(openPR) - While severe strokes typically occur after reaching age 65, mild strokes tend to happen among younger people who may appear unaffected, but often live with hidden disabilities.

According to a new research study, these hidden disabilities include depression, vision problems and difficulty thinking. Those are just some of the serious consequences.

"When it comes to long term care planning there is no such thing as a mild stroke," explains Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, the national trade group. Strokes are the second leading cause of long-term care insurance benefit payments according to AALTCI, after Alzheimer's disease. "As more Americans live longer lives, there is greater need to understand the risk factors and the impact of stroke on individuals, their finances and families," Slome adds.

Participants in the research study reported a significantly poorer perceived quality of life. According to the researchers, study participants were generally younger than people who have severe strokes. The mean age was 62. Experts report that seventy-five per cent of severe strokes occur in people over age 65.

Nearly 25 per cent of mild stroke patients only visited the emergency room. People with mild stroke also faced the fear and increased risk of another stroke and uncertainty about the future. Study authors say new treatment guidelines, including greater access to rehabilitation services, will ensure more people get the care they require and return to their usual activities.

Each year, about 600,000 Americans experience their first stroke according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. "People who have had a mild stroke are five times more likely to have a stroke over the next two years than the general population," reports one scientist affiliated with the research. "Proper treatment and management of risk factors can help prevent another stroke."

Financial planning experts note that most people wait too long to consider their options because the right time to plan is prior to turning age 65 before medical conditions like heart disease are diagnosed or become problematic. "The sweet spot for www.aaltci.org/long-term-care-insurance/ long term care insurance is between ages 52 and 64," Slome adds. "You do not want to wait until after a doctor has diagnosed even a mild stroke because at that point it will very likely be too late to medically qualify for this protection."

For more information on long term care insurance, visit the Association's Consumer Information center.

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance www.aaltci.org is the national trade organization focused on educating individuals about the importance of long-term care planning. The Association's Consumer Information Center was voted the #1 source for information by consumer interest group rating and can be accessed at www.aaltci.org/long-term-care-insurance.

American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance
3835 E Thousand Oaks Blvd
Westlake Village, CA 91362