Los Angeles, CA - September 28, 2015 - We've backed ourselves into a corner by focusing so much on nursing home risk and nursing home costs, shares the director of the national long term care insurance trade organization.

"People have never wanted to go to skilled nursing homes and the fact is that over half of all newly opened long term care insurance claims pay for home care," explains Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI).   Slome urges insurance professionals to create awareness for the fact that owning a long-term care insurance policy can be your nursing home avoidance protection.

Slome points to recent data that validates his assertion.  "The number of Americans in their 70s, 80 and even older who live in their own home keeps increasing while the number of people living in institutional settings keeps decreasing," Slome notes.  "Home care is what consumers want but say the word long-term care insurance and people associate it with nursing homes.  That really needs to change."

According to Census data U.S. households headed by an individual age 75 or older has increased 13 percent since 2003.

The National Advisory Center for Short Term Care recently looked at home care insurance policies that would cover qualifying home care services.  Some of these policies will accept applicants well into their 80s Slome points out.  "As we approach Long Term Care Awareness Month, I urge insurance agents to start a dialogue that is beneficial to consumers," Slome urged.  "There's no place like home and that's what consumers want so talk about solutions that meet their needs.

Consumers interested in learning more about home care benefits or obtaining long term care insurance costs can visit the organization's website at www.aaltci.org or call 818-597-3227 to connect with a knowledgeable insurance professional.