We promote & support planning for long term care
The National Care Planning Council and its affiliated members are dedicated to helping families recognize the need for long term care planning and to helping implement that planning. Integrity, honesty, and a genuine concern for those who are in need of (or may need) long term care are at the heart of our services.
The National Care Planning
Council's Statement of Purpose
(1) To promote a public awareness of the need for long term care planning.
(2) To provide materials to educate the public on how to plan for long term care.
(3) To provide training and marketing materials to council members who help the public plan for long term care.
(4) To promote the services and expertise of our members.
(5) To provide a forum for members to share ideas and marketing strategies.
A Message from the
National Care Planning Council Team
Coming Soon...
Services of the National Care Planning Council
Education
Website
From its inception, the goal of the National Care Planning Council has been to educate the public on the importance of planning for long term care. With that goal in mind, we have created the largest and most comprehensive source of long term care planning material available anywhere. This material, including the -- "Guide to Long Term Care Planning" -- is free to the public for downloading and printing on all of our web sites.
Eldercare Articles
We publish periodic articles under the title "Planning for Eldercare". These are available on our web sites as well as through a client mailing list.
Veterans & Eldercare Books
The National Care Planning Council is a leader in providing books on timely subjects for long term care planning. Below are five of our popular books.
"How to Deal with 21 Critical Issues Facing Aging Seniors"
"How to Apply for Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits for Veterans and Their Survivors"
"The 4 Steps of Long Term Care Planning"
"Protect Assets from Nursing Home Costs: Medicaid Secrets"
"Support for Those Who Help Veterans"
Workshops and Seminars
Area Advisory Boards offer eldercare workshops for businesses and organizations. These workshops cover various eldercare services and can be tailored to meet your needs, from a 20 minute lunch meeting to a one hour seminar.
Click here to learn more about State Care Planning Councils and Area Advisory Boards.
Networking Support
The field of eldercare planning encompasses about 25 different specialties. Most of these services complement each other in the care of seniors and rarely overlap. There is a natural tendency for professional caregivers to collaborate and refer their services to each other; but, it is not common for financial advisers, attorneys, mediators, reverse mortgage specialists, senior real estate and other non-caregiver specialists to network with caregiving specialists. We bring these two "camps" together through State Care Planning Councils and Area Advisory Boards. These Councils operate in their local areas to provide comprehensive, "one-stop shopping" solutions to families dealing with the challenge of long term care.
Click here to learn more about State Care Planning Councils and Area Advisory Boards.
Public Awareness Campaign
Recognition of Trusted Services
As the National Care Planning Council becomes more well-known, members will receive community recognition from being affiliated with the council. It is our intent to create an organization whose members deliver reliable and honest services. As prestige of membership grows so will our standards. We want the community to expect that our members are the best in their field.
We are dedicated to helping the American public with senior care and long term care planning. Use the menu below to locate eldercare services & help in your area.
Newspaper and Magazine Articles
In 2011, the NCPC began a concerted effort of news releases, opinion pieces and articles for the media on behalf of its membership. Local newspapers will be encouraged to contact local council members in their areas for interviews and articles.
State Care Planning Groups
A State care planning council is a single listing source of community care providers and advisers who help the public deal with current elder care needs. State councils provide a platform for local groups of providers and advisors to offer the following services:
- Educate the public on how to plan for long term care
- Provide a local source of 15 to 20 different eldercare services through one single state contact
- Promote a recognized name offering reliable services
The National Care Planning Council has begun organizing state care planning councils across the country. If you would need help or would like to join a state council, please click here. If you are interested in starting a advisory board in your state, feel free to contact us.
Phone: (801) 298-8676 Toll Free: (800) 989-8137
The Need for Long Term Care Planning
An Appalling Lack of Planning among the Elderly
There is a pervasive and appalling lack of planning for long term care in this country. A recent survey by the John Hancock Insurance Company reveals that most seniors acknowledge the need for planning but very few actually do anything to prepare for long term care. The study found that 57 percent of the respondents worry about paying for long term care but 69 percent of respondents said they’d done little or no planning for long term care needs. Adding on those people who mistakenly think the government will cover their care or who think they can give away assets to qualify probably brings those failing to plan to about 80% or 90% of the senior population.
"Our survey suggests that Americans hold a number of alarming misconceptions about their potential need for long term care," said Laura Moore, senior vice president, John Hancock Long Term Care Insurance. "Clearly, long term care is difficult for Americans to think about - in fact, our survey suggests that they are in denial, taking a chance they won't need care or just ignoring the fact that they might," said Moore.
Caregivers Suffer Because Seniors Fail to Plan
Family caregivers, as well, suffer from a lack of planning by seniors. Caregivers often suffer from overwhelming physical and emotional stress, caregiver burnout and all too often, long-lasting family disputes and disagreements. Judicious planning before the need arises will relieve the burden on caregivers.
Long Term Care Can Be the Greatest Crisis Seniors Will Face
All elderly people regardless of current health should plan for this crisis in their lives. And indeed, long term care can be the greatest crisis an older person ever faces. With the need for care, the elder loses his or her grasp on the three most important lifestyle concerns in old age;
- Remaining independent
- Having enough money
- Maintaining good health
They all disappear with the need for care. No wonder elderly care recipients withdraw, become angry and lose an interest in living. And the cost of care can wipe out a lifetime of savings and destroy equity in a home.
A Younger, Pre-Retirement Generation Should Avoid the Mistakes of their Parents
The need for long term care will happen to about 6 out of every 10 people. Because of this huge risk, those who are still in the workforce should plan for the need for eldercare as they prepare for retirement. But for younger people, the seven steps do not normally unfold in a timely sequence. Planning for a younger generation needs to occur in two phases.
The first phase -- providing funding and putting legal documents into place -- should occur prior to retirement. Funding options such as special insurance plans or investments need to be initiated now. Aside from a reverse mortgage which may not work in some cases, common funding strategies cannot be done at an older age.
Long term care insurance can be the most cost effective way of providing future funding; but, insurance should be bought now, not in the future. If it appears expensive now, there's no way most people could afford this insurance at an older age. Costs are going up about 12% a year.
After retirement, when living arrangements are certain and family care advocates have been identified, the second phase is to complete the remaining steps of long term care planning.
