Part of our guide: Long-Term Care Insurance: Costs, Options and Planning →
Most people know they should talk about long-term care. Almost nobody wants to start. Whether it’s a client talking to aging parents or an advisor raising it in a review, the hardest part is the first sentence.
Key takeaways
- Someone turning 65 today has close to a 70% chance of needing some form of long-term care, yet most have no plan to pay for it.
- The easiest openings are indirect: someone else’s situation, a request for advice, or a comment made in passing.
- If talking face to face is too hard, a letter or a more comfortable family member can get the conversation started.
Close to 70% of people turning 65 will need some form of long-term care. Most have never talked about how they’d pay for it.
Why the conversation matters now
Long-term care planning works best before it’s needed, while clients are healthy enough to qualify for coverage and have time to choose. Waiting until a health event forces the discussion usually means fewer options and higher costs. For clients, the talk is often with their own parents; for advisors, it’s with the client. The same techniques work for both.
8 ways to get the conversation started
- Be open. Say you’d like to talk about the future and ask if they’re willing. Everyone thinks about these things.
- Be reflective. Ask about their past and their parents, then move to the future: what they want most and what worries them.
- Discuss someone else’s situation. A friend or relative dealing with care needs is a natural, low-pressure starting point.
- Share an article. Pass along something on planning ahead or care costs and follow up.
- Ask for advice. Mention you’re preparing a will or retirement plan and ask how they planned ahead.
- Grab an opening. If someone says “I couldn’t stand living in a nursing home,” ask what they would want instead.
- Write it down. A letter or email outlining your concerns lets them think it over first, which helps when families live far apart.
- Get help. Someone else in the family, or a trusted advisor, may be the better person to raise it. What matters is that it gets done.
Turning the conversation into a plan
Once the topic is open, the next step is a needs discussion: where they’d want to receive care, who would provide it, and how it would be paid for. These three questions that demonstrate the need for LTC are a natural follow-up, and our LTC team can help you compare traditional, hybrid, and rider-based solutions.
Frequently asked questions
How do you bring up long-term care with aging parents?
Start indirectly: talk about a friend’s situation, ask for their advice on your own planning, or follow up on something they’ve said. Writing a letter can also help.
What percentage of people need long-term care?
Someone turning 65 today has close to a 70% chance of needing some type of long-term care services, according to federal estimates.
When is the best time to plan for long-term care?
Before it’s needed, ideally in a client’s 50s or early 60s, while they’re healthy enough to qualify for coverage.
Reviewed by Tim Fuller on 2026-09-25
Tim Fuller
President, SRS Inc.
Tim leads SRS Inc., a full-service IMO (Independent Marketing Organization) and BGA (Brokerage General Agency), connecting independent financial professionals with life, annuity, disability income, and long-term care solutions from 60+ carrier partners.
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