Do you have a plan for your long-term care when you become a senior? When the time comes and it finally becomes harder for you to perform daily activities on your own, it is important to know what you want to do. Will you move in with children or other relatives? Hire a caregiver to come to your home? Move to an assisted living facility? Go it alone for as long as possible? Whatever your decision it is important to understand the full physical, financial, and emotional impact on yourself and your loved ones.
My husband and I are so grateful to Melissa for making an onerous set of confusing decisions so much easier to make. She is very patient and knowledgably answered all our many questions - her assistance was invaluable. We could not have made these decisions without her clear explanations, roadmaps for comparing plans, and individualized review of our needs, all with her lovely and friendly manner. She is just awesome and so pleasant to work with! We received truly exemplary service – many, many thanks, Melissa!
It was challenging finding a professional who could help us find and secure long term care insurance and we hit the jackpot when we found Melissa. Her knowldege and expertise as well as her guidance and patence can't be beat. She kept in constant communication and kept us informed throught he whole process as well.
Odds are that among all your friends, relatives, advisors, and colleagues, very few have ever talked with you about the importance of planning for a future care need. Can’t blame them— it’s definitely not the most exciting of topics.
Baygroup Insurance was very helpful in guiding us through the process in selecting and explaining the complicated information of long term care insurance.
Baygroup was helpful in our decision making for long term care insurance because Melissa Barnickel was open-minded and comfortable working with a gay couple. She was a good communicator - always responding to questions on email. She kept after us while this process stalled for a while over the summer. She offered us alternatives for levels of pay from $2,000 to $7,000 monthly benefits and offered more than one insurance company.
As you spend time with family members during this holiday season, you may want to consider: might they be easy prey to scammers and swindlers? If the answer is “yes” or even “maybe” or “I’m not sure,” please take a moment to consider these important points:
When someone needs long term care, a change in their abilities can happen quickly. Someone who for years has always written their own checks may, overnight, be unable to pay their own bills or coordinate the preparation of taxes. Anticipate this likely scenario.
For seniors who have been especially private about finances, this can be a difficult and delicate topic to bring up, but one way to approach it is to encourage them to introduce you to their attorney, their bank manager, their tax preparer. Realize that changes in mobility or cognition may make this difficult or impossible in the future.
We sing this – about “the olden days” – on New Years’ Eve.
However, in the world of long term care planning, honestly, there’s not too much to reminisce about. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Here’s the way I see it.
Old people need care. Sometimes extensive care (not to mention expensive care).
Unfortunately, either through denial or ignorance, few want to admit to this fact. They also don’t want to pay for the care…especially not in advance.
So, as the saying goes, Houston, we have a problem!
I would not have expected what a huge help Melissa's work proved to be. How difficult could it be to enroll in Medicare?
But I was wrong. She became indispensable in navigating the myriad of unfamiliar details we faced.
Odds are that among all your friends, relatives, advisors, and colleagues, very few have ever talked with you about the importance of planning for a future care need. Can’t blame them— it’s definitely not the most exciting of topics. 