11 Jun
One of the greatest challenges for any child is making decisions about an elderly parent’s healthcare. Studies show that children are often sandwiched between raising their families and caring for elderly parents. They are known as the Sandwich Generation. Families in Texas and other states are often faced with the daunting task of securing long-term care for aging parents.
Without proper planning, the process of finding quality care for a loved one can be complicated and discouraging. Healthcare coverage and a person’s income play a major role in determining what facilities will accept someone’s dad or mom. For many, their income is not sufficient enough to cover the steep monthly cost of over $7K for quality long-term care, and it is often too high to qualify for Medicaid.
To qualify for Medicaid, seniors must relinquish income to the government to cover medical care. In some cases and before applying for Medicaid, one spouse’s income can be allocated to the other to cover their household and living expenses. There may be challenges in finding a facility that will accept a client whose status with Medicaid is pending. Many long-term care facilities in Texas and elsewhere have a limited number of rooms for those with pending Medicaid approval, or they will not consider clients until all funding is completed.
A senior who is preparing to transition into a nursing home facility may consider consulting with an attorney. A lawyer who is knowledgeable about long-term care can assist elders in planning for future healthcare decisions. While all situations are different, by sharing financial and insurance information early on, families can stay abreast of any changes in medical coverage and healthcare changes.