On October 16, 2015, USA Today reported (see link below) that nursing home care could run as high as $730,000. It told the story of Randy and Mary Kaump, who care for Randy’s 97 year old monther, Janis. Janis has been a nursing home resident for four years, paying $13,000 per month. So far, she has depleted her savings, with Randy and Mary chipping in an additional $100,000 of their own money. In Georgia, the cost of care is hovering around $7,000 per month, so the bills are lower. Unfortunately, for most families $7,000 per month isn’t nearly low enough.
Stories like this are all too common, but even more common is the story of a spouse depleting his or her savings to pay for a sick spouse’s care. Although there is nothing wrong with paying for your own care, most people don’t have that much to fall back on so paying for care could mean the healthy spouse has nothing to use for his or her own retirement needs. Would it make a difference if you knew there’s help out there?
A Certified Elder Law Attorney can help you navigate the long-term care maze and protect your family. Certified Elder Law Attorneys understand Medicare, Medicaid and other benefits programs that could either stretch your family dollars, or in some case, pay the entire long-term care bill. If you have a loved one with chronic needs, then you need to start planning for the future. Either way, you have a plan because failing to plan is a plan. It’s just that failing to plan is usually a plan to fail. Call the Elder Law Practice of David L. McGuffey and plan to succeed. You can reach us at (706) 428-0888 or at (800) 241-8755.
