If you need to secure long-term care for a loved one who is experiencing physical or cognitive decline due to illness or on account of advanced age, you may be well aware that the cost of care is expensive. Sometimes a loved one does not have enough income to pay for this care in which case Medicaid Long -erm Care (LTC) is the option to which many people turn to pay for the care of the loved one. The Medicaid LTC services available to Virginians take primarily two forms, nursing facility care and community-based care.
Most people are familiar with nursing facilities. These provide round the clock supervision or custodial care for individuals. These facilities assist with the most basic of needs like bathing, feeding, and toileting. While it is not what most people want or envision for their golden years, the reality is that these facilities provide regular meals, socialization, and critical care that families often cannot due to their work obligations, living outside of the area, etc.
Community-based care is also available through Virginia’s Medicaid LTC program. However, the income maximum removes this option from the table for many people. Also, the program does not provide 24-hour care. This option gives a maximum number of hours per week for care, in the range of 20-30 hours. Even though the idea of staying at home is appealing because it is more comfortable and gives a sense of independence, if a loved one has significant physical or cognitive decline these limited services may not be enough to meet their care needs.
There are regulations in effect for those looking to get their long-term care covered by Medicaid. Among these is a pre-admission screening to confirm that the person needs nursing home level of care. Why? Well, Medicaid LTC is not available for people who need just “a little help” with their care. Medicaid LTC does not pay for assisted living, for example. Also, there are strict income and asset requirements to be met. After all of those, there is the actual process of applying through the local department of social services (which is its own roller-coaster ride, believe us).
If you or your loved one is experiencing a care crisis and is worried they might not be able to afford the care, please know that you do not need to go broke to qualify for Medicaid LTC. We can help you save your money. Contact our office right away at 757-690-2470; it is not too late and the sooner you reach out the more options you have. In the meantime, you can watch Promise Law’s free Medicaid workshop to learn some of the basic rules for Medicaid LTC.
Contact Us For Help With Medicaid Long-Term Care
Perhaps there is not an urgent need, but you have a growing concern for the future. There are estate planning strategies to protect your assets now from a future care crisis. Attend Promise Law’s free estate planning workshop. These workshops provide a great foundation of information that everyone needs to make sound planning decisions including tools for Medicaid LTC preplanning. Moreover, if you attend a workshop, you also get a complimentary one-on-one consultation with one of our attorneys.
