Q. My father is being cared for in our home near Old Town Alexandria, but needs more care than we can provide. We are seriously considering nursing home care as the best option for him. With the incredibly high cost of care, we are also considering Medicaid asset protection planning, so we can retain some of the assets he’s worked so hard his whole life and
hopefully use those assets to enhance his quality of life in the nursing home.
Before we begin Medicaid planning, we were hoping you could clarify a couple of things. Of course we want to ensure that dad has the best care, but I’m concerned that if we get him on Medicaid, he’ll get substandard care compared to the care he would get if we paid privately. When it comes to nursing home availability and quality of care, do Medicaid patients get
worse care than private pay patients?
Also, I have heard that, in the better facilities, there are far fewer Medicaid beds and the best way to secure one of those beds is to private pay for a while. Is private pay for several months first something we should consider before we embark on Medicaid planning?
Lastly, in doing my research, how can I see how many beds in a nursing home are Medicaid beds in 4 or 5 star facilities? Thanks for your help!
