Working in the healthcare field, although as far away from long term care as possible, I can provide a little insight here. First off our system is ever changing and advancements and focus on preventative care have changed many dynamics. The likelihood of living longer only continues to increase and effective treatment for previously terminal conditions is commonplace. Fortunately modern treatment of specifically strokes and orthopedic injuries has greatly decreased both morbidity and mortality. Bottom line there is far less incidence of premature death from "the big one" or other unknown disease processes.
My best advice is learn about and prepare for potential disease processes, especially the ones you may be predisposed to whether genetically or for to lifestyle. I highly recommend advanced directives providing your own specific wishes of care decided upon while of sound mind and good health, and share your wishes with loved ones. Advanced directives are bent and changed in the hospital when next of kin wants someone saved when they are unable to speak for themselves. I see people making this mistake regularly, being the driver of your own healthcare is of utmost importance.
In regards to morbidity of many chronic conditions, I feel our system does a poor job of explaining at times just how long of a road recovery may be and at times how unlikely a meaningful recovery may be. One has to ask themselves filing term immobility or substantial loss of meaningful cognition is something you would want to live with? I don't want to oversimplify this as obviously there are many conditions such as trauma and accidents that don't afford us these options.
This brings us to the actual nursing home, bottom line the people in them today are far more disabled than in the past. What i mean by this is it takes far more disability to be there, far more people end up in some degree of assisted living or will qualify for a short stay for rehab but ultimately will end up back at home, many of which will require significant assistance with every portion of daily life.
Those who think nursing homes are way overpriced need to take a second look at how much work is really required to provide around the clock care of someone. Take a peak at a classified ads and see the need for help in these places whom by the way pay very well even more so than acute care hospitals. There is probably no better place for on the job injury due to providing total cares and transferring people who are completely non weight bearing and since this is America likely significantly overweight.
I think it is quite honorable for those who intend to care for loved ones in need but underestimate the work and equipment required to adequately do so, not to mention giving up so much of your own golden years assuming you yourself are even physically called of doing so. I believe another component that goes undisclosed if the memory a person really wants to have of a loved one includes providing total cares for them and risk possibly resenting them for that sacrifice.
In regards to the actual coverage, I would be incredibly leary of what claims they will actually pay out and whose decision is it when one is of the capacity to actually require the long term care facility. It would certainly be unfortunate to have 20 years of significant morbidity requiring lots of assistance but never actually qualifying for a claim. As with all insurance everyone has a different view of what risk/liability they want to burden, to me there is far better options particularly for the younger generations.
