Long-Term Care Planning in Austin, Texas: Understanding Your Options and Benefits
September 15, 2023
Key Takeaways:
- Long-term care planning removes the uncertainty surrounding future care needs.
- Individuals have several long-term care services and payment options.
- Long-term care insurance may help to cover future care needs for seniors.
Long-term care planning in Austin, Texas, remains a crucial part of facing the future. It is the process of making arrangements ahead of time so that you have full peace of mind that your plans will cover your future care needs. For example, you may need long-term care and support due to old age, illness, or disability.
What will the planning process cover? It should cover everything from identifying care options to settling on a care financing option. However, long-term care planning is a continuous process, and you will need to review and update your plan from time to time to reflect your current realities.
Who Is Likely to Need Long-Term Care?
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 70% of people older than 65 years will find themselves in need of support and long-term care. Here are a few details:
- Over the age of 65 years old. The older you are, the higher the likelihood of needing long-term care.
- Women. On average, women live five years longer than men and are more likely to live alone for part of their golden years.
- Living alone. Unmarried people or those without a partner will need more long-term care options in their old age.
- Health conditions. Anyone currently managing chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure will likely need adequate long-term care.
- Family history of chronic conditions. Did your parents or grandparents have chronic conditions? You may also need long-term care as you age.
- Poor diet or exercise habits. A lack of regular exercise and unhealthy eating may leave you needing long-term care sooner than other people.
- Disability. A chronic illness or an accident that causes disability may leave you in need of care in the long run.
The Benefits of Long-Term Care Planning in Austin, Texas
Nursing home care in Texas costs a little less than the national average when it comes to long-term care services. The average long-term care service runs for about 3.7 years. But it may be far longer, so planning is crucial.
Some of the top benefits of long-term care planning in Austin, Texas, include the following:
Better Control Over the Future
With quality planning, you'll know what the future holds in terms of the type of care you'll receive, where you'll receive it, and who your care providers will be. You'll also remove the burden of these decisions from your loved ones.
Avoid Risking Your Assets
Seeing how much you may possibly spend on long-term care in Texas requires careful calculations. Unless you qualify as a wealthy individual, you may end up digging into savings, letting go of assets, or relying on loved ones without diligent long-term care planning. If you need assistance, professionals like those at Senior Resource Center can help you work out how you can fund long-term care without burdening your family.
Preserve Relationships With Your Loved Ones
Between the financial cost and the demands of the care process on family caregivers, entering long-term care without adequate planning strains relationships within and outside of the family. Planning safeguards these ties as you enter your old age.
What Does Long-Term Care Planning Involve?
What are your personal needs and care preferences? Do you have a family history of chronic conditions or already suffer from a chronic condition? When you enter long-term care, what type of care might you need?
You’ll need to make decisions in terms of where you can receive care, such as the following options:
Home Care
With this option, you'll receive professional long-term care at home. However, there will be professionals to assist you with daily living activities, health monitoring, and meal preparation.
Assisted Living Facility
These facilities will provide you with limited medical care in addition to personal care services and social activities.
Nursing Home
These facilities provide skilled nursing care around the clock. They will also provide assistance with daily living activities and rehabilitation services for residents that need it.
Embracing the expertise and compassion of skilled nursing facilities has been a transformative experience for countless seniors in Austin, Texas. These facilities not only provide specialized medical care tailored to individual needs but also create a supportive environment that fosters social engagement and emotional well-being. With their dedicated staff and comprehensive services, skilled nursing facilities offer seniors a golden opportunity to thrive and age gracefully within the heartwarming community of Austin.
Continuing Care Retirement Community
These communities have facilities to support independent living as well as nursing home care within the same environment.
What’s the Right Option for Long-term Care?
The right option for you will be a very personal decision. However, choosing one of the above-mentioned options will directly shape your long-term care planning in Austin, Texas. Your healthcare provider can provide some guidance, but ultimately, it will come down to the location and type of care you prefer and what you can afford.
Your Financial Resources Influence Your Final Decision About Long-Term Care
Finally, you will need to evaluate your assets, income, investments, and retirement funds to determine how you intend to fund long-term care. If your evaluation shows you don't have the financial resources to support long-term care, you can explore other funding options.
For example, other potential sources of funding available to you may include the following:
- Health insurance. Some policies provide coverage for certain aspects of long-term care.
- Government funding. Medicare and Medicaid may fund long-term care if you qualify to benefit from these programs. Navigating the intricacies of Medicaid application for long-term care planning can be complex, but with the right guide to these services in Austin, Texas, families can be walked through this process while strategically safeguarding their assets. An experienced team dedicated to helping seniors access the care they need without jeopardizing their financial well-being is essential. With tailored approaches and a deep understanding of Medicaid regulations, professionals can ensure that your long-term care journey is both secure and financially sustainable.
- Reverse mortgages. It's possible to convert your home equity into cash to cover your long-term care expenses.
For many people, long-term care insurance is the most practical option. However, you should keep in mind that some companies may not sell policies to people already diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or other age-related disorders. Always check the fine print.
Bottom Line
Long-term care planning may not be high on your list of priorities right now. However, it's pivotal that you plan for it now, long before you need it. Failure to do so can have major health-related and financial consequences for you and those you love.
Do you need help with long-term care planning in Austin, Texas? Call the Senior Resource Center at
(512) 835-0963 today to schedule a consultation and give yourself peace of mind.
Retirement is often talked about as one universal experience. It isn't. For women, the path into retirement carries different math, different risks, and different decisions — and the numbers make the case clearly. The Numbers Women Are Retiring Into Women retiring today have, on average, roughly $70,000 less saved than men — $261,763 versus $330,305, according to a 2026 survey of American retirees (Clever Real Estate/LendingTree, 2026). The gap shows up earlier, too. Vanguard's 2026 How America Saves report found the average 401(k) balance was $146,476 for women compared with $194,597 for men — even though women, at comparable income levels, participate in workplace plans at higher rates and often save a larger share of their paycheck (CNBC/Vanguard, 2026). Social Security reflects the same gap: women receive meaningfully lower average monthly benefits than men, largely because benefits are calculated from lifetime earnings, and women's earnings and time in the workforce are frequently interrupted by caregiving (CNBC, 2026). Women also need that smaller nest egg to stretch further. As of 2025, average U.S. life expectancy is 81.1 years for women versus 75.8 years for men — meaning a longer retirement has to be funded with less (Morgan Stanley at Work, 2025, citing CDC data). None of this is a reflection of poor planning. It's the compounding effect of the wage gap, career interruptions for caregiving, and longer lifespans — and it's exactly why the decisions made in the weeks around leaving a job matter more for women than the average retirement article lets on. Before You Walk Out the Door: A Transition Checklist The period when you leave your job — whether by choice, layoff, or a caregiving decision — is when the most consequential (and most reversible) mistakes happen. A few things worth putting on your list before your last day: 1. Know your health insurance bridge. If you're retiring before age 65, you have a Medicare gap to cover. A spouse's plan, or a Marketplace plan are the usual options — each with different costs and enrollment windows that don't wait for you to decide later. 2. Don't let your 401(k) or pension election happen by default. Rolling over a 401(k), choosing a pension payout option (lump sum vs. annuity, single-life vs. joint-and-survivor), and deciding what happens to employer stock are decisions that are difficult or impossible to undo once made. If you're married, a joint-and-survivor pension election specifically protects a surviving spouse — worth understanding given that women are statistically more likely to be the surviving spouse. 3. Get clear on your Social Security timing. Claiming early versus waiting until full retirement age or later changes your benefit for the rest of your life. Given the longevity numbers above, the "wait if you can" math often works differently — and more favorably — for women than the generic advice assumes. 4. Account for unused PTO, severance, and final-paycheck timing. These affect the tax year your final income lands in, which can matter for Medicaid/VA planning down the road as well as ordinary tax planning. 5. Revisit your estate documents. A job change or retirement is a natural checkpoint to confirm your power of attorney, medical directives, and beneficiary designations are current — especially if they haven't been touched since you started that job. The Blind Spot Most Retirement Plans Miss: Long-Term Care This is where the wealth gap turns into something more personal. Women aren't just retiring with less — they're also more likely to need paid long-term care, and to need it for longer: 51% of women 65 and older will need paid long-term care in their lifetime, compared with 39% of men (American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, 2024). On average, women need long-term care about 1.5 years longer than men (Administration for Community Living, 2020, cited in SingleCare, 2026). Women make up roughly two-thirds of long-stay nursing facility residents (Morningstar, 2023). At the same time, women are also the ones most often providing unpaid care — for a spouse, a parent, or both — often at real cost to their own careers and savings. Put together: women are more likely to need care, more likely to need it longer, more likely to be caring for someone else first, and are doing all of this with a smaller financial cushion. That combination is exactly why long-term care and Medicaid planning aren't a "someday" conversation — they're part of the retirement conversation. How SRC Texas Helps This is the work we do every day at Senior Resource Center of Texas. We're not a general financial planning firm bolting on elder law — Texas Medicaid (MEPD) planning, VA benefits, and elder law case management are the core of what we do, alongside retirement and annuity planning and estate planning. In practice, that means we help clients: Build a retirement income plan that accounts for the real gaps women face — including annuity and retirement planning guidance from our team. Protect a spouse's income and home through Medicaid spousal impoverishment planning if long-term care becomes necessary. Navigate VA benefits available to veterans and surviving spouses. Put estate planning documents in place — or update ones that are years out of date — so decisions are already made before a crisis forces them. Handle the HHSC paperwork, appeals, and case management that Medicaid planning requires, so you're not doing it alone during an already stressful time. If you're approaching a job transition, retiring, or supporting a parent or spouse through one, the best time to have this conversation is before the decisions above are locked in — not after. Senior Resource Center of Texas 4408 Spicewood Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78759 (512) 835-0963 | srctexas.com This article is for general educational purposes and isn't individualized financial, legal, or tax advice. Your specific situation should be reviewed with our team before making retirement, Medicaid, or estate planning decisions.
By Senior Resource Center of Texas • April 2026 • 7-min read Tax season raises real questions for seniors and their families — especially when income sources shift, Medicaid is in the picture, or you've heard about new tax laws. Here's what every Texas senior needs to know about 2025 federal tax filing requirements, the new $6,000 senior deduction, and how to get free help. The Basic Question: Do You Have to File? The short answer is: it depends on your income, your age, and your filing status. Most seniors are pleasantly surprised to find they don't have to file at all — but there are important exceptions. If your gross income (all taxable income, not counting Social Security benefits in most cases) is below the IRS threshold for your situation, you're generally off the hook. Syndicated senior journalist Jim Miller, writing for Savvy Senior, and confirmed by IRS Publication 554, lays out the 2025 thresholds clearly: Filing Status Under Age 65 Age 65 or Older Single $15,750 $17,750 Married Filing Jointly – one spouse 65+ — $33,100 Married Filing Jointly – both 65+ — $34,700 Married Filing Separately $5 at any age $5 at any age Head of Household $23,625 $25,625 Qualifying Surviving Spouse $31,500 $33,100 "For most people, it's straightforward: if your gross income is below the threshold for your filing status and age, you generally don't need to file. But if it's over, you will." — Jim Miller, Savvy Senior When You Still May Need to File Even if your gross income falls below the threshold, certain situations can trigger a filing requirement. According to Savvy Senior and Audicus's 2026 senior tax guide, you'll likely need to file if any of the following apply: Special Filing Triggers for Seniors • More than $400 from self-employment — even part-time or freelance work • Taxes owed on an IRA, Health Savings Account, or alternative minimum tax • You or a dependent received Health Insurance Marketplace premium tax credits • You took a distribution from a 401(k) or traditional IRA • You received Form 1099-C reporting canceled debt • Social Security plus other income exceeds $25,000 (single) or $32,000 (joint) — a portion becomes taxable Not sure? The IRS offers an online tool at IRS.gov/help/ita — click "Filing Requirements – Do I Need to File?" It takes less than 15 minutes. The Big New Benefit: A $6,000 Senior Deduction NEW 2025–2028 One of the most significant tax changes for older Americans in years. Beginning with the 2025 tax year, individuals age 65 and older can now claim an additional $6,000 deduction — on top of both the standard deduction and the existing extra senior deduction — thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt, and TurboTax all confirm: this deduction is available whether you itemize or take the standard deduction, and is built right into Form 1040 or 1040-SR. New $6,000 Senior Deduction — Key Facts • Who qualifies: Age 65+ by December 31, 2025; valid Social Security number; any filing status except Married Filing Separately • Income limits: Full deduction for MAGI at or below $75,000 (single) / $150,000 (joint). Phases out above those thresholds • Married couples: If both spouses are 65+, the combined deduction is $12,000 • Duration: Tax years 2025 through 2028 only — this is a temporary benefit • How to claim: Check the "65 or older" box on Form 1040 or 1040-SR — the IRS applies it automatically To illustrate: a single filer age 68 would receive the $15,750 base standard deduction, plus $2,000 extra for being 65+, plus up to $6,000 from the new senior deduction — for a total possible deduction of $23,750 before any income is taxed. A significant change from prior years. Other Tax Benefits Seniors Should Know About Required Minimum Distributions & Charitable Giving If you turned 73 in 2025, you are now required to take annual withdrawals (RMDs) from your IRAs. However, if you're 70½ or older, you can make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) of up to $108,000 directly from your IRA. This counts toward your RMD and is excluded from your taxable income — a double benefit that can also help you stay below income thresholds for other deductions. Medical Expense Deduction If you itemize, qualified medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of your adjusted gross income are deductible. Wellabe estimates the average 65-year-old will spend around $172,500 on healthcare over their lifetime — so this deduction can be substantial. Capital Loss Deduction Sold investments at a loss? You can deduct up to $3,000 per year against ordinary income, and carry forward larger losses to future tax years. Credit for the Elderly or Disabled Seniors age 65+ (or permanently disabled retirees under 65) may qualify for a federal tax credit ranging from $3,750 to $7,500. Use IRS Schedule R to determine your eligibility. Long-Term Care Insurance Premiums If you itemize and carry a qualified long-term care insurance policy, a portion of your premiums may be deductible — especially valuable for those already planning for future care costs. Free Tax Help for Texas Seniors There is no shortage of free, trustworthy resources for seniors who need help filing: Free Filing & Counseling Resources • IRS Free File at IRS.gov/freefile — Available if your 2025 AGI is $89,000 or less. Takes under 15 minutes. • Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) — IRS-sponsored, free prep and counseling for taxpayers age 60+. Call 800-906-9887. • AARP Foundation Tax-Aide — Free for all ages; no AARP membership needed. Visit AARP.org/findtaxhelp or call 888-227-7669. • IRS Form 1040-SR — Senior-friendly form with larger print and a built-in standard deduction table. Available at IRS.gov. • IRS Helpline: 800-829-1040 The Medicaid & Tax Planning Connection At Senior Resource Center of Texas, we specialize in Medicaid planning — and tax season is a reminder that income reporting and Medicaid eligibility are more connected than most people realize. Two situations where tax decisions can directly affect Medicaid: • RMDs as countable income: In certain Medicaid programs, required minimum distributions count as income for eligibility purposes. The timing and amount of RMDs can matter significantly when approaching a Medicaid application. • QCDs as a planning tool: A Qualified Charitable Distribution bypasses your 1040 income line entirely — which can help keep income below Medicaid thresholds while satisfying your IRA withdrawal obligation. If you're navigating a Medicaid application, long-term care planning, or VA benefits alongside this tax season, please reach out to our office before making major financial decisions. Early planning can protect both your eligibility and your family's financial security. We're Here to Help. SRC Texas specializes in Medicaid planning, VA benefits, and retirement & estate planning for Central Texas seniors. If you have questions about how your finances affect your benefits — or just need a trusted resource — call us. 512-835-0963 | srctexas.com | Cedar Park & Austin, TX Sources & References 1. Jim Miller, Savvy Senior. "Do I Need to File a Tax Return This Year?". Seniorific.com, 2026 tax season edition 2. IRS Publication 554. Tax Guide for Seniors (2025). irs.gov/publications/p554 3. IRS Newsroom. One Big Beautiful Bill Act – Tax Deductions for Working Americans and Seniors. irs.gov 4. H&R Block. What Is the 2025 Standard Deduction for Over 65?. hrblock.com (October 2025) 5. Jackson Hewitt. New $6,000 Tax Deduction for Seniors. jacksonhewitt.com (2026) 6. TurboTax / Intuit. Tax Counseling for Seniors and the Elderly. turbotax.intuit.com (March 2026) 7. Wellabe. Tax Help for Seniors: How to Make Filing Easier This Year and Next. wellabe.com (2026 season) 8. Audicus. When Can Seniors Stop Filing Taxes? 2025 Rules by Income & Age. audicus.com (January 2026) 9. National Tax Reports. Tax Deductions for Seniors in 2025 & 2026. nationaltaxreports.com (March 2026) 10. Rep. Dan Meuser. Enhanced Deduction for Seniors – FAQ. meuser.house.gov (2025)
At Senior Resource Center of Texas, we don’t just help families navigate Medicaid, retirement, and estate planning — we also care deeply about the financial safety of our clients and their loved ones. The latest AARP Bulletin (March/April 2026) shines a bright light on a crisis that is hitting older Texans especially hard: digital fraud and financial scams. The numbers are staggering. According to the Federal Trade Commission, Americans lost a record $12.5 billion to scams in 2024 — a 25% jump from the year before. Older adults suffered the greatest losses, with the FBI reporting average individual losses of $83,000 — up 43% year over year. In Texas alone, thousands of seniors are targeted every month. This newsletter is our way of sharing what we know so that you and your family can stay one step ahead of the scammers. THE SCAM CRISIS: BY THE NUMBERS $12.5B - Lost to scams & fraud in 2024, (FTC, 2025 — a 25% increase from 2023) - $83,000 Average loss per older adult victim (FBI 2025 — up 43% from the prior year) TOP SCAMS TARGETING SENIORS RIGHT NOW 1. AI-Powered Impersonation Scams The AARP Bulletin’s March/April 2026 issue spotlights a disturbing new frontier: scammers are using artificial intelligence to clone voices and generate realistic images. A criminal can clone a grandchild’s voice from a short social media video, then call a grandparent claiming to be in trouble and urgently needing money. These calls are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. ⚠ WARNING SIGNS TO WATCH FOR ● An urgent call from a “grandchild” or family member you weren’t expecting ● Requests for wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency ● AI-generated images or videos “proving” an emergency situation ● Pressure to act immediately and keep it secret from others 2. Investment Scams (Pig Butchering) One of the most devastating scam types highlighted in the AARP Bulletin involves sophisticated investment fraud, sometimes called “pig butchering.” A random text or social media message starts a friendly conversation. Over weeks, the scammer builds trust, then introduces a “lucrative” investment opportunity — often involving cryptocurrency. Fake websites and fabricated account dashboards show growing “profits.” When the victim tries to withdraw funds, the money is gone. • These scams often target recently widowed or divorced individuals who may be lonely and seeking connection. • Victims can lose their entire retirement savings — funds that cannot be recovered. • In 2024, cryptocurrency-related fraud alone surged 66% over the prior year. 3. Class-Action Lawsuit Scams The AARP Bulletin’s January/February 2026 issue investigated a rising tactic: fake class-action lawsuit notices. Seniors receive letters or calls claiming they are eligible for a settlement payout — but must pay an upfront fee or provide sensitive personal data to claim it. Real class-action settlements never require upfront payments. ⚠ WARNING SIGNS TO WATCH FOR ● Notices with urgent deadlines demanding immediate action ● Requests for a fee or payment to receive your “settlement” ● Asks for your Social Security number, bank account, or Medicare number ● Vague descriptions of the lawsuit with no verifiable case details 4. Imposter & Government Agency Scams Scammers routinely impersonate the IRS, Medicare, Social Security Administration, law enforcement, and even well-known companies like Amazon or Microsoft. They pressure victims into quick action — paying a fake tax debt, confirming benefits, or “protecting” their bank account from fraud. The FTC is clear: government agencies will never call and demand immediate payment. • IRS/Social Security calls demanding gift cards or wire transfers are always a scam. • Medicare will never call to ask you to “verify” your card number. • Tech support companies will not call you unsolicited about a computer virus. 5. Identity Theft For the third consecutive year, identity theft topped AARP’s Fraud Watch Network Helpline as the most commonly reported fraud. Frequent data breaches combined with social engineering attempts keep consumers perpetually at risk. Once a scammer has your information, it can be sold on the dark web and used for years. HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY 10 Steps to Fraud-Proof Your Life 1. Freeze your credit at all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) — it’s free and blocks new accounts from being opened in your name. 2. Use unique, strong passwords for every account. A password manager makes this easier. 3. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on email, banking, and social media accounts. 4. Never give gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency to anyone who contacts you unsolicited. 5. Hang up on any caller pressuring you to act immediately — then call the official agency number directly. 6. Verify any investment opportunity with a licensed financial advisor before committing money. 7. Check your credit report regularly at AnnualCreditReport.com (federally mandated free access). 8. Ask a trusted family member or friend to be your “fraud buddy” — someone you check with before making large financial decisions. 9. Enable account alerts on your bank and credit cards for real-time transaction notifications. 10. Register with the Do Not Call Registry (donotcall.gov) and report suspicious calls to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. HOW SENIOR RESOURCE CENTER OF TEXAS CAN HELP Fraud doesn’t just steal money — it can destroy carefully laid retirement and estate plans overnight. At Senior Resource Center of Texas, our team works to ensure your financial and legal structures are as fraud-resistant as possible: • Medicaid planning and asset protection structures that limit exposure to financial exploitation. • Estate planning coordination to ensure that power of attorney designations and trustee roles are in trusted hands. • Guidance on how annuities and retirement accounts can be structured with safeguards against fraudulent access. • Referrals to trusted legal and financial professionals when elder financial abuse is suspected. • Education for families on the warning signs of financial exploitation by both strangers and trusted individuals. If you or a loved one has been targeted by a scam, please know you are not alone and you are not at fault. These are sophisticated criminal operations. The most important step is to report what happened and seek help immediately. HELPFUL RESOURCES AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline: 1-877-908-3360 (free, trained counselors) FTC Fraud Reporting: reportfraud.ftc.gov Identity Theft Recovery: identitytheft.gov Elder Financial Abuse (Texas): Texas Attorney General Consumer Protection: 1-800-621-0508 Contact Us: srctexas.com | Cedar Park & Austin, TX Questions about protecting your assets? Call or visit srctexas.com to connect with our team.