Coffee with Judy.
There’s something special about sitting down over a simple cup of coffee and hearing someone’s story. Last summer I had the opportunity to meet with Judy. She already knew she wanted to put a long-term care plan in place; I was curious what had led her to that decision. So, I asked her a couple questions. What she shared stuck with me.
“I first started thinking about long term care when I was 73…” When I asked Judy what first made her think about long-term care planning, she told me about her mom. Her mother lived in an independent living community and had developed pneumonia. Suddenly she needed more care than the facility could provide. Judy and her siblings were told they needed to arrange additional help-24 hours a day for four days, until a hospital bed became available. Judy described sitting on the phone for hours trying to find trained caregivers who were available on such short notice. Not only was it emotionally exhausting, but the cost was shocking. The experience opened her eyes to something many families don’t realize until they’re in the middle of it.
Long-term care needs often happen unexpectedly, and when they do, families are left scrambling to make important decisions under pressure.
As Judy said, that experience made her start thinking about her own future and what it might look like if her family ever had to step into that role for her.
Planning out of love… I then asked Judy if she had considered how having a policy in place might help her family if care was ever needed.
“I’m paying from my funds now so that my kids will not have to worry about paying for any help when I am older.”
She went on to explain that the premium itself wasn’t something she worried much about today, to her, it was a small amount to pay for peace of mind later. I think that’s one of the most overlooked parts of long-term care planning. It’s not just about protecting money, it’s about protecting your family from difficult decisions, financial stress, caregiver burnout, and uncertainty during moments that are already emotionally heavy.
Most people don’t wake up one morning excited to talk about long-term care. In fact, many of us avoid the conversation completely. But stories like Judy’s remind us why these conversations matter so much. Because long-term care planning isn’t really about getting older, it’s about preserving dignity, independence, choice, and easing the burden on people we love most.
Coffee with Judy was more than just a meeting about insurance, it was a reminder that behind every policy is a real person, a real family, and often a real experience that changed the way they viewed the future.
Sometimes the biggest motivation for planning ahead isn’t fear for ourselves, it’s love for the people who may one day to care of us. Maybe that’s the real heart behind long-term care planning.
If you’ve ever wondered what a long-term care plan could look like for you or your family, I’d always be happy to sit down over coffee and simply have a conversation.
Tracy DeWaard