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If you encounter a problem at a nursing home, the first step is to talk to the staff about reporting procedures. Many facilities have social workers or other professionals on hand specifically to deal with problems that may arise. The facility should also have a procedure in place to report problems internally. If the problem isn’t solved, you can report the nursing home to a state office or advocacy group. Your state’s department of health should have information available about how to report a nursing home.

For many people, the high costs of a nursing home are far outside of their monthly budget. If you don’t have the money to pay for a nursing home, Medicaid will be the best option in most cases. Medicare requirements are determined by state governments and can differ based on where you live, but your income will need to be under a certain amount in order to qualify. In most cases, you will also be required to sell any property that you aren’t living in and sell any existing investments you have before you can qualify for Medicaid coverage.

Getting your loved one into a nursing home can take time, particularly if you plan on using Medicaid to pay for their care. Medicaid approval can take several months, so it’s important to plan ahead when you can. Some nursing homes will accept ‘Medicaid pending’ patients, but others may require you to use another form of payment for admission until the Medicaid goes through.

Medicare does not cover the full cost of staying in a nursing home. Medicare does cover the first 100 days in any skilled nursing facility, but after that point you will need to rely on savings, long-term care insurance, Medicaid, or another solution to pay your nursing home expenses.

Nursing home expenses can be drastically different depending on what state you are in. Learn more information about the average costs for a month in a private room in a nursing home in each state.