We may retire earlier than we think we will. Some of us envision leaving the workforce at “full” retirement age (66 or 67) so that we can receive “full” monthly Social Security benefits rather than slightly reduced monthly payments. Will that happen? It might not, according to data released this spring by the respected Employee Benefit Research Institute.

In EBRI’s most recent Retirement Confidence Survey, 21% of the respondents thought they would retire at age 65. Another 26% expected to retire at age 70 or later.

These expectations may not correspond with reality. In surveying current retirees, EBRI found that only 6% had worked into their seventies. Only 9% had retired at age 65. Sixty-five percent of the respondents had left work before age 65, up from 61% in EBRI’s 2010 survey.

We may see retirement as an extension of the present rather than the future. This is only natural, as we live in the present – but the present will not go on forever. Things change, and the costs we have to shoulder five or ten years from now may be greater than the expenses we face at the start of retirement. As many of us will likely be retired for 20 or 30 years, it becomes essential to take a long-term view of the retirement experience – which is why retirees may want to consider growth investing and long term care coverage.

Beyond that basic question, we need to think about insurance from a couple of other angles. Will we need long term care coverage? It seems to get more expensive each year, but as medicine and health care continue to advance and evolve, the possibility of a gradual rather than sudden death may increase. The wealthy may have the assets to contend with long term care costs, but the middle class rarely does. In Genworth’s 2015 Cost of Care Survey, the median annual cost for a semi-private room in a nursing home is $80,300. In California, it is $89,396; in Florida, $87,600.

Disability insurance and long term care coverage may prove more essential to retirement planning than many of us realize.

Age may catch up to us sooner rather than later. Generationally speaking, are we healthier than our parents and grandparents were? Anecdotally, it would seem so: we see people running 10Ks in their eighties, climbing mountains in their seventies, and so forth. Then again, we have diabetes and obesity plaguing American health.

We may be alone sooner than we assume. Many couples retire with a reasonable assumption that they will be together for some time – but something may happen to leave one spouse alone. As anyone who has ever lived alone realizes, a single person does not simply live on 50% of the income of a couple. Keeping up a house – or even a condo – could be arduous for an eighty-year-old man or woman. Driving is a concern. All this means that we may need someone or some group of people to care for us when our spouse is gone. Is that kind of support currently available? Could it be available twenty years from now? If not, what will take its place?

These are some of the blindspots that can surprise us in retirement. They may quickly affect our money and our quality of life. If we age with an awareness of them and recognize them in our retirement and estate planning, then we may be betterprepared when or if they emerge.

Q. How much long-term care coverage will I need?

A. Start with factoring that the average annual stay in a nursing home is nearly $96,000, and the average length of stay is about two years – then add to that time you may need in an assisted living facility – or in your own home. While everyone’s needs are different, understanding your own health and having a clear vision of where and how you want to spend your later years can help you be sure you are fully protecting yourself and your family.

Q. When should I start a policy?

A. This is an individual decision, based on many factors. Most people think about LTC insurance when they are close to retiring. Premiums are much lower for people in their 40s and 50s than for those over age 65. In addition, as people age, they are more likely to develop health conditions that may make them uninsurable. After age 60, premiums for LTC insurance begin to rise steeply.

Q. Why should I get long-term care insurance?

A. Most health insurance plans provide for in-hospital care, doctor visits and preventative healthcare needs. But, they may not cover many other health-related needs of older adults. Long term care costs, whether in your home, at assisted living or elsewhere are not covered by any health insurance plan, not even Medicaid.

Q. If I buy long-term care insurance will I be able to stay out of a nursing home?

A. Not necessarily – This is all dependent on the level of care you need. However, just over half of long-term care claims are for in-home care, with 30% in nursing homes and just under 20% of claims are for assisted living care. With the financial boost of long term care benefits, you are more likely to be able to better afford the costs involved in being at home.

Someone you love will pay for your long term care. Like it or not, women usually step up in families to do what’s needed. A wife, daughter or daughter-in-law will likely bear the major burden and make the sacrifices necessary to take care of you at a physical cost, or at the cost of employment/advancement. Your retirement funds and savings, designed to pay for your joint life time retirement, will likely become depleted,. So your survivor – wife or husband, will do without, because other than insurance, there is no way to provide for what you will likely need.

Knowing more is important. Get the information you need – not only for your parents’ care, but for yours as well. November is Long-Term Care Month – now is the time to arm yourself with knowledge.

There are options – Medicare or Medicaid, Self-Insurance, Long Term Care policies, or life insurance policies that are linked to long term care coverage. But how do you go about assessing whether you have the right coverage?

Here are some facts that can help you be more informed about choosing the coverage you need to assure that you can age the way you want and where you want – especially if that place is in your own sunny bedroom:

• The average length of long-term care claims is nearly four years
• Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of claims for those aged 65+ – average life expectancy of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis after age 65 is between 4 – 18 years
• Cancer is the leading cause of claims below age 65
• The average stay in an assisted living facility is over 2.5 years and nearly 2 years for nursing home stays
• The average monthly cost in a nursing home is nearly $10,000/month

November is Long Term Care month. If you are part of the 74% concerned about your care in future years – now is the time to explore your options for the right coverage and peace of mind. Aging is inevitable. Losing control of the life you have built is not.