Strategies on Paying for Nursing Home Care and Medicaid

The decision to place your loved one into a nursing home is an extremely difficult decision, often causing much guilt for the caregiver. It is a very emotional decision for most clients we see and most are under a certain amount of stress, often great, when facing what they consider to be a drastic course of action.

I counsel our caregiver clients to get beyond the guilt as quickly as they can, because the situation their loved one is in is not the caregiver's fault. And besides, the longer you remain under this stress, the less healthy you eat, or you eat way too much, the less you sleep, and some start drinking (my own mother started this late at night after she got my dad settled in bed for the evening ? not healthy to say the least).

The stress of caring for a loved one is constant and unrelenting. It is a physical, mental and emotional grind. On numerous occasions, we have actually had caregiver clients die before the spouse in the nursing home. Sometimes, the caregivers die shortly after the nursing home spouse dies. The stress of being a caregiver can be deadly serious, especially for older clients who are caregivers for their spouse.

You have to recognize it and develop a plan to deal with it.

Get your children involved in developing a plan to deal with your loved one's incapacity. And remember, plan for the absolute worst case scenario. Get to an attorney who can help you develop a plan to help you with your particular situation. And this is especially important as soon as you detect any signs of dementia in your parent or spouse, or as soon as you begin to detect physical problems with your loved one. The sooner you begin the plan, the better off the family will be.

NOW, HOW DO WE PAY FOR MAMA'S NURSING HOME CARE? There are really only three ways to pay for a stay in a nursing home.

LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE (LTCI). If Mama was far-sighted enough, she may have purchased LTCI in the past before she needed it. This would be an excellent source of funds to help defray some or all of Mama's long term care costs. Unfortunately, very few seniors, those over age 60, have LTCI coverage.

SELF PAY. This essentially means that Mama has enough income or financial assets to pay her own way in the nursing home. However, many families don't have the income or the financial asset base to be able to pay $4,000 to $7,500 or more a month for a bed for very long in a nursing home.

MEDICAID. This is a state-administered medical benefit program which will pay for the cost of a nursing home stay if three tests are met, i.e., medical need, asset, and income. Medicaid is obviously a needs-based program, funded partially by state funds, but mostly by federal funds. Many people are under the mistaken impression that MEDICARE, which most seniors in this country over age sixty-five participate in to one degree or another, will cover the cost of their stay in a nursing home.

(c) Copyright 2005 P.L.Fields LLC

P.L. Fields is a Medicaid Expert and President of Senior Strategies, a service that helps seniors save time and money. To learn more about the secret strategies and solutions that Medicaid lawyers charge to get clients qualified for Medicaid, while protecting their assets, visit: http://www.medicaidsecrets.info

---

Arizona Assisted Living: Resident Rights

According to the Arizona Administrative Code (R9-10-710), those who reside... Read More

What Most Long Term Care Professionals Don?t Know

Medicare recognizes this need and, therefore reimburses your residents to... Read More

10 Tips to Keep a Family Caregiver from Losing Their Mind

Caring full time for a loved one can be a... Read More

What About Tennesse Dept. of Human Services Abuse of the Elderly and Their Families?

PART I: Physical Abuse of the Elderly vs. Tennessee DHS... Read More

What You Need to Know About Helping Senior Citizens

IntroductionThe baby boomers is the population which haven taken birth... Read More

Just Give Them a Lot of Love and You?ll be Fine

It was right about this time, 19 years ago. My... Read More

When the Box is Empty

The King had a modest kingdom. He was Danish. This... Read More

5 Myths You Should Know Before Choosing Elder Care

Myths associated with selecting quality nursing home care suggest quick... Read More

As the Baby Boomers Age

Many employees today are calling in sick - not to... Read More

Board and Care Homes ? What Are They?

Board and Care homes (also known as RCFE's - Residential... Read More

Senior Care for Alzheimer?s

As a person ages, a certain amount of memory loss... Read More

What Colour was Your Great-grandmothers Hair?

I've just made another Photoshop video. This one is about... Read More

Introducing the Best Available Long Term Care Policy Guarantee

If you're 60 to 70 years old ... or have... Read More

Who Wants to End Up in a Nursing Home? NO ONE!

As a long-term care consultant for seniors and their families... Read More

Advocate For Senior Citizens ? Protecting Against Abuse and Fraud

Ruth is 87 years old this year and has been... Read More

Nursing Home Staffing Levels: How Much Is Enough?

During the week of February 17, 2002, headlines screamed the... Read More

Retiring Abroad and Leaving the Grey Skies of the UK

Retiring abroad needs careful planning. Not all countries have the... Read More

Alzheimers Care Giving While Maintaining Your Own Health

Just for a moment I want you to imagine that... Read More

Caregiving Across The Miles?Tips for Successful Long Distance Caregiving

Caring for a parent or a loved one is a... Read More

Long Term In-home Care Options

Are you worried that you may lose all your life's... Read More

Paying For Elder Care Just Got Easier

It's not a surprise that thousands of families across the... Read More

Helping Caregivers Get Comfortable Asking For Help

Becoming a care giver might not have been a conscious... Read More

Arizona Senior Housing: Care Options for Seniors Who Can No Longer Live Alone

The following are a few of the care options available... Read More

Skilled Nursing Homes - What Are They?

A skilled nursing home is a medical facility providing services... Read More

Why Everyone Over 50 Should be Training for the Senior Games

by Phil Campbell, M.S., M.A., FACHE Senior Games participant and... Read More

Honey, Where Are The Car Keys?

Q: My mother is always losing, hiding and hoarding things,... Read More

New Hope for Alzheimers Treatment

There is now widespread agreement among research scientists and medical... Read More

Prevent or Delay Alzheimers Disease

Argh! Where are my glasses? I put them down .... Read More

Mom Wont Participate!

Q: Six months ago we placed my mother in an... Read More

The Best Investment You Can Make Right Now: Long Term Care Insurance

Don't think you need it? Consider this: a full 50%... Read More

The Dryer Ate Your Underwear!

Q: My mom is in the early stages of dementia... Read More

Senior Living: 5 Ways to Help Reduce the Risk of Falling

Every year we hear stories of seniors falling, ending up... Read More

When Assistance with Long Term Care Becomes Necessary

According to the Administration on Aging, it is estimated by... Read More