The short version
- Almost 70% of people turning 65 will need some type of long-term care, for about three years on average (LongTermCare.gov).
- Medicare doesn’t pay for most of it (Medicare.gov).
- The free Journey Assessment asks twelve questions and ranks the funding pillars that fit, in about four minutes.
- Download the results and share them with family or an advisor.
November is Long-Term Care Awareness Month, a good reason to do something most families put off for years: get a clear picture of how care would be paid for, before anyone needs it.
Why this month matters
LongTermCare.gov estimates that almost 70% of people turning 65 will need some type of long-term care. The average need is about three years: 3.7 years for women and 2.2 for men. Medicare doesn’t pay for long-term custodial care, the everyday help with bathing, dressing and supervision that makes up most of it.
Yet most families don’t look at how they’d pay until a hospital discharge planner asks. By then, several options are already gone.
Why families wait
- It feels far away. Planning for a need that may be years off is easy to postpone.
- It’s uncomfortable. It means talking about decline, money and family roles.
- It seems complicated. Ten different funding pillars, each with its own rules, can feel like a lot.
The good news: you don’t need to understand every pillar to start. You need to know which two or three apply to you.
What the Journey Assessment asks
Our free Journey Assessment asks twelve questions in four areas:
- Health: is care needed now, are needs growing, or is everyone healthy?
- Timing: how soon might care be needed?
- Assets and income: roughly what’s available, including the home.
- Family: marital status, veteran status and who might help.
It takes about four minutes. You don’t need account statements, and you can answer for yourself or for a parent.
What you get
The assessment ranks the ten funding pillars against your situation and recommends the top three. Each result links to a plain-language pillar page that explains how it works, what it costs and who it fits. You can download the results as a PDF.
What to do with the results
- Read the top three pillar pages. Each takes a few minutes.
- Share the PDF with a spouse, adult children or your advisor.
- Pick one next step. For some, it’s signing a power of attorney. For others, it’s comparing long-term care insurance or talking to an elder law attorney.
- Retake it when something changes: a diagnosis, a move, a death in the family.
A good month to start
If you’d rather talk it through, call George A. Mellendorf’s team at (239) 527-4000. Or begin with our post on the ten ways to pay for long-term care, and see which planning path you’re on.
Educational content only. Not legal, financial or medical advice.
Common questions
What is Long-Term Care Awareness Month?
November is Long-Term Care Awareness Month, an annual reminder to learn about long-term care needs and plan how care would be paid for before it’s needed.
How long does the Journey Assessment take?
About four minutes. It asks twelve questions about health, timing, assets and family, and doesn’t require account statements.
What does the Journey Assessment recommend?
It ranks the ten long-term care funding pillars against your situation and recommends the top three, with links to plain-language explanations. Results can be downloaded as a PDF.
How likely is it that I'll need long-term care?
Almost 70% of people turning 65 will need some type of long-term care, for about three years on average.