The necessities of Seniors


You need to maintain your health carefully in order to prepare for the side effects of aging on your body. Being healthy does not only require a healthy body but also needs a healthy mind as well. Long term health plans are important if you want to be stable and even active in your post-retirement years.

As a senior, you can maintain your health condition during senility if you have long term care coverage. Long term care insurance policies give you money in a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. You can use that money to pay for hospitalization and prescribed medicine. Other possible expenses include caregiver salary and stay in long term care facilities.

Become a Policyholder and Get Insured

There are different ways to become a long term care insurance policyholder. If you are still employed, you can use insurance policies offered by your employer or company. You may avail with policies if you are affiliated with professional or civic organizations. Veterans and Native Americans have incentives when they look for long term care insurance.

If you find that your income is too low, you can ask long term care coverage from Medicaid. The nationwide average for its asset ownership limit is around $2,000. Nowadays you can apply for Medicaid even if you exceed the limit thanks to long term care partnerships. Make sure that you fulfill the requirements for qualification so you can get affordable long term care.

However, Medicaid has limited coverage. The default long term care service you can get from Medicaid is a 90-day stay in a nursing home. Although managed care has improved Medicaid’s services, nothing beats the coverage provided by long term care policies from insurance companies.

Seek Medical Services

One of the ways to execute long term health plans is a routine health check-up. You may ask diagnosis from your doctor for symptoms of chronic illnesses. Diagnosis reveals medical complications that necessitate long term care. In addition, you may want to consult your physician or specialist for signs of dementia and other forms of cognitive difficulties.

When you have your diagnosis, you know where you can use your long term care insurance payments. For example, if you have hypertension you can buy drugs that stabilize your blood pressure. You can spend your insurance money for dialysis if you have kidney failure.

In addition, you may also want to check your family’s medical history. Even if you are healthy, you can be prone to contracting hereditary diseases or health complications. These are obesity, diabetes, cancer, etc. You may also ask family members about health problems they already have. After that, consult your doctor whether you have chances of getting one.

Maintaining your Own Health is Even Better

People say that prevention is still better than cure. It may be better if you are preventing diseases instead of looking for medical treatment.

You may simply live a healthy lifestyle. Eat more grains, fruits, and vegetables. Limit your servings of meat. Avoid foods with high levels of sugar and cholesterol – foods that cause obesity and hypertension. You may want to increase your intake of foods and beverages with calcium like milk so you can prevent osteoporosis.

The gymnasium focuses on building bodies more than keeping them healthy. Skip the gym, and engage in moderate exercise through jogging, cycling, and even swimming. Exercise you mind as well by playing board games and reading books. You can take dietary supplements and fish oils so you can avoid memory loss.

If you really want secure long term health plans, you are free to buy a long term care insurance policy. Remember to assess and compare policies before buying one. Read the statements carefully so you do not commit mistakes and you understand the insurance process.