No one likes to think about it, but it's something we all need to plan for: aging isn’t just emotional—it’s expensive.

Key Takeaways:

• Home healthcare aides can cost around $30 an hour.
• Assisted living averages $6,000 per month per person.
• Skilled nursing or dementia care can exceed $9,000 a month.
• Planning ahead helps protect your savings and reduce emotional stress on your family.
• A hybrid approach to funding care—using savings, Social Security, and partial insurance—can keep costs manageable.

Planning for the Final Chapter

Let’s be honest: not everyone passes peacefully in their sleep. Many of us will need help—whether that’s a part-time caregiver at home or full-time care in an assisted living or skilled nursing facility.

But none of that is cheap.
And those costs add up fast.

You’re looking at:

• $30/hr for in-home care
• $6,000/month for assisted living
• $9,000+/month for dementia or nursing care

Multiply those by months or even years, and you can see how quickly a retirement nest egg can get drained.

So, How Do You Pay for It?

That’s the big question. And the good news is:

You don’t have to do it alone. 

That’s where long-term care insurance comes in. The goal isn’t to buy the most expensive, bells-and-whistles long-term care insurance. The goal is to build a strategy—one that blends what you already have (Social Security, pension, savings) with what coverage you may need to fill the gap.

You might not need a “Cadillac plan.” You just need a plan that protects your savings without leaving your loved ones in a financial bind.

Final Thoughts

This is emotional stuff.
It's tough to think about aging, or caring for aging parents, and even tougher to put numbers next to it.

But starting the conversation now means you're giving yourself and your family clarity—and peace of mind.