Love to you & a flamethrower.

msbelle, mom and stepdad have similar insurance. I’ve been avoiding my looking into it because as someone already disabled I’m not sure if I even qualify or if the cost would be ridiculous.

I just looked up the company mine is with, Protective Life. I think you might have to get the long term care stuff via a financial planner, as I do not see it on their consumer facing website. I use Edward Jones and know two agents I really like if anyone is looking for someone. You don’t have to be in the same area or even state of your agent.

I got LTC insurance a couple of years ago through my work. (It’s paid directly rather than through paycheck withholding, so that it survives your employment if you move on). It’s similar - if I don’t use it and croak, it converts to life insurance.

As someone with no spouse and very limited family (and for that matter the only one of my siblings who is reasonably financially stable) it was on my “I should do this” agenda for a long time so I’m glad it got put in front of me.

All I've got for everyone is, "That's rough, buddy."

So much sympathy for those dealing with difficult/mentally impaired elderly parents. I only had to deal with that for a month many years ago, and it's so much more difficult than just dealing with physical health problems. It's weird to say, but Dad's final month was much easier on me, because he was only confused a few times and remained cooperative throughout—working together to deal with circumstances isn't nearly the emotional wringer that fighting against your loved ones to care for them is.

I feel for everyone dealing with aging parents and especially with dementia. The last 8 years my mom was alive she slipped deeper and deeper into it and I so clearly remember how hard that was to experience. I look back now and realize how unprepared I was to lose my parents as young as I was.

I look back now and realize how unprepared I was to lose my parents as young as I was.

My brother and I were talking about this last night. For us, my dad started having heart attacks in the early 90s (which was my junior year of college and my brother's sophomore year of high school). We both came to terms with the assumption that Dad would have a heart attack that killed him in probably his 60s, or very early 70s if he got extremely lucky. Instead, he's 82 and his heart just keeps on going. Obviously we didn't want him to die in his 60s, but statistically it seemed likely. Neither of us were prepared for these massive mental issues, because we just didn't think he'd live long enough to get here.

(The flip side is that if we inherited his heart disease, it seems like we're very likely to live to a ripe old age despite Velveeta hearts. I'm already several years past the age when Dad had his first heart attack, which obviously isn't a guarantee of anything, but it does make me feel somewhat like I may be in the clear. [When I turned 50 I texted my brother "I made it to 50 without a heart attack! Suck it, Lang DNA!" and my brother — who was 45 at the time — replied "Way to put the pressure on me."])

When I turned 50 I texted my brother "I made it to 50 without a heart attack! Suck it, Lang DNA!" and my brother — who was 45 at the time — replied "Way to put the pressure on me."

Hah this sounds like my siblings.

We’ve been expecting my dad to pass from one thing or another for the past 20-some years (he started doing the whole “well I might not be around next Christmas…”) and so it was very startling when my mom passed last year and he’s still ticking. But I am glad that while he’s got plenty of health issues, his mind is still with it.