Pinehill Nursing Center

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.