The Family Chose a $50k shopping spree . . . In One Month!

I just wanted to take a minute to share one of our recent WINS here at Elder Care Financial.

When I work with families, I work under the idea " . . .Because families make the best choice (for them) when they know their options."

This one was a little different, but it was the family choice. (Remember, I always change the names to preserve confidentiality.)

This is the story:

I got a call from a Nursing Home. Brenda was a resident and had been on Medicaid for a long time. A visitor came, and the workers overheard that the neighbor was going to help sell Brenda's home. Actually, Brenda's name was not on it at all. She had been divorced for several years, and her estranged spouse was also in a Nursing Home across town. He agreed that she could have HALF the proceeds from the sale of the home.

Now, the Nursing Home was worried that in the midst of getting a lump-sum of money, not only would Brenda LOSE her Medicaid (over-resource), but that after she was all done giving away and spending the money, she would NOT QUALIFY for Medicaid because all the rules around it. I was asked to help the family get through the sale of the home AND still qualify on the other side.

I worked with Brenda, her daughter in California, and her POA / sister in Washington. We started thinking and planning BEFORE the home sold. Here are the goals they set out to meet:

1. Pay any outstanding debt.

2. Brenda wanted to move from Idaho to California with her daughter as soon as she was strong enough.

3. She planned to live in an Assisted Living - the one they found was unfurnished.

4. She wanted a powered wheel-chair for additional independence.

5. They decided to complete everything in 1 month, so there would not be an interruption of Medicaid.

Of course, the Nursing Home was wanting to make sure they would keep getting paid as long as they were providing care - either private pay or Medicaid, but they need each resident to pay.

WIN #1 - THE FAMILY Spent $50K on STUFF. Powered wheel-chair, comfortable hospital bed, new table and chairs and furnishings for the room and clothes and. . . you name it, they might have bought it.

WIN #2 - The Nursing Home kept getting paid - Everything was done quickly enough that they didn't miss any payments.

WIN #3 - The Medicaid worker has reviewed the whole plan and proof of every purchase. They agreed that, according to the rules, Brenda had received the funds, spent them according to the rules, and was still eligible for Medicaid!

To be honest, I probably wouldn't have chosen to spend the money the way the family did. But it IS cool that people still have a choice, and by coaching them, they were able to meet THEIR goals. I don't know about YOU, but this gets me excited - great to see another family have the options and not just be told what to do with their own money.

I just had to share!

Hope you have a great day!