It is never easy to think about a time when you or your parents may not be able to live independently anymore. Unfortunately, however, as we age, there may come a time when we need to consider living outside the home to obtain the long-term care assistance we need. Planning forward for a potential need for long-term care, although difficult to think about, is critical to ensure that you and your family have a plan in place before a crisis occurs.
We meet with families facing all types of long-term care scenarios. For some, we have time to plan ahead and choose early how a crisis should be handled. For others, however, we find ourselves planning with them for their long-term care needs during the crisis.
What are the options available in a crisis? Let us share a few examples with you right here:
- A person confronted with the need for long-term care planning in a crisis setting may be eligible for skilled nursing home assistance for at least twenty days from admission under Medicare Part A,
- A patient can choose to pay privately for in-home nursing assistance through a home health care agency, or
- Long-term assistance at a reduced rate may be able to be obtained for the patient through the Title Three Agency for his or her county under the Older Americans Act.
How do we pay for the long-term care we need? With the help of your elder law attorney, you can develop a plan to afford the care you need. While there is always the option to pay for long-term care out of pocket, there are also public benefit programs, such as Florida Medicaid, which can help aging seniors afford these costs.
If, for any reason, the aging person is unable to meet with an elder law attorney or choose the type of care or place of care needed, that person’s agent under a Florida Durable Power of Attorney can act for him or her. It is important to understand early on that many of the options available for planning to become financially eligible for programs like these take time to implement and are greatly reduced in a crisis.
While we still help Florida seniors in crisis and their loved ones everyday, when we have time to plan there can be more opportunities available.
We know this article may raise more questions than it answers for you. Do not wait to schedule a meeting with our attorney to discuss how we can help you plan forward or in a crisis to be able to afford the costs of long-term care in Florida. We are your local law firm, ready and willing to assist you.