Long-Term Care Costs Are No Longer A Worry With WA Cares
Kitty learned the hard way that you can be any age and still need care. When she was pregnant with her first child, she needed four months of bed rest. She had no idea the long-term care costs until she needed them. Now she’s a caregiver to a family member who cannot afford long-term care costs.
“I believe we all can find ourselves in situations where we need care, not just when we are elderly. I had to be on four months of bed rest with my first pregnancy – the need for help at home can come at any time.”
– Kitty, Camano Island, WA
When Kitty’s grandfather, a veteran, needed care, he sold his life savings on the long-term care costs. He had to get a reverse mortgage on his home. Kitty knows that WA Cares would have given her family enough time to file for help from the VA and avoid selling her family’s house. Now, Kitty knows that WA Cares benefits will pay for her long-term care costs when she needs support with daily tasks.
Kitty’s Story
We can all find ourselves in situations where we need care, no matter our age. WA Cares is not just for the elderly. We can need long-term care help at home, without notice, at any time. I was on four months of bed rest with my first pregnancy – you don’t have to be a certain age to need care.
A lot of us become caregivers as a result of personal events in our lives.
I became a caregiver because someone I love needed help to stay in her home. My own grandfather, who was retired from the military, ended up spending his life savings to pay for the care he needed because of long-term care costs. My family couldn’t get all the documentation he needed to get help from his veteran benefits, so we had to get a reverse mortgage on his home.
If the WA Cares Fund had been here for my grandfather, our family would have had the time we needed to get the paperwork done so he could get help from the VA.
“If the WA Cares Fund had been here for my grandfather, it would have given our family the time we needed to get the paperwork in order so he could get the assistance from the VA.”
I enjoy being able to help someone to live with dignity in their own home.
The most challenging aspect of being a caregiver are the emotions that are involved. My own emotions, and the emotions of the people I care for. It can be a difficult dynamic because we knew each other before one of us needed care. It really changes your relationships. Luckily now, the WA long-term care costs don’t add more stress. WA Cares benefits give people help at home when they need it.
I worry that I may need care someday. When that happens, home is absolutely the best place I could be. The WA Cares Fund is going to help me stay where I want to be without worrying about the long-term care costs.
I have no savings put aside in the event that I would need help at home, with meals or getting around.
When I became a caregiver for a relative, I had to leave a well paying job and make sacrifices to provide that care. There were long-term care costs far beyond the price of the time itself. I worry about being able to return to the workforce with the loss of relevant current experience. Caregiving as a profession is not as respected as other health care professionals. WA Cares will help that by paying family caregivers to take care of their loved ones.
Any workers who don’t have giant savings for care will have the WA Cares Fund when we become the ones who need help at home.
Hello my name is Kitty Richmeyer. I live on Camano Island, Washington, and I’ve been a caregiver for seven years. I enjoy being able to help someone live with dignity in their own home. The most challenging aspect of being a caregiver is the emotions that are involved. Either my own or my clients, and then that dynamic because we’ve known each other before the need for care.
We all can find ourselves in situations where we need care. It’s not only for the elderly. It can come at any time. I had four months of bed rest with my first pregnancy, so, um, it doesn’t mean that you have to be a certain age. It can happen anytime.
When I became a caregiver for a relative, I had to leave a well paying job and make sacrifices in order to provide that care. And, um, you know, now as I’ve been a caregiver for longer, I worry about being able to return to the workforce and the loss of experience. So I worry that I may need care someday, and staying at home is absolutely the best place that I could be. I have absolutely no savings put aside in the event that I would need to have help at home, or with meals, or anything of that.
Let Us Know How WA Cares Will Help Your Family
Learn more about long-term care costs and how the WA Cares Fund is helping working Washingtonians.