For The Love of The Children
by David Miller, CLTC

As I look upon my four month old daughter joyfully kicking in her crib, I wonder what she will be when she grows up. Will she be a doctor, an astronaut, a homemaker, or maybe president? The choices are endless. I also think about how dependent she is upon her mother and me for her every need. She depends on us 24 hours a day to feed  her, bathe her, change her diaper, dress her in those adorable little outfits, and help her get from place to place. These are just some of the many responsibilities of parenthood.

Contrast that with my four year old who is learning to be independent. He can bathe himself although he prefers to take showers now. He can feed himself, wanting only to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He walks without any assistance, preferring to race me to every destination. He's able to use the bathroom with an occasional cry  for ...well you get the point. He doesn't require nearly as much care and attention as his sister. We know with our daughter that the day is coming when she will be able to do the daily activities of life by herself.

Parents have a tremendous responsibility to teach their children to one day be independent. A parent's role is to care for and encourage our children to develop their talents and pursue their interests so they can become that doctor, astronaut, or anything they so choose. Unfortunately many children are being faced with "role reversal". The role of caring for an aging parent in need of some type of extended care such as needing help with their daily activities. Now the child  assumes the role of the parent. The parent becomes almost totally dependent upon the child.

Long term care is an issue that affects many families and unfortunately most families don't deal with long term care until it is too late. Parents should plan ahead for the possibility of someday needing care so that their children won't be forced to become their  parents. Long term care insurance does just that. This type of insurance guarantees that you can get the kind of care you need and want which gives your family peace of mind. If you haven't considered planning for long term care, let me give you some things to ponder...

Do your children live close to you?
Do they work during the day?
Do they have children they're trying to put through college?
Are they trying to save for their own retirement?
Would they be able to do the heavy lifting ?
Will they be able to pursue their goals and dreams if they must care for you?

My wife and I asked ourselves these same questions. We decided we never wanted our children to have to be put in the situation of caring for us. The sensible solution was to purchase a long term care insurance policy that would pay for someone other than our children to care for us. The policy pays for all types of care and allows us the freedom to not have to worry about who will care for us someday. The purchase of long term care insurance is not something you do just for yourself. The people you really do it for is your family.

David Miller is a long-term care insurance agent and a National Trainer for LTC Consultants. He lives in Dalton, OH with his wife Tammy and their two children, Spencer and Hallie. To read more about David, or to contact him, please visit our Agent Finder Map. Select Ohio, then choose Dalton from "Search by City".

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