Freeport Nursing & Rehab Center

There are a few different things you can do with your property to avoid having it seized by Medicaid. One option is to put your home into an irrevocable trust, which legally protects your property from Medicaid. You may also be able to protect your property by forming a life estate or gifting it to someone. However, there can be complicated tax ramifications to these actions, so it’s best to talk to a lawyer before doing so.

The terms “assisted living” and “nursing home” have different definitions, even though they are sometimes used interchangeably. An assisted living facility helps residents with their daily tasks, such as preparing meals, taking medications, and cleaning their spaces, but it does not provide ongoing medical care. The staff at an assisted living facility can take residents to their doctor’s appointments and provide help with common wellness issues, but they are not physicians and cannot provide the same level of care as a nursing home.

Nursing homes provide medical care around the clock, as well as help with everything from eating to bathing to dressing, depending on the patient’s needs. Nursing home patients are supervised by licensed physicians. Many patients move from assisted living to a nursing home after an injury or if a chronic condition gets too difficult to manage without daily care.

If you qualify for Medicaid, they will pay the full cost of your nursing home expenses in most cases. However, if you do have any remaining income, you will be required to relinquish most of it. You will be allowed to keep a small portion of your income as an allowance for your daily needs.

Medicaid has spousal protection rules in place, which vary from state to state. These rules are in place to ensure that the spouse can keep the assets and income they need to live comfortably. In most cases, spouses can continue to use the entirety of their own income. They may be able to access a portion of their spouse’s income, depending on the situation. The spouse will also be able to keep 50 percent of the couple’s total joint assets.

If you’re a senior who is receiving Social Security income, you can use it to help pay for your nursing home expenses. However, it’s important to note that Social Security usually isn’t enough to cover the cost of living in a nursing home. You’ll need to use another form of income, whether that’s long-term care insurance or savings you may have, to pay for Social Security in its entirety. It’s also important to note that if you are using Medicaid to pay for your nursing home costs, you may need to forfeit some or all of your Social Security income, depending on how much you receive.