I just talked with a client this week who re-energized me about my mission to help people plan for long-term care. She is now 87. She and her husband bought policies from me back in 1990. She told me this week that she was SURE he would never need care and and that I had “twisted his arm” to get him to buy. (I remember him being much easier than that!) Well, she now says he developed dementia and used four years of his benefits and what a Godsend this insurance was for them. She is encouraging their three children to meet with me and get insured.
On a side note, she said he had become violent and almost did her bodily harm on two occasions. After the second occasion, he went to an assisted living facility where he thrived. He was a very social person and enjoyed being around the other residents and being able to participate in various activities. My client said it was amazing that his card-playing skills remained until the end!
How did I happen to hear from this woman at this time? She had received a rate increase. You know what she said? “I’m keeping this insurance. I’ve paid into it this long and now that I see how much it paid out on my husband, I’d be stupid to let it go.”
She is a retired English teacher who is very articulate. She used the word “stupid”.
My response? “Yes, you would be.”
Sometimes a few words say it all.
