% of caregivers underage of 65 are also employed.
-$303,880 average lifetime loss of income and benefits experienced by informal caregivers -$324,044 for women $283,716 for men
-64% of people receiving care at home get their care solely from unpaid help.
-53 million unpaid caregivers
-2 in 10 employed caregivers report having to stop working entirely
-4 out of 10 had to reduce their work hours
-2023 - $360 billion for Alzheimer’s and other dementias alone

2023 – national average long-term care cost
Adult daycare - $25,480
Assisted living - $66,126
Homemaker services - $70,699
Home health aide - $77,769
Nursing home care - $120,304
 
Site sources
·        “Caregiving in the U.S. 2020,” AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving (May 2020).
·        Electronic Caregiver: “Millennials, the Next Generation of Caregivers”- June 20, 2022
·        Kaiser Family Foundation “10 Things About Long-term Care Services and Supports” – July 8, 2024.
·        Family caregivers’ unpaid work valued at $600 billion: report” – McKnights Senior Living, March 9, 2023, Kathleen Steele Gaivin
·        A Place for Mom “Caregiver Statistics: A Data Portrait of Family Caregiving” – Claire Samuels, June 15, 2023.
·        “Reducing Costs for Families and States by Increasing Access to Home and CommunityBased Services,” Joseph Caldwell, March 2022.
·        Kiplinger: “The High Cost of Senior Caregiving”- Ella Vincent, August 3, 2023.
·        Internal Revenue Code Section 7702B(c)(2)(B)