Tammy Zilske, Long-Term Care Planner

I have a confession to make. I am not a fan of painting. The energy it takes to sand the walls, tape the corners, wash the walls, and then finally paint is exhausting. However, my bathroom was in need of a makeover. I even went to the extreme of getting a quote from a professional painter to do the job for me. Too expensive! So, my husband and I decided to do it ourselves. Our first mistake was purchasing cheap paint from a discount store. A year later, the walls were streaking, and it looked worse than before the paint job. So, we had to paint again. As we were painting, this time with the most expensive paint, I looked at my husband and asked why we had been so cheap the first time around. We ended up spending more time and money than was necessary.

Don’t be a do it yourselfer when it comes to qualifying for benefits to pay for your long-term care. Seek the advice of an experienced elder law attorney. The do it yourselfers make the mistake of trying to navigate the system on their own. They make the assumption that going to an elder law attorney will be costly, but they fail to understand that the elder law attorney is experienced in understanding the complexity of the law and knowledgeable about how to get you the benefits you are entitled to receive. The system is not set up to make it easy for you to get benefits. The do it yourselfers will write out a check of $8,000 to $10,000 per month to the nursing home until they qualify for Medicaid, and nothing will be saved.

Don’t seek the counsel of the wrong professional. Let’s say you have kidney failure, and you need guidance on your treatment options. Would you go to your podiatrist (foot doctor)? Of course not, you would seek the guidance of a nephrologist (kidney doctor). Likewise, if you want to receive benefits and protect your assets, you seek the guidance of an experienced elder law attorney. The community spouse of a nursing home resident is entitled under the law to protection from impoverishment; however, the rules are complex, and the average person may not understand how to take advantage of these rules.

A client of Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak will partner with a team of professionals who are knowledgeable about how to receive services and benefits. We are focused on protecting you and your spouse from becoming impoverished by long-term care costs. Call our office today for your FREE consultation to review your specific situation and learn how your goals can be met. Don’t waste your time and energy trying to do it yourself or seeking the advice of the wrong professional. To be honest, I wish my husband and I would have hired the professional painter.