First time looking into LTC options

[SumitraS48540]

Looking at all the options, feel quite overwhelmed with the complexities of this LTC insurance stuff.

In my mind, I see traditional, Hybrid and self insured options.

Traditional LTC - quite expensive premium. premium may continue to go up every other year. Reading some other forums about traditional LTC, don't get a comfy feeling if the benefits come easily or not. Stringent requirements before you qualify for benefits etc. if you dont use it, dont get anything back.

Hybrid -  Big upfront investment, locked in premuim, if you dont use it, my heirs will get some death benefit; works like life insurance. 

Self insured - a friend of mine just educated me on this briefly. would like to research more on this option.

how much to set aside for LTC amount? do I need a trust fund? How to estimate the amount of money? what are the most pitfalls? 

Any web page for this information? any guidelines/directions would be helpful.

Thanks.

[dl73698250]

What I'm going to say is contraversial. I expect disagreement. But, I must say this. "Long Term Care" is a relative term (what exactly is long or short?). I have the belief that everyone must carry a minimal amount of his/her own "weight" (regardless of working/retirement status). Even if you are on "life support", that life-support system can fail, and you'll die anyway.

Even machines "get tired" of "taking care" of you (they too, will eventually fail without maintainance). You can't live without a minimal amout of participation in your own life. Just like the Constitution Of The USA gaurantees a minimal amount of personal rights, Life itself demands a minimal amount of your own participation. Otherwise, you might as well be dead.

You can't abdicate ALL of your resposibilities onto someone else, regardless of how responsible/competent/reliable/loving they are. And, if your not up to the task, then you might as well be dead.