Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTMoneywiseSat, July 18, 2026 at 12:10 PM GMT+2 9 min readDe Visu/ Getty ImagesMoneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below.Older adults in the U.S. are sounding the alarm on their concerns about the healthcare system. The John A. Hartford Foundation reports that 56% of older adults say it is difficult and stressful to navigate the health care system, and 62% believe health insurance plans come with too many confusing choices (1). Moreover, misinformation about health care coverage abounds.Consider this scenario: You've witnessed the start of a decline in your mother's cognitive health and ability to care for her own needs, but neither you nor your family are able to care for her around the clock.Must ReadYour first inclination might be that Medicare will help cover the costs, and you wouldn't be alone. The Kaiser Family Foundation found that 55% of U.S. adults believe Medicare will cover a long-term stay in a nursing home, which is not the case (2).Despite this lack of coverage, most older adults will require this kind of care. A 2019 study from the government Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation found that 70% of adults who live to age 65 will need some Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) before they die (3). Older adults with fewer financial resources are more likely to need this kind of care.More recent, non-government research backs this up, too. Northwestern Mutual's most recent Planning and Progress Study found that 61% of American adults expect to need long-term care (4). What's more, 74% would prefer to receive that care at home, not a nursing facility.In your situation, there isn't a choice: It's time to move mom into an assisted living facility, but she has no retirement savings that you know of, and currently gets by on a small Social Security check.How can you best keep your mom comfortable for the final years of her life?Accessing lost savingsWhile her finances may ultimately dictate what kind of facility she moves into, it's worth making an effort to respect her wishes by seeing whether she can afford a nicer place.Terms and Privacy PolicyEU DSA contactPrivacy & Cookie SettingsMore Info