Many aging people need long-term help with medical care and everyday basic needs. Long-term care includes such services as help in the home with cooking, housework, bathing or dressing; adult day care; group home living; and nursing home care at several levels. For instance, there’s skilled care with 24-hour nursing supervision and treatment, intermediate care for persons who do not need around-the-clock care of a nurse but need more than just meals and supervision, and custodial care for those more able persons who only need supervision and help with meals or personal care. Long-term care in any form can become very expensive. Skilled nursing home care, for example, may cost over $30,000 per year.

Fortunately, there are many services available to help your family pay for long-term care. As you plan for your family’s financial needs, it is important to review the different options available to you and develop a plan that can provide the financial security you need. You should involve family members, friends, and professionals in the planning so that you can benefit from their points of view. And make sure that the entire family’s needs are being addressed.

Few people can afford to pay for all the services they need. The costs of medical and other services are so high that even people with large incomes often cannot afford all of them. And often health insurance does not cover all the services needed for people with chronic disabilities. Fortunately, government programs have been created to help pay for some services.

Many people feel uncomfortable asking for financial assistance. But it is important to remember that many of the government programs, such as Medicare and Social Security benefits, are forms of insurance. You have paid for them from your wages so that you can use them when you or your family needs them.

Different programs meet different needs, each with different guidelines and regulations. You might feel overwhelmed with all the paperwork. But help is available, and with persistence and some work, you can find the assistance you and your family member need.
For any financial assistance program funded by the federal government or the state, you need to know who is eligible, what types of services are covered, what deductibles apply, and how you apply for assistance.

If your family member does not have the means to pay for vital prescription drugs, the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Indigent Patient Program may be of help. Participating drug manufacturers make their drugs available to eligible patients free-of-charge. the patient must be referred by a doctor to be eligible. For a list of participating drug manufacturers, call area 202-835-3450.