Legal Matters

Do you know that the government might give you immediate financial assistance when you need a nursing home, but make you wait for financial assistance if you need care at home? I have had clients wait for years before the government will help them financially for home care. It makes no sense.

Care at home is much less expensive than at a nursing home and receiving care at home might help an individual avoid the nursing home completely. And that would save the government a lot of cash.

Some in our government may have finally figured out what elder law attorneys have known for years: Providing financial support for home care is better for the individual and the government. Much better than requiring nursing home care that requires immediate financial assistance.

While waiting, a spouse or adult child usually takes care of their ailing loved one. Some adult children leave their jobs to do so. Others go through their life’s savings paying for care, only to end up in a nursing home when they run out of money.

Sometimes, the ailing person and/or caregiver suffers an injury at home because the level of care needed is beyond the caregiver’s capabilities.

But help is on the way!

The American Jobs Plan, more commonly known as the Infrastructure Stimulus Bill, allocates $400B over eight years to expand the Home Care Medicaid Program. If passed, more needy people will get the care they need without having to move out of their homes.

And who doesn’t prefer living at home to living in a nursing home?

Scott Selis, Elder Law Attorney, estate planning, probate, long-term care, government benefits, (Medicaid, Veteran’s benefits.. Scott was Assistant Chair of Florida Bar’s Elder Law section, and Elder Law Attorney of the Year 2016.