Most people know about the potential impact of costs tied to long-term care, but they haven’t taken time to protect themselves.

Long-term care costs could become overwhelming as a result of longevity. The number of individuals turning age 65 and older is set to double by 2060, by the time that today’s Millennials start to turn 65. They will also make up 24% of the population as compared with 15% today. That means that 1 in 4 individuals will be in an older age category at high risk of needing long-term care.  

This is the result of data collected by a study referred to as Aging in the United States. The number of older individuals in the U.S. right now places a major burden on breadwinners in their productive years, but by 2030, there will only be approximately 2.8 adults of working age for every individual age 65 and older. This is a decrease from 5 in 2000.

Today’s working age citizens will be hit by a double whammy trying to build their own economic future and the economy. Data from aging parents shows that approximately 3 out of every 4 aging Americans will need some type of long-term care after age 65. The odds of a financial impact for any working couple with two sets of parents is extremely high if any of those parents does not have the resources for their own care. Long-term care services can be extremely expensive, costing between $100,000 or $200,000 per year, depending on the type of claim services and the location.

When multiple family members involved need long-term care, the cost can become extremely prohibitive, but these financial impacts extend beyond the cost of care. It can also lead to interrupted employment if one partner has to take time off work in order to care for an aging parent.