Pease International Tradeport
Portsmouth, New Hampshire

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS THAT YOUR LOVED ONE MAY NEED LONG TERM CARE?
LONG TERM CARE PARTNERS PROVIDES AN "INDEPENDENT LIVING TEST" FOR FAMILIES CARING FOR AGING LOVED ONES

For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, November 12, 2002		   Contact: Debra Caruso
(212) 849-1285

Individuals with elderly or disabled relatives know that it can be very difficult to determine when their loved ones need assistance with everyday activities that would prevent them from being able to live independently. This is particularly true for those whose family members have dementia or early Alzheimer's disease. The effects of dementia can be subtle making the need for long term care not as apparent as an actual physical disability.

Long Term Care Partners, LLC, which administers the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program sponsored by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, suggests using this informal guideline, the "Independent Living Test". The Independent Living Test will help to assess whether a family member is at or near the point when he or she would be unable to live independently and require further intervention.

The following questions can be used to determine whether a loved one is having difficulty in performing everyday activities. The results may reveal whether the family member can live independently or whether intervention is necessary.

Independent Living Test:

  1. Medications
    1. Are prescriptions not being refilled, resulting in failure to take medication when scheduled?
    2. Has taking medication become difficult due to poor memory or confusion? Evidence may include pills taken together that shouldn't be, different pills mixed together in a pill box or an oversupply or undersupply of pills.
    3. Have conditions previously under control become acute because medication is not being taken correctly?
  2. Food and Groceries
    1. Based on past food habits, are the cupboards frequently empty or being filled with unusual foods?
    2. Is the food in the refrigerator often spoiled or kept long beyond the "use by" date?
  3. Daily Business
    1. Is the mail being picked up and opened regularly or is it remaining uncollected and/or unopened?
    2. Are credit cards or checkbook being misused or not balanced as well as in the past?
  4. Social Contact
    1. Has the amount of social contact changed dramatically, so that there are few public outings or limited social visits with close friends?
    2. Has the ability to drive deteriorated? Is there a fear of driving or a recent history of multiple minor accidents that is leading to isolation?
  5. Living Habits
    1. Has there been a change in living habits such as a change in dress or appearance, or a decline in personal hygiene not related to physical disability? Is dress appropriate for the weather?
    2. Have housekeeping habits changed so that a normally neat and orderly home is now cluttered and not cleaned regularly?
    3. Are pets that were normally well cared for suddenly not being fed or cared for as they had been in the past?
  6. Solicitations
    1. Is there a sudden increase in ordering unnecessary items through mail or televised advertisements?
  7. Calls to Family Members or Health Care Providers
    1. Has there been a marked increase in panic calls to family or medical providers without apparent need?
    2. Have unnecessary calls been made to 911?
Since so many people will need long term care services and the cost can be so high, it's helpful for many to plan for long term care before the need actually occurs. An estimated 7 million older adults are having difficulty performing everyday activities and will need long term care this year, by the year 2030, that figure is expected to rise to 12 million, according to the National Academy on an Aging Society. Another study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicates that people age 65 face at least a 40% risk of entering a nursing home. According to the 2002 MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home and Home Care Costs, the national average annual cost of a semi-private room in a nursing home is $52,000. The American Council of Life Insurers estimates that the annual cost of nursing home care will rise to as much as $190,000 in less than 30 years.

Long-term care situations can be stressful for individuals receiving care and caregivers alike, as they try to figure out the level of support they need, where the care should take place and how to pay for care. Help is available from several private long term care insurance programs, including the new Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program, which is offered by John Hancock and MetLife.

"The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program helps families to make care decisions by providing care coordination for enrollees and their qualified relatives even if the relatives aren't insured under the Program. The Program's care coordinators are registered nurses who are available to assist with the many issues surrounding long term care. The Program also offers benefits for enrollees for home care, including informal care by friends or neighbors and covers services in an assisted living facility or nursing home for those who need a more comprehensive level of care," said Paul Forte, Chief Executive Officer, Long Term Care Partners.

The following groups are eligible to apply for coverage under the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program: employees (Federal and Postal employees and members of the uniformed services), annuitants (Federal and Postal annuitants and retired members of the uniformed services) and qualified relatives (current spouses and adult children of living employees and annuitants; and parents, parents-in-law, and stepparents of living employees). The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program is offered by John Hancock Life Insurance Company, Boston, MA 02117 and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New York, New York 10010.

A web site for the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program, www.ltcfeds.com , offers online applications, an interactive calculator to provide customized price quotes based on age and choice of benefits, and educational resources about long term care and long term care insurance. Information may also be obtained by calling 1-800-LTC-FEDS (1-800-582-3337), or 1-800-843-3557 (TDD for the hearing impaired). Long Term Care Partners, LLC, a joint partnership formed by John Hancock Life Insurance Company (John Hancock) and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife), is administering the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program which is sponsored by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

John Hancock Financial Services (NYSE: JHF) and its affiliated companies, which include John Hancock Life Insurance Company, together provide a broad array of insurance and investment products and services to retail and institutional customers. As of June 30, 2002, John Hancock and its subsidiaries had total assets under management of $123.7 billion.

MetLife, a subsidiary of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), is a leading provider of insurance and other financial services to individual and institutional customers. The MetLife companies serve approximately 10 million individual households in the U.S. and companies and institutions with 33 million employees and members. MetLife also has international insurance operations in 13 countries. As of June 30, 2002, MetLife Inc. had total assets under management of $286.8 billion. For more information about MetLife, please visit the company's web site at www.metlife.com.

The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program is administered by Long Term Care Partners, LLC, and offered by:
John Hancock Life Insurance Company, Boston, MA 02117
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New York, NY 10010