Under age 40

This is a busy time for you, juggling work, family and possibly caring for older parents, paying off student loans and buying a home. But it is never too early to start thinking about your long-term care needs.

Personal planning

1. Stay healthy and live well to maintain your health.
2. Assess your long-term care risk. Talk with your doctor about family history and current health conditions.
3. Learn how much long-term care can cost.
4. Become familiar with local resources that provide long-term care support and services in your community.

Financial planning

1. Determine if you are able and willing to save on your own to pay for long-term care with personal income and savings. 
2. Review your current insurance coverage.
3. Find out if your employer offers long-term care insurance or a life insurance policy with a long-term care feature as an option you can purchase.
4. Talk to your insurance agent or financial planner about planning for long-term care needs.
5. Assess if long-term care insurance might be right for you. It costs far less to buy it when you are young. You are also more likely to qualify for the insurance if you are young and healthy.

Housing planning

1. When buying a home, look for design features that will support you as you age.
2. If your home does not have universal design features, develop a plan to modify your home in the future.

Legal planning

1. Think about the type of care that you wish to receive when you are unable to make or communicate those decisions for yourself.
2. You should consider your options while you have time and ability to think them through clearly.
3. Discuss your preferences with your family and those close to you. Making your wishes clear ahead of time decreases the chance of future conflicts and takes the decision-making burden off your family. Your plan should reflect your personal values and beliefs.