Tips for Nursing Home Planning in Orlando
When planning for your loved ones’ futures, it’s important to not only prepare an estate plan but also to plan ahead for possible incapacitation and nursing home care. You don’t necessarily even have to be older to need nursing home care. What if you are involved in a catastrophic accident or come down with a serious illness? If you don’t have long-term care insurance and you aren’t on Medicaid, it can be terrifying to think about what might happen. This is one reason why you should meet with an experienced Orlando nursing home planning attorney who can help.
The sooner you start planning for long-term care, the better. Here are some tips for nursing home planning in Orlando.
Do Your Research
The options for long-term care are entirely different today than they were 10 or 20 years ago. There are skilled nursing and rehab centers today. Some of these are where you might go to transition after a long hospital stay before you are released back home. There are also adult daycare facilities, independent living options, and more. Having an idea now on what’s available can help you make an educated decision if the need arises.
Make Your Healthcare Wishes Known
Would your loved ones know what life-saving measures you want if something happened to you today that left you incapacitated? Who would make medical decisions on your behalf? Advance-care planning is important as you can discuss your goals, set up advance directives, and more.
Don’t just tell your family members what you want; make it legal. And, if you go forward with legal tools like a durable medical power of attorney, make sure your loved ones know where your paperwork is and what it says. This can help reduce future arguments and problems if people want to challenge your decisions or are unclear on how to proceed. It’s not an easy conversation to have, but it’s an important one.
Anticipate the Costs
Long-term care is very expensive. This is why it’s so important to prepare. The cost will vary based on the type of services you need and where you are located. If you meet with various facilities, you’ll want to ask important questions, including about the cost, whether assistance programs are accepted, and what the billing practices are. You need to understand how these facilities bill and what your options are for long-term care.
Some people are under the misconception that Medicare will pay for your long-term care when you are over 65. That is not true. They may help cover costs in a short-stay nursing facility or maybe home health care in certain situations, but that is all. Medicaid is the program that may cover long-term care. The eligibility is very strict — if you are over the monthly income or assets limit by even $1, you will be denied.
Contact an Orlando Nursing Home Planning Attorney
If done right, nursing home planning works. It allows you to pay for nursing home care while protecting your valuable assets. You can learn how to qualify for Medicaid and not be at risk for denial. However, you need a skilled Orlando nursing home planning attorney to help. Contact the Law Offices of Shea A. Fugate, P.A. today to schedule an initial consultation.
