Linda began her career working in a continuing care facility in Arizona after graduating from

the University of Iowa. She was especially drawn to this career path because of the love she

had for her maternal grandfather. Linda’s family was deeply impacted by the cost and

complexity of long term care needs her grandfather required as a result of a debilitating

stroke. Because of this experience, it has been Linda’s desire to educate families on the

need to plan for extended care. She is also passionate about guiding families into care

choices that ensure a dignified experience.

No one can deny that if home or facility care is needed, a long term care policy can be a life

saver. After specializing in LTCi coverage for the last 30 years, I can attest to the fact that

most policy holders have little recollection of what they purchased, nor do they understand

how to utilize their benefits. It is our purpose at Jahnke Consulting and Long Term Care

Alliance to educate our clients and shepherd them through their claims process so that they

receive all of the benefits they are entitled to.

“I thought I had to be bedridden before I could file a claim”, was what my client told me

when I asked her why she did not file a claim after moving into an assistance living facility.

This is a common misconception. Most policies will approve benefits once an insured needs

either stand by, or hands on assistance with at least 2 of the following daily skills:

Showering/Bathing, Dressing, Toileting, Incontinence Care, Transferring, Ambulating (not

included in all contracts) and eating. In addition, if an insured has been diagnosed with a

cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s or Vascular Dementia and requires continual

supervision, they should file a claim.

None of my clients who started receiving long term care benefits were bedridden. In fact, the

majority of our clients receiving benefits from their policies continue to lead purposeful,

active, lives. Our clients and their family’s value assistance from care providers because the

extra attention empowers them to keep going despite their physical challenges. Filing

benefits for home care assistance can delay a facility placement.

“If I try really hard I can shower without falling.”

As the saying goes, if I had a dollar for every time I heard this, I would be rich! When our

agency guides a client through their claims experience, I ask directed questions about how

they manage their bathing, dressing and walking tasks. Falls that cause broken hips, ribs,

and shoulders are a large percentage of our claims work. Despite this, most people do not

observe that they are putting themselves in harm’s way by simply getting in the shower or

taking a walk to get the mail. Our job is to guide our clients to the conclusion that trying

harder is not the best option. Our role is to reframe their perspective so that they can

respond to the claims adjuster with integrity while holding onto their dignity. By the time our

claims process unfolds, our clients understand that they should not deny they need help, but

rather communicate how difficult physical tasks have become, and support is vital to

remaining independent.

“I have thought about having a caregiver, but I do not know what they would do for

me” One of the reasons why I love working with this population is because of the generation

their grit was birthed from. They are proud, courageous, frugal, private, and full of great

wisdom. This group of folks really did pull themselves up by their boot straps. Convincing our

clients that having a driver, fiduciary, personal assistant, or personal trainer is not an

extravagant decision can be a challenge. LTCi is a great tool for accessing extra services

that would otherwise be overlooked. For example, when Medicare stops paying for physical

therapy, we recommend Reneu Health for continued strength training and improved balance

and ambulation techniques. Knowing what a long term care benefit will pay for can open

avenues for specialized care and equipment over and above what Medicare and secondary

insurance pays for.

“When I am ready to file a claim, who can help navigate the process?”

Jahnke Consulting and LTC Alliance was created to provide a specialized service to families

who took steps years ago to account for the potential need for long term care. We are careful

to vet, or assess a client to make sure, based on their policy language the claim outcome will

be successful. Part of our service also includes recommending vetted care providers and

community resources. Aging in place does take a team and we know who the great team

players are. Our evaluation of the LTCi contract will give a realistic perspective of what the

insured can expect from their insurance contract and what kind of care services will be

covered.

If you have a LTCi policy, but have not looked at it for years, I highly recommend getting the

policy in an readily available file so that it can be accessed quickly. Give us a call at 858-

513-8351 we will be happy to explain to you what benefits you have and how best to use

your policy. Learn more about what Jahnke Consulting and LTC Alliance can do for you and

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