Nursing home attorneys can work closely with you to help you create a plan in case you must go into a nursing home. It is important to be prepared for the possibility to avoid stress for your family, financial hardship and the possibility of ending up in a nursing home that will not provide the high quality care that you both need and deserve as a senior. 
Frank & Kraft can help you to craft a comprehensive and detailed nursing home plan that allows you to be prepared in case illness or injury strikes and you are forced to move to a nursing care facility. Our firm helps with all aspects of the nursing home planning process from choosing a care facility to making sure you understand your rights as a nursing home resident to making sure you are able to pay for the care you required. To find out more about the assistance our firm can offer with the nursing home planning process, give us a call today to talk with nursing home attorneys you can trust.
Why Are You at Risk of Problems Without a Nursing Home Plan?
There are many reasons why you are at risk if you have no nursing home plan in place. For example:
- There is a substantial chance you could end up in a nursing home, which is a big problem if you’re not personally and financially prepared. According to Wall Street Journal, once you reach the age of 65, you have a 40 percent chance of requiring nursing home care at least some point during your life and you have a 20 percent chance of needing nursing home care for a period of at least five years. Since moving to a nursing home is expensive and disruptive, it is best to be prepared in case this situation arises for you.
- Nursing homes can be extremely expensive and likely won’t be covered by insurance unless you’ve made advanced plans. Medicare and most private insurers don’t pay for the most common type of care most seniors need: custodial care. If you need basic routine help with activities of daily living, you won’t be able to get this care paid for by Medicare or a health insurance company. This means you need a plan to pay for care, unless you want to pay out of pocket. This could involve purchasing long-term care insurance or making a plan to qualify to get means-tested Medicaid to pay for your care. Both of these things need to be done in advance of the time you need care.
- Not all nursing homes provide the same level of care. While some facilities aim to enhance the quality of life of their residents, others are only in the business for the money. In nursing homes that are poorly run by greedy owners, you could find conditions are substandard. The home might be understaffed, the staff may not have proper training to provide appropriate care, and there may be few activities to enhance your life. Unfortunately, if you haven’t picked a nursing home in advance of the time you need care, you and your family may not have the time to carefully research different facilities if a medical emergency means you need to move to a nursing home right away.
These are just a few of the key reasons why you could face big problems if you have not made a nursing home plan. There may be other circumstances specific to your situation and to your family’s situation that could also make the process of choosing a care facility challenging in an emergency. You want time to find the right home and make sure you can cover costs; you don’t want to be scrambling or force your family to scramble in an emergency to find you care.
Getting Help from Nursing Home Attorneys
Nursing home attorneys at Frank & Kraft can provide help in researching care facilities, reviewing nursing home admissions paperwork, and taking steps to make sure that you are able to afford the high-quality care you need in a home of your choosing. We can also assist you with crisis planning in the event that you or a loved one needs nursing home care imminently.
To find out more about how our firm can help you, join us for a free seminar. You can also give us a call at 317-684-1100 or contact us online at any time to talk with an attorney about getting your plans underway so you and your loved ones will be prepared in case you must move to a nursing home.
Paul A. Kraft, Estate Planning Attorney
Mr. Kraft assists clients primarily in the areas of estate planning and administration, Medicaid planning, federal and state taxation, real estate and corporate law, bringing the added perspective of an accounting background to his work.
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