--- title: "Long-Term Care Awareness Month 2026 | Funding LTC Marketplace" url: https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/blog/long-term-care-awareness-month-family-plan/ description: "November is Long-Term Care Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month. About 70% of people turning 65 will need care. Why planning protects your family, and how to start." author: George A. Mellendorf, CLTC (Central States Insurance Services, Inc.) publisher: Funding LTC Marketplace note: Educational content; not legal, tax or financial advice. Markdown copy of the HTML page at the URL above. --- Planning # Long-Term Care Awareness Month: When There's No Plan, Family Becomes the Plan November is both Long-Term Care Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month. Here's why the two belong together. By George A. Mellendorf, CLTC, President, Central States Insurance Services, Inc. ยท November 2, 2026 ## Key points - About 70% of people turning 65 will need some long-term care (ACL). - 63 million Americans, nearly 1 in 4 adults, were family caregivers in 2025 (AARP). - Medicare doesn't pay for most long-term care (Medicare.gov). - This month, a free 30-minute Family Care Plan Review compares all three coverage types for you. November is Long-Term Care Awareness Month. It's also National Family Caregivers Month. The two belong together, because when there's no long-term care plan, family usually becomes the plan. ## Why the two months belong together About 70% of people turning 65 will need some type of long-term care, and the average need is about three years (ACL). Medicare doesn't pay for most of it. When there's no plan, the care usually comes from a spouse, a daughter or a son. In 2025, 63 million Americans, nearly 1 in 4 adults, were family caregivers (AARP). Many are juggling jobs and children of their own. ## What a plan does for your family A long-term care plan isn't only about money. It's about giving the people you love a choice: to be family, not your full-time caregiver. - Choices about where you get care, at home, in assisted living or in a nursing home - Protection for savings and the home from years of care costs - Less pressure on the people you love, and fewer decisions made in a hospital hallway ## Three ways to fund it 1. Traditional long-term care insurance: pays a daily or monthly benefit once you need help with daily activities. Often the most coverage for the premium for healthy applicants. 2. Hybrid life/LTC: life insurance with a long-term care benefit. If you never need care, the death benefit goes to your family. 3. Annuity care: a deferred annuity paired with care benefits that can be larger than the deposit, often funded from existing savings. Our guide to how long-term care insurance works explains each one. ## What it costs As one benchmark, in 2026 a couple both age 55 paid an average of about $5,010 a year combined for $165,000 in initial benefits each (AALTCI). Prices for nearly identical coverage also vary widely between insurers, which is why comparing matters. ## Your free Family Care Plan Review During Long-Term Care Awareness Month, we're offering a free 30-minute Family Care Plan Review. A licensed specialist compares traditional, hybrid and annuity-based coverage side by side for your age, health and budget. There's no obligation, and the request form takes about two minutes. You'll talk with a team led by George A. Mellendorf, CLTC, who has spent more than four decades in long-term care insurance. Read his story. ## Common questions **When is Long-Term Care Awareness Month?** November. It's also National Family Caregivers Month. **How many people will need long-term care?** About 70% of people turning 65 will need some type of long-term care, for about three years on average. **What is a Family Care Plan Review?** A free 30-minute conversation with a licensed long-term care specialist who compares traditional, hybrid and annuity-based coverage for your age, health and budget. There's no obligation. ## Sources 1. Administration for Community Living: How much care will you need?: https://acl.gov/ltc/basic-needs/how-much-care-will-you-need 2. AARP and NAC: Caregiving in the U.S. 2025: https://www.aarp.org/press/releases/2025-07-24-new-report-reveals-crisis-point-for-americas-63-million-family-caregivers.html 3. Medicare.gov: Long-term care coverage: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/long-term-care 4. American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance: 2026 Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index: https://www.aaltci.org/2026-AALTCI-Long-Term-Care-Insurance-Price-Index/ Get a free, no-obligation quote comparison: https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/fb/ltc-awareness-month/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=blog_2026q4&utm_content=long-term-care-awareness-month-family-plan or call (239) 527-4000. Funding LTC Marketplace is operated by Central States Insurance Services, Inc., Ft. Myers, FL. George A. Mellendorf, CLTC, Florida licensed insurance agent, License # A175981, NPN # 538220. Verify at licenseesearch.fldfs.com/Licensee/211790. This is not an offer of insurance. Coverage, rates, and eligibility are determined by the issuing carrier through underwriting. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.