Can Medicaid help with my parents’ long-term care?

March 23, 2018
Kevin Tharpe

Watching your parents grow older can be a painful experience, and there may come a time when you realize that they would be living the most fulfilling life within the safety of a nursing home.

Nursing homes in Georgia can be expensive, and your first thought might be on how they will be able to afford such a cost. Many nursing home residents in Georgia use Medicaid funding to pay for their assisted living facilities. However, there are some criteria that people need to fulfill in order to be eligible for medicaid funding.

What is the criteria for Medicaid assisted living facilities?

There are regulations in place in Georgia that limit the amount of people that can get medicaid funding to pay for nursing home facilities. People who have a disability that limits their quality of life and who are 65 or older are likely to qualify for Medicaid funding for nursing home accommodation.

However, there are some income limitations. If the person’s income is above a certain amount, he or she will not be eligible for Medicaid funding unless this income is put into a special trust.

What services can be funded by Medicaid?

There are many services that all Medicaid participating nursing homes must provide to their residents. These include nursing services, rehabilitation services that are specialized to certain illnesses and conditions, and medical distribution services. All nursing homes should also provide maintained bedrooms, food prepared and specialized for each resident, and be able to maintain the personal hygiene of each resident.

The residents may be charged additional fees on top of their Medicaid funding and nursing home benefits. These might include fees for a private room if it is determined to be medically necessary, personal clothing, reading materials and social activities.

If you are looking into Medicaid funding for a nursing home on behalf of loved ones in Georgia, it is important that you conduct thorough research to determine whether they meet the criteria and whether they will benefit from such a big lifestyle change.

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Kevin Tharpe

With 25 years of experience, Kevin understands how estate planning, special needs planning, and government benefits programs work together. This is a crucial element of a thorough plan. He explains your eligibility for benefits programs and ensures that you do not make costly mistakes that may disqualify you or deplete your assets.

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