Vernon’s Story
Long Term Care Insurance
Long Term Care Insurance allowed Vernon the flexibility, and the funds, to care for his wife of 60 years, Helen, in their home after an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis.
When Vernon Duckett first heard about Long Term Care Insurance he wasn’t enthusiastic, but his wife, Helen, talked him into purchasing it.
Recently retired from the oil business, Vernon, then 65, was healthy and vigorous. Helen, a year older at 66 was too. But Helen did not want to be a burden on their son, Jeff, or anyone else.
Working with their insurance professional, Phyllis Shelton, they bought Long Term Care Insurance policies. (watch the video by clicking the arrow)
Later, when policies with better features became available, the Ducketts upgraded their Long Term Care Insurance coverage. The new policies offered excellent coverage for home care and had inflation riders that increased their coverage annually to help keep pace with the rising cost of care.
When Helen was in her mid-70s, she began having difficulty with everyday household chores, such as using the microwave oven. A visit to the doctor confirmed that these were symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Vernon cared for Helen in their home primarily, and the LTC policy gave him the freedom to drop her off at an adult daycare center for five or six hours a day. After Vernon suffered his second heart attack in five years and could no longer handle her care, he placed her at one of the nicest private nursing homes in the area, where she stayed until her death at age 82.
Today, Vernon is 84 and healthy enough to play golf twice a week. He calls long-term care insurance a “blessing” because it allowed him to afford the best care possible for his childhood sweetheart, to whom he was married for more than 60 years. “This long-term care policy has given me peace of mind, security and Long-term care insurance gives you the option of independence,” he says.
