Long Term Care Issues A Pets Perspective; by Rusty Persike RD, RSS

When one reaches the point in life where they need the assistance from others to do the basic things one has to rely upon caregivers. Help may be in terms with perhaps just cooking and shopping or what may be required is assistance in the daily activities of living such as dressing, bathing, taking medication, or even walking. I can asssure you that the issues revolving the need for assistance and care is very stressful for the pets who as everyone know are the primary care givers.

Usually the first need for care is at home. Besides the comfort and care that the pet can provide the master often needs help from other humans to provide for basic services such as cooking, shopping, and just checking in with the person. In some cases it will include; dressing, toileting, eating, bathing, continence and transferring (from bed to chair, etc). There are cognitive impairments that also require care and they are; short or long term memory loss, orientation as to person or to places, deductive or abstract reasoning, and judgment as it relates to safety awareness are issues.

In all cases the first level of care is always given by the family pets, then spouses, children and family followed by friends and neighbors. The state in its various forms is the provider of last resorts.

In any case there is a cost associated with the need for care. Traditionally when the resources of the individual are used up then one looks to the family or the state for help.

Science has allowed people with material health conditions to live a very long time. There is a “three step process” in understanding the issues which I have illustrated below

The human is likely to live a long life and therefore need some level of care.
Providing care will have a severe impact on the human’s family.
Paying for the care very well devastates all of the human’s resources including his retirement portfolio.

I have got to tell you that humans are pretty smart. They have invented Long Term Care Insurance to help address the issues for the need for care. Not everyone will need long term care although human studies state that over one in three people will need care. Long Term Care Insurance (LTCI) provides a first wall of economic defense for the individual.

What is very interesting is that not everyone goes into a facility. Most people wish to remain at home under the careful guidance and care of their pet who, as we all know, is the primary care giver. The LTCI programs that my master recommends clearly supports home care. Facility care is covered if needed.

There is a cost involved but if one looks at the cost one will find that it is reasonable. This is coverage that most will not use immediately but the effects are simply devastating both from an economic and physical perspective on the entire family when care is needed. You know pets can do just so much. There is a human element that is always need in these situations and skills and abilities to provide the proper level of care that is sometimes needed for the master is well beyond those who love the family members the most. I can assure you that as a family pet I worry about mjy entire family but I can physically do just so much.

My master is pretty good at helping to develop a plan for this kind of situation. Although he still has trouble running through the long tube at the Top Notch Dog Training & Agility School with me, he has spent a great deal of time studying the subject of Long Term Care and he has viable and innovative solutions to address this problem.