It’s estimated that 70 percent of Americans turning age 65 can expect to use some sort of long-term care during their lives.

Long-term care generally means assistance with the activities of daily living (sometimes referred to as “ADL”) that does not require skilled nursing. This care could include everything from simple help with household or yard chores to performing errands, driving to appointments, or help with personal care such as bathing and meal preparation.

Long-term, or ADL, care is generally not the same as skilled care, such as skilled nursing services (help with medications or care for wounds) or physical, occupational, or respiratory therapy. These types of care usually require services from a licensed professional.

However, the costs of long-term care can be significant, particularly if care is needed over a long time period or in a care facility. According to longtermcare.gov, a resource from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 2010, average costs for long-term care ranged from $21 per hour for a home health aide to $3,293 per month for a room in an assisted-living facility and $6,235 per month for a semi-private room in a nursing home.

Taking steps before care is needed can help make costs more manageable and provide more options, such as remaining in your own home longer.

Medicare and private health insurance plans do not pay for most long-term care services and therefore, the PERACare health plans also do not provide coverage. Medicare only pays for medically necessary care, focusing on acute care such as doctor visits, drugs, and hospital stays. Medicare coverage focuses on short-term services for conditions that are expected to improve, such as physical therapy that can help regain function after a fall or stroke.

There are ways to plan in advance for long-term care needs that include financial, legal, and practical strategies. For example, advance care planning can provide peace of mind that personal wishes – both medical and financial – will be kept even when it’s difficult or impossible to make those decisions for oneself.

Identifying in-home support services and making home modifications, even simple ones, can make it possible to live at home longer and avoid some of the high costs of care in a facility.

A pathfinder at longtermcare.gov provides helpful information customized to different situations, including age and whether or not care is needed now or in the future.

PERA on the Issues posts are written and compiled by the staff of Colorado PERA under the direction of Executive Director Greg Smith and the PERA Board of Trustees. We encourage you to comment with your thoughts and feedback.