You’re suddenly in charge. Now what?
A fall. A hospital call. A diagnosis that changes everything. One day you’re a son or daughter — the next, you’re the one making decisions about care, money, and what comes next.
You don’t have to figure it out alone — or all at once. Here are two places to start — in whichever order feels right.
Start with the Guides
A free library of plain-language guides covering twelve conditions — what each one means for independence, how quickly things tend to change, and what families can do at every stage.
Browse the GuidesEverything is free to read on your device or print. No email required.
Take the Family Readiness Assessment
A short, private assessment that shows where your family stands today — what care could look like, what it could cost, and what options exist while options still exist.
Begin the AssessmentOn our companion site, FundingDependency.com. About five minutes.
Want to keep learning?
New guides and research updates publish regularly. If your family member already holds a long-term care insurance (LTC) policy, locating it and understanding its benefits is one of the most useful first steps a new caregiver can take. If you’d like plain-language updates when something meaningful changes, ask to be notified — that’s the only reason we’d ever ask for your email.
Every figure on this page is drawn from the organization that published it. Links open in a new tab, and figures reflect the most recent data available at publication — source organizations update on their own schedules. Key sources for this page include:
- HHS Administration for Community Living — What Is Long-Term Care?
- Eldercare Locator (Administration for Community Living)
- Medicare.gov — Long-term care coverage
- HHS/ASPE — What Is the Lifetime Risk of Needing and Receiving Long-Term Services and Supports?
- CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey
Content on this site was researched, sourced, and drafted with the assistance of Perplexity AI, with human editorial review. See our Terms of Use for how we source and verify material, and tell us if you spot an error.