Watch Episode 2 of Evan’s Medicaid Planning Masterclass
When most people hear the words “long-term care,” they immediately think of a nursing home. But long-term care is much broader than nursing home care, and understanding what it really means is essential to protecting your assets and preparing for the future.
Farr Law Firm is pleased to announce the release of Episode 2 of the Medicaid Planning Masterclass, a free educational video series presented by Evan H. Farr, Certified Elder Law Attorney and author of four nationally best-selling books in the field of elder law.
In this new episode, titled “What Exactly IS Long-Term Care?”, Evan explains what constitutes long-term care, where it can be provided, and how the need for assistance with everyday activities affects eligibility for Medicaid, long-term care insurance, and Veterans benefits.
[WATCH EPISODE 2 — WHAT EXACTLY IS LONG-TERM CARE?]
Long-Term Care Doesn’t Necessarily Mean a Nursing Home
One of the most common misconceptions about long-term care is that it means living in a nursing home. In reality, long-term care can be provided in many settings, including:
- Your own home, with assistance from family members or paid caregivers.
- An assisted living facility.
- A memory care facility or specialized memory care unit.
- A nursing home.
Long-term care is defined primarily by the type of assistance someone needs, rather than where that person lives.
And for many older adults, the need for long-term care begins gradually, often with assistance bathing or dressing, long before nursing home care becomes necessary.
The Six Activities of Daily Living: Why They Matter
A central focus of Episode 2 is the six Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), which are fundamental personal care activities used in evaluating an individual’s functional abilities.
These six activities are:
- Bathing: Safely bathing or showering.
- Dressing: Putting on and removing clothing.
- Transferring: Moving into and out of a bed or chair.
- Toileting: Using the toilet and performing related personal hygiene.
- Continence: Independently managing bladder and bowel function, including managing incontinence.
- Eating: Feeding oneself, as distinguished from shopping for or preparing meals.
Evan explains each of these activities, including why bathing and dressing are often among the first ADLs with which older adults begin needing assistance.
The episode also explains the difference between ADLs and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), such as shopping, cooking, transportation, managing medications, and handling finances.
These distinctions are important because different benefit programs use different standards to determine when someone qualifies for assistance.
Custodial Care vs. Skilled Nursing Care
Another important distinction explained in this episode is the difference between custodial care and skilled nursing care.
Custodial care involves assistance with personal needs such as bathing, dressing, toileting, and eating. Skilled nursing care involves medical or rehabilitative services requiring appropriately trained professionals.
Why does this distinction matter so much? Because Medicare does NOT pay for ongoing long-term custodial care.
Families who mistakenly assume Medicare will cover years of assistance at home, in assisted living, or in a nursing home can face devastating and unexpected expenses.
Needing Long-Term Care Doesn’t Automatically Mean Someone Will Pay for It
Perhaps the most important takeaway from Episode 2 is that there are two very different questions every family must understand:
1. What type of care does this person need?
2. Who is going to pay for that care?
Medicaid, private long-term care insurance, and Veterans Aid and Attendance benefits have different eligibility requirements. Qualifying for one program doesn’t automatically mean someone qualifies for another.
And even when someone clearly needs long-term care, that doesn’t necessarily mean insurance or a government program will cover the cost.
That’s why planning ahead is so important.
Medicaid Planning Is About More Than Qualifying for Benefits
At Farr Law Firm, we emphasize that Medicaid planning is not simply about completing an application when someone enters a nursing home.
Effective Medicaid planning involves understanding future care needs, evaluating financial eligibility, and implementing lawful asset protection strategies before a crisis occurs whenever possible.
For many families, this includes considering a properly drafted Medicaid Asset Protection Trust, such as the Living Trust Plus®, which can help protect certain assets from the devastating costs of long-term care when established sufficiently in advance and structured appropriately.
Even when someone already needs nursing home care, there may be Medicaid planning strategies available to protect substantial assets rather than spending everything on care.
Watch Episode 2 and Subscribe to the Medicaid Planning Masterclass
Our goal with the Medicaid Planning Masterclass is to make complex Medicaid eligibility and long-term care planning concepts understandable to families who need reliable information before making major financial decisions.
In <underline>Episode 1, “Must I Spend Down All of My Assets in Order to Get Medicaid?”</underline>, Evan addressed the misconception that someone must become impoverished before qualifying for long-term care Medicaid.
In Episode 2, he explains what long-term care actually means and how the need for assistance is evaluated.
WATCH EPISODE 2 AND SUBSCRIBE TO THE MEDICAID PLANNING MASTERCLASS
If you or a loved one is concerned about the cost of long-term care, don’t wait until a crisis occurs to explore your options.
Contact Farr Law Firm at 1-800-399-FARR or visit FarrLawFirm.com to learn more about Medicaid planning, long-term care asset protection, and the Living Trust Plus®.
Farr Law Firm serves families throughout Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC.
This article and the accompanying video are provided for educational purposes only and do not constitute individualized legal advice. Medicaid eligibility and asset protection rules vary by state and individual circumstances.
