West Palm Beach VA Medical Center

Veterans explore long term care services and supports, such as home and community based services; shared decision making; decision aids; and paying for long term care.

Veterans! You never know if you or a loved one will need long term services and supports sometime in the future. An unexpected accident or illness can change your life, sometimes suddenly.

About 70 percent of people over the age of 65 need some type of long term care in their lifetime. Think of it this way - if you had a 70 percent chance of winning the lottery, would you buy a ticket?

It's worth becoming familiar with long term care services and supports. They provide a wide range of services such as a homemaker or home health aide, or respite care at an adult day health program.

Here's an Important List of Things to Do:
     •  Start by visiting the online Guide to Long Term Care and look at the
         section on Home and Community Based Services.
     •  Watch the video on Shared Decision Making to learn how you can
         participate in long term care choices when you need to make them for
         yourself or others.
     •  Look over the decision aids. There's one for Veterans and one for
         caregivers. They will help you learn about who could help you, or how
         you could help others, if you need assistance managing day-to-day tasks.
     •  Explore the section on Paying for Long Term Care. It will answer many of
         your questions!

Become familiar with long term services and supports now, while you don’t need them. Taking time to do this now helps you explore options without pressure. And it can provide peace of mind for you and those you care about.

Nobody likes to think they will need long term care - even at home! But remember, when you served to defend our nation, you needed to be prepared. Likewise, it's smart to be prepared - ahead of time -  to make long term care decisions.

Take time today to visit VA's Guide to Long Term Care.

For more informative Features and Events check out the West Palm Beach
VA Medical Center's official Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/VAWestPalmBeach.