"Fortunately,

seniors have more housing options today than in

years past," says Richard Roll, president of

American Homeowners Association (AHA), "But

seniors and their families are well advised to

start planning ahead for the transition, and to

use caution when converting home equity."

recent study by the National Council on Aging and

John Hancock Mutual Life Co. found that nearly

half of 1,000 adults surveyed had done little or

no thinking about long-term care. Don't let fear

or negative preconceptions about senior citizens'

homes stop you from considering your options.

Fortunately,

the long-term care industry is recognizing that

people want different levels of care, in a

variety of housing situations. Senior communities

now offer stages of care, starting with private

apartments, with the option of moving up to

assisted living, and full nursing care. Companies

also offer services tailored to assisting seniors

at home, including hospice care, nursing,

housekeeping, and other options.

Various

plans allow you to finance long-term care,

including home equity conversion. A reverse

mortgage is a loan that actually involves getting

money back from your loan provider to use however

you choose. Reverse mortgages are expected to

boom over the next five years, particularly among

senior citizens.

Be

sure to study your financing options carefully

and learn to recognize rip-offs. Fannie Mae, the

major secondary mortgage company, warns consumers

to watch out for the telltale signs of reverse

mortgage fraud.

First,

know how to recognize pressure sales tactics--

don't let anyone fast-talk you into a reverse

mortgage, not even friends or relatives. Second,

make sure that payments are made out directly to

you--don't sign the money over to anyone else.

Third, remember that it's totally up to you how

you spend the money--just because you heard about

a reverse mortgage program from a long-term care

company or an investment firm, doesn't mean you

have to purchase their services. Fannie Mae's

free brochure on Reverse Mortgages is available

For

more information on buying, selling or owning a

home, go to https://www.ahahome.com, the web site

for American Homeowners Association.