A guide for your 60s
What I wish I knew in my 60s about long-term care
You are planning for the next 20 years or more. Good coverage is still available in your 60s, but the window narrows each year, so this is the decade to decide.
The problem, in numbers
What long-term care really looks like.
62%
of adults 50 and older wrongly think Medicare will pay for a long-term nursing home stay.1
$217
a day is what you pay for a skilled nursing stay on days 21 to 100 under Medicare in 2026. After day 100, you pay it all.2
1 in 3
applicants aged 60 to 64 was turned down for long-term care insurance in 2024.3
What we are hearing
You want to stay home and stay in charge.
Findings from the 2026 Staying Power Planning Report.
Staying home is the clear favorite.
In the Planning Report, 70% of people in their 60s want to stay in their own home. Some are weighing a smaller place.4
“I don’t know yet” is the most common answer on how you would pay.
Half of people in their 60s in the Planning Report said it. “Does Medicare cover it?” is one of the most-asked questions.4
Planning feels suddenly urgent.
People in their 60s told us a parent's decline or a spouse's illness is what moved them. Some worried they had already waited too long.4
“…it just all of a sudden feels urgent to figure things out.”
“I want him to be involved in my life, but I don’t want him to have to take care of me.”
Looking back
Five things I wish I had known in my 60s.
From people a decade or two down the road, and the numbers behind them.
Medicare stops at day 100.
Medicare covers short skilled stays after a hospital visit, with $217 a day due from day 21. It does not cover custodial care at all.2, 5
Medicaid pays only after your savings are gone.
In nearly every state, Medicaid long-term care requires savings of about $2,000 or less for an individual.6 It is the largest payer of long-term care for that reason.7
Care can last years, not months.
Women need care for 3.7 years on average and men for 2.2. One in five people will need it for more than five years.8
Most care happens at home.
65% of people who need long-term care get it at home.8 Coverage that pays for help at home is what keeps you there.
Each year of waiting raises the odds of a no.
Insurers turned down 33% of applicants aged 60 to 64 in 2024, and 43% at 65 to 69.3 Your health today is what qualifies you.
Your next steps
Three moves to make this month.
Book a call while you are healthy.
A licensed advisor can tell you in one call what you qualify for and what it costs at your age.
Name the person who would speak for you.
Only 27% of adults 50 and older have named a medical power of attorney.1 Have the conversation, then sign it.
Set your home up for the long run.
A main-floor bedroom option, good lighting, a shower you can step into. Only 18% of people 50+ have made changes like these.1
Book your call
Find out what you qualify for now.
Book a call with a licensed Staying Power advisor. We will check your options while your health is on your side.
Bring your partner.
Most people we talk to decide together. Your partner is welcome on the call.
Leave with it in writing.
A plain side-by-side of what you pay, what is guaranteed and what is projected.
Costs where you live.
Care prices for your area, not national averages.
No hard sell.
One licensed advisor, no pressure to decide on the call.