A person might need long term care (LTC) if he/she cannot perform activities of daily living such as eating, taking shower or getting dressed by him/herself anymore. Certain disease can also make long term care necessary.

Long term care is not the type of care offered by a hospital or a doctor's clinic. Long term care can be received at home, in a nursing home or at an assisted living facility. About 55% of American who are 85 or older needs long term care.12 million older Americans are expected to require long term care in the year 2020.

Long term care is very expensive. Both nursing home care and home health care costs a lot. Unfortunately, a person's health plan and disability insurance usually do not cover the cost of long term care. Also, in most cases Medicare can't cover long term care either.

Long term care insurance is restively new, but nowadays there are more than 100 companies offering long term care insurance coverage, which is available through groups and to individuals.

Long term care insurance policies usually cover care in state-licensed nursing homes as well as certain home care services provided by certified home health agencies. Limits and exclusions of long term care insurance differ from policy to policy. Make sure you have a good understanding of what are covered and what are not before buying a long term care insurance.