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A Message from Governor Christine Gregoire Dear Fellow Washingtonian: I am writing to you about a very important issue: planning for your future long-term care needs. Many people, myself included, do not like to think about getting older or the possibility that at some time in the future we may not be able to do all the things we take for granted - routine tasks such as bathing and dressing. But the hard truth is that most of us will need some type of long-term care at some point in our lives. Change is a normal part of aging. Yet many of us don't take the time to plan adequately or ahead of time. We take action only when long-term care is necessary - when the need becomes a crisis - for us, individually, and for our families. Washington State is now working with the federal government on a new program called Own Your Future. The goal of the program is to encourage everyone between 50 and 70 years of age to begin planning for their future long-term care needs. As a first step in that planning process, I encourage you to order the free "Long-Term Care Planning Kit" created by the U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services. The kit includes information about home modifications, long-term care insurance and tools to help you review options and make decisions about care for yourself or a loved one. I'm using the information, myself, to learn about long-term care options for me and members of my family. You can order the tool kit by calling 1-866-PLAN-LTC (1-866-752-6582); by logging on to www.aoa.gov/ownyourfuture; or by returning the postage paid reply care attached to the enclosed brochure. Long-term care needs are best met when they are planned for ahead of time. Please don't delay taking the important step to order your free "Long-Term Care Planning Kit" today. It can help you to Own Your Future just as it is helping me and my family prepare for ours. Sincerely, Christine O. Gregoire
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