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When a Mom Needs Care

“I didn’t know how stressful this would be.”  This is a comment from a client of my firm who recently placed her Mom in a nursing home and is attempting to have Medicaid pay for the care.  She’s not alone.  Being stressed out is a common sentiment for people in her position.  Many of our clients tell us that this is the hardest thing they’ve ever had to do.

Some of the stressors are obvious.  It is emotionally difficult to place a parent.  It is hard to know if you are doing the right thing for them.  It can be even more difficult to determine if you are choosing the right facility.  Finally, a nursing home placement is an extremely financially stressful event.  Many families are surprised to learn that the average cost for nursing home care is over $10,000 per month and that the costs are not covered by insurance and Medicare.

Often, the only other possible payment source is Medicaid.  Unfortunately, Medicaid’s rules are extremely difficult to understand.  You generally have to be financially broke to be eligible for benefits.  There are, however, plenty of exceptions to this general rule.

There are ways to properly “spend down” one’s assets to become eligible for care. You can save substantial assets, even after someone is in a nursing home.  That said, the spend down process is confusing and full of pitfalls

On any difficult journey, you have the choice of finding your own path or you could consider hiring a tour guide who has been there before. During the admission process, you may consider hiring an independent care manager to give you an unbiased opinion regarding placement.  In obtaining Medicaid eligibility, you should consider hiring an experienced elder law attorney to assist you through the spend down and application process.

If you want to understand more about Medicaid eligibility, consider attending one of our FREE educational workshops at Sechler Law Firm.  Call us today or see our registration page on our website https://sechlerlawfirm.com/workshops/.

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