My Mother has Diabetes and has lost the ability to walk. She has a long term plan that is good for 3 years. After that though she will be on her own again and doesn't have the income to pay for her care.
I agree with you savtoosh, Medicare only focuses on healthcare but not long term care, though they have a program called skilled care where you can get prolonged care with medical supervision but it is limited. There is a more affordable long term care coverage, and this is through medicaid, you can check out with The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), as they are the one who manages madicaid programs and long term care recipients.
I think Medicare does not really cover long-term care. However, there are other options. For people with limited income and assets, there's Medicaid. If your mother is a veteran or a veteran's spouse, you can check what she qualifies for at the Veteran’s Administration.
There are several programs that helps you with long term care insurance, it usually vary on a case to case basis. They have the 1035 exchange program that lets you exchange your life or annuity insurance to similar products, you may also check the long term care insurance partnership program. In addition, you may reap tax advantages through the 1099-LTC Form, that makes your insurance tax exempted if you are suffering from a chronic disease. You can always ask the assistance of a licensed professional insurer to help you out with your queries. Or you can check out the FAQ section of ILTC website for a more comprehensive advice: http://www.infolongtermcare.org/ltci-learning-center/. Hope this helps :)
There is a VA benefit called aid and attendance for veterans and their spouses. If you or your spouse served during a war time ( you didn't have to go to war) you may qualify for $1000 to $2000 a month to help with long term care expenses. check with your local VA office.
Long term care insurance typically is not "for life". You pay for a certain level of benefits which last up to a specific amount of time and begin after a certain number of days of care. Some policies are indexed for inflation and some offer a set rate of payout regardless of when during the life of the policy the claim occurs.
How old is your mother? Medicare helps with many expenses once someone turns 65. Medicaid may help if the person qualifies. There may be veteran's benefits if she served or perhaps her husband did. There is Social Security disability for which some people qualify. A lot depends on your particular situation. The state department of Elder Affairs, the local council on aging and an Elder Law attorney may be good places to start your investigation.
Hope this helps :)