The North Carolina Senior Citizens Association will sponsor an educational workshop on long-term care and estate planning Tuesday, Feb. 13, at the Pine Needles Golf Club on Midland Road in Southern Pines.

The workshop will be conducted by elder law attorney Jason Sutton.

"You will learn how to legally protect your estate from Medicaid 'spend-down,' avoid being forced to sell your assets from nursing home care, or surrender your money to Medicaid, and leave your home and estate to your heirs, not the state," Sutton said.

Long-term care is the No. 1 health-care crisis in North Carolina and is a major concern of many American families, according to a news release from the association. Studies have shown that senior Americans rank long-term care second, behind saving for retirement, when prioritizing their financial needs.

Unfortunately, many Americans do not want to think about needing long-term care and, therefore, fail to plan for it, the association said in a news release. Others wrongly assume that Medicare or their major medical health insurance policy will cover the costs of long-term care.

As a result of this failure to plan, more than 1,000,000 senior Americans will lose their life's savings this year on nursing home care and home health care expenses and have to resort to Medicaid, the government program for the poor and indigent, the news release said.

"The best time to prepare for long-term care is before it is needed," Sutton said.

This educational workshop has been taught to more than 400,000 senior adults. The workshop will focus on critical issues that will most likely affect everyone in the near future -- either as a patient or a caregiver -- including the costs associated with home care as well as nursing home care. The presentation provides the latest available information on long-term care.

Sutton will discuss how to legally protect your home and other assets from nursing home costs; national and local long-term care costs; payment options; up-to-date Medicare and Medicaid guidelines; the attributes to look for in a good long-term care policy; how to plan ahead for the care of an aging family member; and how the tax laws on long-term care will affect individuals as well as couples.

"In order to make good decisions you must have complete and accurate information," Sutton said. "This workshop is a great place to get the information you need."

Workshop attendees can ask questions and will receive free materials to help them evaluate their individual needs regarding long-term care protection.

Two workshops are scheduled on Tuesday, Feb. 13. Workshop attendees will have a choice of attending the morning or afternoon session. The morning workshop begins at 9:30, and the afternoon workshop begins at 2 o'clock.

Seating is limited. Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis. To make a reservation, call the 24-hour, toll-free reservation hotline at (800) 622-8686.

The North Carolina Senior Citizens Association (NCSCA) is a nonprofit membership organization chartered by the state of North Carolina in 1977. It provides accurate, reliable information on long-term care and estate planning. NCSCA is not affiliated with the federal government or any state agency.

For further information, interested persons can call toll-free (800) 323-6525.