If I need long-term care, why can't a family member take care of me?

If I need long-term care, why can't a family member take care of me?

Elliot Matloff (President and Broker, The Matloff Company) gives expert video advice on: Do I need long-term care insurance?; When should I buy long-term care insurance?; How do I qualify for long-term care benefits? and more...

Well, a family member can take care of you, but would you really want a family member to take care of you? First of all, your family member may have a career and have children and have all kinds of responsibilities. You might have a single child that can take care of you but would you want to do that? One of my clients many years ago told me that the last person he would want doing personal hygiene on him would be a family member and it's completely understandable. There are some policies however that will allow you to use a family member and they'll still pay benefits even to that family member but the majority of policies issued do not allow you to use a family member.