This can surely be a nightmare

I have been going thru this for a year

I suggest you hire an Eldercare company or Elder Attorney (if you can afford it)

It all depends on your loved one’s assets

Every state is different.  In the state of NJ Medicaid looks back 5 years at all bank records and assets.

If you have given anything away of substantial value within those years it must be put back to qualify for Medicaid

For instance if you are filing for one of your parents and within the time frame (for the state they live in) you parents gave you, a sibling, grandchild, or anyone else money to help buy a car, house, etc.  The person receiving that gift has to give back the money.

Can you imagine if your parents gave you $50,000.  or $100,000. (for example) to help you buy a house and you have to give that money back?

How do you do that?  Re-mortgage your home and hope you can make the payments?  If not, than how do you pay for your parents care in a nursing home if Medicaid will not qualify them?

Some people will do the smart thing when they get older and put their assets in their children’s names. This is not to hide anything, it is to protect their children’s inheritance.

But if something happens within the 5 years (or whatever that time frame is for their state) than it looks like they were trying to hide assets.  How are the elderly supposed to protect their assets in order to leave them to their children or grandchildren?

How does a person know that they are going to have a stroke or other issue and end up needing Medicaid?  You don’t say to yourself “I better do this now because one never knows”.  At least, most people don’t.

It is just awful…….  the system has so many flaws…….  Our government does not take care of the elderly like they should.

Sit down and discuss this with your family members so hopefully you can get things in order before something happens.

Otherwise, you end up losing everything because it all has to be sold and put toward the patients care in a nursing home or Medicaid gives nothing for that persons care.  At least until that persons assets are all spent down and nothing is left.

This is a serious concern that most people don’t know about until they find themselves having to file for Medicaid.

Check the laws in your state.  If one parent is still living in the house than it is exempt as to the patient’s (other parent’s) assets.  This was the case with us.  My mom had a severe stroke and went to a nursing home.  But than unfortunately my father was diagnosed with cancer and passed in 6 weeks so the home then became my mother’s asset and had to be sold and all the money goes to Medicaid.

I pray none of you have to go thru what our family has been thru.

Patty