Nearly seven out of ten people turning 65 today will need some form of long-term care in their lifetime, according to the U.S. Administration for Community Living. And yet, long-term care is one of the topics families put off talking about the longest. October is recognized nationally as Long-Term Care Planning Month — but honestly, any month is a good month to start.
If you or someone you love is approaching this stage of life, here’s what to know — and how to start.
What Counts as “Long-Term Care”?
Long-term care isn’t the same as regular health insurance or medical treatment. It covers the everyday, non-medical support many older adults eventually need: help with bathing, dressing, meal preparation, medication management, transportation, and household tasks. It can happen at home, with the help of family or a home health aide, or within a senior living community that’s built around exactly this kind of day-to-day support.
Most people picture long-term care as something that only happens after a health crisis. In reality, needs often build gradually — a little more help with stairs, a little more support managing medications — which is exactly why planning ahead matters.
Why Nearly 70% of Us Will Need It
According to LongTermCare.gov, someone turning 65 today has almost a 70% chance of needing some type of long-term care services in their remaining years. The average length of care is about three years, though it varies: women typically need care longer than men (3.7 years versus 2.2 years), and roughly one in five people will need it for more than five years. About a third of 65-year-olds may never need long-term care at all — but there’s no way to know in advance which group you’ll fall into, which is exactly the case for planning rather than guessing.
The Cost of Waiting
Waiting to plan doesn’t make the decision easier — it usually makes it harder. Long-term care insurance policies typically aren’t available to people over 75 or with certain pre-existing health conditions, which means the window to explore that option closes earlier than many families expect. And when care decisions get made during a hospitalization or health emergency, families often have less time, less information, and fewer choices than they would have had with a plan already in place.
Planning ahead doesn’t mean predicting exactly what will happen. It means giving your family a head start: more time to research options, more time to save and budget, and more say in decisions that are much harder to make well under pressure.
How to Start Planning
Whatever time of year it is, a few concrete first steps can move you forward:
- Talk with your family. Share your preferences for care, and ask your parents or spouse about theirs. These conversations are easier before a need is urgent.
- Review your family health history. Conditions like heart disease, dementia, and Alzheimer’s can run in families — understanding your risk factors helps you plan realistically.
- Talk to a financial advisor or elder law attorney. They can walk you through options for paying for care, from long-term care insurance to Medicaid planning.
- Tour senior living options before you need them. Visiting communities while there’s no pressure to decide gives you a much clearer picture of what’s available and what fits.
How We Fit Into Your Plan
Whatever your long-term care plan ends up looking like, having a senior living community in the picture — even just as an option you’ve already explored — takes one more unknown off the table. At GLSC, our team is always happy to talk through what day-to-day life looks like here, answer questions about levels of support, and help you think through timing, even if a move isn’t in your immediate future.
No one can predict exactly what the years ahead will hold. But whenever you’re reading this, it’s a good time to take the first step toward making sure you’re ready for them. Reach out to the GLSC family to schedule a visit or just start the conversation — we’re here whenever you’re ready.
Sources: ACL — How Much Care Will You Need?