If my elderly parents need to be in a nursing home what do I need to do? Set up? Watch out for?
Sometimes the only option left for a family is to have their loved one cared for in a nursing home, or a skilled nursing care facility, or a memory care center. Choosing that option is easy; a more difficult option is choosing the best facility to care for your loved one. There are too many reports of abuse and neglect in nursing homes. We all remember how Covid spread in nursing facilities during the Pandemic, but there are also cases of nursing home residents who were abused and neglected. Some were not attended to when bedridden. Some fell out of their beds, Some were not properly fed or nourished. In some cases, just getting the patient to drink enough water was overlooked by the staff.
There are laws to protect those in nursing homes and there are laws that enable loved ones to check on that care. Elder law attorney Martha Patterson offers to her clients some important points to keep in mind in choosing a care facility and what should be done and what you should watch for.
Her most important advice is to make plans in advance. She says you need to make a plan so you can get whatever government and veteran benefits are available to pay for nursing home care without losing your own assets, even your home and savings. You can protect your assets with a living trust so you can qualify for these government and veterans benefits.
Elder law attorney Martha Patterson offers a free consultation and $500 off any paid services when you contact her at her website www.ElderLawMom.com and this is something you shouldn’t put off.
