Steps to Take If Your Loved One Is Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease

Have you and your family recently been informed that your loved one has Parkinson’s disease? As you and your family research and become more familiar with how Parkinson’s disease progresses, have you learned that your loved one’s ability to walk, bathe, and dress will gradually become impaired? In addition, there may be an increased risk of falling. Have you and your family begun to look into what the future may look like for your loved one, including thinking about the difficult decision of placing your loved one in a nursing home someday? In addition, are you and your family investigating the question of how to afford the high cost of a nursing home, when and if it is needed?

To begin, you, your loved one and your family need to have a conversation about your loved one’s possible need for a nursing home in the future. As part of the conversation you need to determine if your loved one is in possession of a long-term care insurance policy, life insurance policies which can be cashed out, or veteran’s benefits to pay for a nursing home. If you and your family discover that your loved one does have one or more of these benefits be sure to gather all the supporting documents of these policies, and make copies. By taking care of this now, you, your loved one and family will have the required proof of coverage should your loved one’s mental capacity decline.

Determining the existence of benefits is a huge accomplishment. Now would be a good time to meet with a qualified Florida elder law attorney who can advise you on determining how to afford a nursing home, when the time comes. Experienced in the area of long-term care planning, an elder law attorney can assist you and your family with the review of all the benefits you believe may cover the cost of a nursing home for your loved one. At this time, it is important to note that Medicare does not cover the cost of a long-term care nursing home. However, Medicaid does cover nursing home costs, but eligibility for Medicaid is based upon your loved one’s assets. By meeting with your qualified Florida elder law attorney he may assist your loved one in the drafting of planning documents, such as a trust, which may make your loved one eligible for Medicaid. It is highly recommended that this planning be conducted early because there are time limits on the transfer of assets which may affect Medicaid eligibility.

We know how difficult a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease is and it often comes with many other issues. By you, your loved one and your family working with a Florida estate planning and elder law attorney early you can determine the best strategy to use in helping to assure your loved one will be able to afford a nursing home when the time comes. By having the peace of mind that your loved one will receive the care that he or she deserves while the disease progresses, you and your family can focus on sharing quality time with your loved one both now and in the future.

Our Stuart estate planning law firm takes a very different approach from what you might have come to expect. Our goal is to create lifelong relationships with each of our clients, to guide and manage your legacy for the rest of your life. Please contact our office to learn more.