More Seniors Surviving Cancer Adds To Long-Term Care Crisis

Over the next decade there will be a dramatic rise in the number of people over the age of 65 either living with cancer or with a history of the disease according to a new study.

According to an analysis of US cancer data, the greying of the baby boomer generation is at the root of the issue.  "Americans are already living longer lives and that will create a long-term care tsunami in the years to come," explains Jesse Slome, executive director of the Los Angeles-based American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.  "Because long-term care insurance can only be purchased when you can medically qualify, the tsunami will wreak havoc on family savings and state Medicaid welfare budgets."

National Cancer Institute (NCI) researchers found the number of people over age 65 with cancer will rise by about 42% in the next decade.  Cancer is largely a disease of aging, the researchers noted. 

The scientists analyzed data the revealed that in 1971, the number of people in the US who had survived cancer was about 3 million.   By 2008, the figure had risen to nearly 12 million.  In 2008, the proportion of cancer survivors aged 65 and over was 60% and is set to reach 63% by 2020.

The most commonly diagnosed cancers among survivors were: female breast cancer (22% of diagnoses), prostate cancer (20%), and colorectal cancer (9%).

The high rate of survival among this population is most likely due to improved detection and screening.

In contrast, the percentage of lung cancer survivors is only 3%, despite it being by far the most frequently diagnosed cancer in both men and women.

"When you live a long life and now are even more likely to survive diseases like cancer, you are increasingly likely to need costly long term care, states Slome.   "With more Americans living into their 80s and beyond, having a long term care plan in place is more important than ever."

Financial planning experts note that most people wait too long to consider their options because the right time to plan is prior to turning age 65 before medical conditions like cancer, high blood pressure are diagnosed or become problematic.  "The sweet spot for long term care insurance is between ages 52 and 64," Slome adds.

For more information on long term care insurance, visit the Association's Consumer Information center where you can also access long term care insurance companies ratings.

Long Term care Insurance Expert Reports Low Vitamin B12 Linked To Cognitive Decline In Elderly

Older individuals who have low levels of vitamin B12 in their blood have a greater risk of brain shrinkage, losing cognitive skills and greater risk of needing long term health care.

"The number of U.S. adults aged 65 years and older is projected to nearly double over the next two decades," explains Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long Term Care Insurance, the national trade organization.  "As a result, the incidence of cognitive issues especially Alzheimer's disease and other dementias is also expected to rise as will the need for costly long term care."

According to Chicago researchers foods rich in vitamin B12 include those derived from animals and include, eggs, milk, liver, meat, and fish.  Vitamin B12 plays a key role in normal nervous system functioning and brain development. It is also involved in the formation of red blood cells.

Scientists undertook a study of individuals aged at least 65 years. They underwent blood tests to check for B12 and B12-related metabolites levels. They were also assessed for memory and other cognitive skills. Some five years later magnetic resonance imaging scans of their brains were taken to measure comparative brain size and to identify other signs of brain damage.

Those with four of five markers for vitamin B12 deficiency were found to have a higher risk of getting lower cognitive test scores and smaller total brain volumes.  The National Institute of Aging funded the study.

Vitamin B12 plays a key role in normal nervous system functioning and brain development. It is also involved in the formation of red blood cells.

Planning experts advise those seeking to learn more about long-term care planning and get long-term care insurance cost contact a designated expert via the Association's Consumer Information Center at http://www.aaltci.org/long-term-care-insurance/free-quote/.  They point out that the best ages to look into this protection is prior to age 65 when health issues can make it harder or more costly to medically qualify for coverage.

Women Aged Over 85 Have Higher Prevalence Of Arthritis And Joint Pain

A new study finds that the lifetime prevalence of arthritis is 65.4% in individuals aged 85, with women impacted more than men.

According to Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long Term Care Insurance, while arthritis is strongly connected with age, few investigations have studied how the oldest individuals (those aged 85+ years) are affected by the disease.

The study looked at over 1,000 individuals aged 85 years old and revealed that for any arthritis the lifetime prevalence was high, with 65.4% of the participants having arthritis.  According to Slome, the researchers discovered that the disease was more common in women than men: 69.1% vs 58.8%.

Osteoarthritis the researchers found was most prevalent in the knee joint followed by the hip and hand. A percentage of those participating in the study identified the knee as the most painful joint, even though the foot, ankle and lower back received the highest pain score. With the exception of the shoulder and foot, for all joints women reported a higher average pain score.

The study was published today in the journal Age and Ageing.  According to AALTCI, arthritis is the fourth leading cause of long term care insurance claims for nursing home care, following Alzheimer's, nervous system conditions and stroke.

"With more Americans living into their 80s and beyond, having a long term care plan in place is more important than ever," declares Slome.  "Most people wait too long to consider their options because the right time to plan is prior to turning age 65."

For more information on long term care insurance, visit the Association's Consumer Information center that can be accessed at http://www.aaltci.org/long-term-care-insurance/.

Just 15 Minutes Of Exercise Increases Life Expectency By Three Years

New research reports that just 15 minutes of daily physical activity can reduce your risk of death by 14 percent and increase your life expectancy by three years.

The current generally accepted recommendations call for adults to do at least 150 minutes, or a total of 2.5 hours, of physical activity weekly.

Researchers releasing the findings of their new study found that doing even less than that, only a quarter-hour of daily exercise or about 105 minutes a week still provides benefits.

The study included more than 390,000 residents of  Taiwan.  Researchers followed these individuals for an average of eight years and, based on self-reported amounts of weekly exercise, placed them into five categories.

People in the low-activity group, the scientists explained, exercised for an average of 92 minutes per week, or just under 15 minutes a day.   Compared to those categorized as being in the inactive group, individuals who did almost no physical activity, those in the low-activity group were 14 percent less likely to die from any cause, 10 percent less likely to die of cancer, and had a three-year longer life expectancy, on average.

Every additional 15 minutes of daily exercise beyond the minimum 15 minutes further reduced the risk of all-cause death by 4 percent and the risk of cancer death by 1 percent.

"The research is welcome news for millions of Americans who would benefit from even a minimum amount of exercise," suggests Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance http://www.aaltci.org.  "Death from heart disease, diabetes and cancer could be reduced and lifespans can be lengthened, though this means people will need to plan for living a long life."

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance  http://www.aaltci.org is the national trade organization focused on educating individuals about the importance of long-term care planning.  The Association's Consumer Information Center was voted the #1 source for information by consumer interest group rating and can be accessed at http://www.aaltci.org/long-term-care-insurance.

Smoking And Weight Tied To Future Brain Shrinkage, Increased Long Term Care Insurance Need

Smoking, having high blood pressure or diabetes and being overweight during your middle years may cause brain shrinkage and lead to cognitive problems up to a decade later.

According to a new study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology these factors appear to cause the brain to lose volume.  Some 38.7 million Americans age 65 and older reported having one or more cognitive disorders according to the 2011 Long-Term Care Insurance Almanac published by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.

Health conditions increased the development of lesions secondary to presumed vascular injury, and also appeared to affect its ability to plan and make decisions as quickly as 10 years later.  The findings provide evidence that identifying these risk factors early in people of middle age could be useful in screening people for at-risk dementia and encouraging people to make changes to their lifestyle before it's too late.

The study involved over 1,300 people without dementia with an average age of 54.  Participants had body mass and waist circumference measures taken and were given blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes tests. They also underwent brain MRI scans over the span of a decade, the first starting about seven years after the initial risk factor exam. Participants with stroke and dementia at baseline were excluded, and between the first and last MRI exams, 19 people had a stroke and two developed dementia.

Researchers found that people with high blood pressure developed small areas of vascular brain damage, at a faster rate than those with normal blood pressure readings.  They also had a more rapid worsening of scores on tests of executive function, or planning and decision making, corresponding to five and eight years of chronological aging respectively.

People with diabetes in middle age lost brain volume in the hippocampus at a faster rate than those without diabetes. Smokers lost brain volume overall at a faster rate than nonsmokers and were also more likely to have a rapid increase in white matter hyperintensities.

"Unhealthy habits come back to haunt millions at older ages," explains Jesse Slome, executive director of the long term care insurance association.  "It creates an increased risk of needing long term care in your 80s and 90s a reason why planning prior to retirement is a must especially for those still in good health."

Cancer Death Rate Declines Will Create Greater Long-Term Care Need

A steady decline in overall cancer death rates among America's aging adult population will create added stress on the long-term care needs of seniors.

Medical advances and better lifestyles among the aging population appears to have saved 898,000 deaths from cancer between 1990 and 2007.  According to the latest statistics presented today by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, this is both good and bad news for the primary targets of cancer - senior citizens.

"When you live a long life, the risk of needing costly long-term care services is great," explains Jesse Slome, AALTCI executive director.  "When you live a longer life, the risk and cost will be even greater.  More Americans will need home care and nursing home care services.  Medicare which pays for cancer treatments for millions of seniors does not cover the long term health care costs associated with aging, or pays very little of them," Slome notes.  "Millions of senior or aging baby boomers have no plan in place and will be quite surprised by the outcome."

Progress in the survival rate of those once impacted by cancer has not benefited all segments of the population equally.  According to researchers, cancer death rates for individuals with the least education are more than twice those of the most educated.

Cancer death rates according to the American Cancer Society are still declining in the U.S., but some are declining faster than others -- and cancer remains the leading cause of death for Americans younger than 85.

In it's yearly report they estimated that 1,596,670 new cancer diagnoses and more than 570,000 cancer deaths are expected to occur this year.

Slome shared that death rates fell by about 22% for men and 14% for women between 1990 and 2007. Since the early 2000’s, the decline has been 1.9% a year in men and 1.5% each year in women.  Better early detection and better treatment as well as reduced tobacco use over the past half-century that helped turned the tide in cancer-related deaths.

The long term care insurance Association recently reported that some 500,000 Americans would apply for insurance coverage this year.  "That is certainly an indication that responsible people understand they need to have a plan in place," Slome adds.  The Association will launch a monthlong effort to provide free long-term care insurance cost comparisons for consumers.  Click here to request a free long term care insurance cost comparison or visit their website at http://www.aaltci.org/free-quote/.

Younger people are starting long term care insurance planning

A year ago, the majority of individuals who contacted the Association looking for long term care insurance information were age 70 or older.  In fact, we got our share of calls from 80 year olds frustrated that they couldn't find a long-term care insurance company willing to speak with them.  Only a few will and most are understandably highly selective in terms of the risks they will be willing to accept.

Well, slowly I have been witnessing a change.  We started seeing inquiries from more folks in their young 60s and more in their mid to late 50s.  But all of a sudden (meaning the last two or three months) we are fielding calls and questions from consumers in their 40s and even a few in their late 30s.

This is a pretty seismic shift in the world of long term care insurance marketing and certainly will impact how a product is sold.  After all, convincing someone in their late 50s and mid 60s that they need to plan for when they reach the age of 80 is reasonable to accomplish.  For someone who is 40, that is literally an entire lifetime away.

First, what do I think is responsible for what's happening?  To be honest, I hope it is a result of the year-after-year studies published by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance that explained the percentage of applicants declined for health reasons and the importance of applying at younger ages when you can still qualify.  It could be that agents have "picked off the low hanging fruit" in terms of marketing to 60 and 70 years olds.  Or, it coule be that younger people are being solicited and a percentage are using Google to find expertise and validate the claims.

What we'll want to see if whether more younger people actually apply and buy.  The year-to-year change in buying ages from 2009 to 2010 was statistically insignificant.

One of the more interesting observations that have caught my attention.

Every Long Term Care Insurance Fact And Figure

​Not a single day goes by without my phone ringing or an email being received from an agent or broker with a question about a ststistic or fact.

And over the years, I have learned to do lots of digging to find those facts and figures that answer threse meaningful questions.  Typically I put the print out from the various reports into a folder knowing that sooner or later I'd need to refer to the report again.

But no longer because we have just released the first Long-Term Care Insurance Almanac that contains all the facts and data one would ever want in one handy, dandy guide.  It's the perfect piece to use yourself or to give to those pesky prospects who ask questions (it will also show them you are a knowledgeable professional ... because no one else will have shared this with them).

We've posted a PDF of the ALMANAC online for you to view.  Go to http://www.aaltci.org/tools and then scroll down towards the bottom.  You'll see the image next to the image of the LTC Insurance Sourcebook.

Nursing Home Closures Set Stafe For 2-Class System

January 12, 2011.  A five percent drop in available nursing home beds across the United States have affected many but worst hit are poor, urban neighborhoods.

According to new research, the country's minority population is aging at a steeper rate compared with the white population.  The study conducted by the Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research at Brown University in Providence, R.I. found that the potential need for long-term care is rising fastest in minority communities, even as nursing home closings are happening more often in their areas.

"The impact of nursing home closings on minority and low-income communities will have all sorts of implications in terms of access and quality of care issues for all,"  states Jesse Slome, executuive director of the American Assopciation for Long-Term Care Insurance.  "We are heading to a twp-class society, those who can pay and those dependent on whatever government programs exist."

The study findings, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, explored nursing home trends and analyzed information drawn from the National Online Survey Certification and Reporting database on closings of Medicare- and Medicaid-certified facilities between 1999 and 2008.

During that time, the research team found that 11 percent of stand-alone nursing homes (1,776) and almost half (1,126) of all hospital-based nursing homes in the country shut their doors. Together, they represented a loss of 16 percent of all Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing homes and nearly 97,000 -- or more than 5 percent -- of nursing home beds.

Using U.S. Census data from 2000, the authors further noted that overall closure rates were about twice as high in zip codes that are home to low-income and minority (black/Hispanic) communities than in the richest zip codes.

Nursing homes in zip codes comprised primarily of Hispanic or black residents were 37 and 38 percent more likely, respectively, to close than those in areas with the fewest Hispanics or blacks.

The team concluded that nursing homes in minority and low-income communities are bearing the lion's share of financial pressures and closures, which raises concerns about rapidly diminishing senior care options and the quality of the remaining facilities in those places.

Experts explain that people in low-income neighborhoods who use nursing homes are generally Medicaid recipients, whose reimbursement rates are lower than the fees of private-pay patients. The result is that those places that care for these patients are more likely to close.

More than 27 million Americans will need long-term care by 2050, nearly twice as many as in 2000.  Either the federal government will have to increase the reimbursement rate for nursing home services, or state and federal policies will have to fund less expensive -- and perhaps more preferable lifestyle -- options, such as assisted living, the study researchers concluded.  Otherwise, only the wealthy will have access to nursing homes, the authors said.