The decision to go into a nursing home is a big step for any senior. Before going into a nursing home, it is important to make provisions for how to pay for the costs of custodial care in a residential environment. As you get ready to enter into a nursing home or are preparing your family member for the move, you also need to make sure that you understand your rights and the nursing home’s obligation to you.
A Long Island nursing home planning lawyer can provide invaluable assistance with making a financial plan to afford nursing home care, with reviewing nursing home admission paperwork, and with taking other necessary steps before entering into a nursing home. Call the Law Offices of Kobrick & Moccia today at 800-295-1917 to get personalized advice on nursing home planning and to get answers to questions you may have including:
- What is involved in nursing home planning?
- When should I get help with nursing home planning?
- How can a Long Island nursing home planning lawyer help me?
What is Involved in Nursing Home Planning?
Nursing home planning should begin with creating a Medicaid plan well before it comes time to go into a nursing home. Medicare and private insurers will not pay for custodial care, which is the kind of care most nursing home patients need. Other than private pay, Medicaid is one of the only options for covering nursing home costs.
Unfortunately, Medicaid is restricted to people with few assets, and many seniors have a nest egg acquired over the course of their life. You can protect assets and make sure your money and property won’t be counted in determining eligibility for Medicaid if you create a plan early enough. This will allow you to hand your property down to your loved ones while getting Medicaid coverage sooner.
While financial planning is vital to ensure you don’t lose your life savings, there are also other steps to take in nursing home planning as well. For example, you should:
- Explore New York laws protecting nursing home residents so you will understand the obligations of nursing homes and of staff members. You need to know what a patient’s rights are in a nursing home setting so you can make sure you or your family member is getting appropriate care.
- Research nursing home care providers. Today, many nursing homes are run by corporate conglomerates. Find out if they have had problems in the past and what their reputation is.
- Carefully review nursing home admission paperwork. Admissions contracts are increasingly including clauses that limit the rights of seniors to take action in the event of nursing home abuse. If the admissions paperwork contains an arbitration clause, you need to be aware that this will limit the right to sue in the event of abuse. Claims will need to be resolved in arbitration, which costs money and which can result in less favorable outcomes for abuse victims.
These are just some of the key things to consider in relation to nursing home planning. Many people end up in nursing homes at some point over the course of their lives. You owe it to yourself or your loved one who is considering nursing home care to make the most informed choices possible – which means getting advice from a knowledgeable legal professional with experience.
When Should I Get Help with Nursing Home Planning?
It is important to get help with nursing home planning as soon as possible, as you don’t find yourself scrambling when a medical emergency necessitates immediate care. In particular, getting a financial plan in place to cover the costs should be done as early as possible.
Medicaid planning needs to be done at least five years before the nursing care becomes necessary, because Medicaid looks back five years to see if property was transferred. Creating a Medicaid plan to shield your assets could thus result in a period of disqualification when you need coverage. While you can still protect some property if you’ve waited too long, acting early means you get the most benefits from getting professional legal advice.
How can a Long Island Nursing Home Planning Lawyer Help You?
Long Island nursing home planning lawyers at the Law Offices of Kobrick & Moccia can help you to take action whether you are concerned about someday needing nursing home care or whether the time when you or a loved one needs care has become imminent. We serve Garden City, Hauppauge, Harrison, and surrounding areas of Long Island, so call now at 800-295-1917 to find out about the assistance that we can offer in connection with nursing home care.
