Commun ty Matters Manor of the Plains
June 2017
Can you selfinsure for longterm care? By Chris Farrell for Next Avenue
The odds are worrisome.The typical 65-year-old can expect to live another two decades and has a 52 percent chance of needing some type of longterm care services and support at some point. According to Melissa Favreault of the Urban Institute and Judith Dey of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the average tab for long-term care is $138,000. Medicare covers hardly any of that cost. Medicaid does, but only for the impoverished. Insurance is the classic financial planning solution for handling an uncertain risk that comes with a potentially large price tag, yet only about 10 million Americans have longterm care insurance, according to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.
Robin Pike refreshes snacks and water for a resident.
CNA finds joy in one-on-one work Certified nurse assistants are some of the hardest-working people you’ll find in long-term care, because they do so much work one-on-one with residents. Robin Pike says that is her favorite part of the job. Robin has worked at Manor of the Plains for 17 years as a CNA and certified medication assistant. She’s one of our longest-serving employees, and this month she will be honored along with thousands of other CNAs nationwide during National Nursing Assistants Week, which kicks off June 15 with National Career Nursing Assistants Day. When Robin first came to Manor of the Plains, she was working part time in CNA, continued on page 2