Bell & Associates Insurance - Guardian Insurance Group
Long Term Care Insurance
Because of old age, mental or physical illness, some people may find themselves in need of help with eating, bathing, dressing, toileting or continence, and/or transferring (e.g., getting out of a chair or out of bed). These six actions are called Activities of Daily Living sometimes referred to as ADLs. In general, if you can't do two or more of these activities, you are said to need long-term care insurance coverage.
Long-term care isn't a very helpful name for this type of situation because for one thing, it might not last for a long time. Some people who need ADL services might need them only for a few months or less.
Assistance with ADLs, called custodial care, may be provided in the same place as (and therefore is sometimes confused with) skilled care. Skilled care means medical, nursing, or rehabilitative services, including help taking medicine, undergoing testing (e.g. blood pressure), or other similar services. This distinction is important because Medicare and most private health insurance pay only for skilled care not custodial care.