Having a loved one diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease can be devastating and heartbreaking, has this happened to you? As Parkinson’s progresses, has your loved one begun to experience difficulty walking, bathing, and dressing, as well as falling? Are you, your loved one and family facing the difficult decision of placing your loved one in a nursing home? What about the question of how to afford the high cost of a nursing home? As you, your loved one and family gather to face the difficult decision of a nursing home, how will you be able to pay for a nursing home?
Talk to your loved one to see if he or she has benefits which may cover the cost of a nursing home. These benefits might include a long-term care insurance policy, life insurance policies, which can be cashed out, or veteran’s benefits. If you find out that your loved one does have one or more of these benefits, immediately gather copies of all supporting documents, which may include copies of insurance policies or proof of veteran’s benefits. By talking about how to pay for a nursing home now, before a nursing home is needed, you have the required proof of coverage should your loved one’s mental capacity decline.
Most importantly, you may want to meet with a qualified Florida elder law attorney as soon as possible. An elder law attorney, experienced in the area of long-term care planning, can assist with the review of any benefits you believe may cover the cost of the nursing home. Your elder law attorney can examine the existing benefits, determining the reliability of the benefits in paying for a nursing home, when the time comes. An important fact for you to know is that Medicare does not cover the cost of long-term nursing home stays, but Medicaid does. However, you must apply for Medicaid and eligibility for Medicaid is based upon your loved one’s assets. Again, a qualified Florida elder law attorney may assist in the drafting of planning documents, such as a trust, which may make your loved one eligible for Medicaid. It is advised to have this planning early because there are time limits on the transfer of assets, which may affect Medicaid eligibility.
In addition to being stressful, a Parkinson’s diagnosis often comes with many other issues to navigate. We encourage you to work with a qualified Florida elder law attorney as soon as possible to find the best strategy of helping to assure your loved one that he or she will be able to afford a nursing home, when the time comes. Giving your loved one peace of mind will enable you and your family to share quality time both now and in the future.
We encourage you not to wait to ask us your elder law questions on this or any important issue facing Florida seniors today. The experienced team of attorneys here at Hemness Faller, The Law Office formerly known as Emma Hemness, P.A., are here for you and your family and we want to be YOUR estate planning and elder law attorneys. After all, we are ordinary people, providing extraordinary guidance backed by years of experience and advocacy for the vulnerable citizens in our community. We encourage you to contact us and schedule a meeting with us.
