Nursing homes have become an important part of the way we care for our elders.  With the population of those who are 65 and older rising, nursing homes will continue to play an integral role in our society.  Assisted living, in any form, however, is a very expensive venture and many elders will not have the funds needed to afford this level of care.

“The average [] cost of a nursing home today is $6917 per month, and a typical Alzheimer’s patient will spend $395,000 for their nursing home care after diagnosis,” said Heiser, author of How to Protect Your Family’s Assets from Devastating Nursing Home Costs: Medicaid Secrets (www.MedicaidSecrets.com).  That cost is only expected to rise as demand rises so it’s important that preparations begin early.  Medicaid—a federal health program, managed by states, for people with low income—is a valuable resource; however, many people assume they cannot qualify for it.

It is important to understand the asset limits for those applying to Medicaid.  In California, an individual may have up to $2000 in assets; a couple may have up to $3000.  Moreover, some personal assets are not considered in determining Medi-Cal coverage.  These include: your primary home, one vehicle, household goods and personal belongings, life-insurance policy with a face value of $1500/person, and prepaid burial plan and plots.  The key to protecting your family’s assets from costly nursing homes is planning early and effectively.

If you are interested in learning how to plan for future costs of care, please contact the experienced estate planning attorneys at Lonich Patton Erlich Policastri for further information.  Please remember that each individual situation is unique and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results.  While this post may include legal issues, it is not legal advice.  Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship