What Does Custodial Care Mean And Why Does It Matter?

As we get older, many people experience a need for custodial care (which often includes care in a nursing home). There is a substantial chance that you may need custodial care as you age or get sick. Understanding what custodial care is can be very important because this kind of care can be very expensive and is usually not covered by your existing insurance policies, including Medicare. 

If you think you may need custodial care, Parman & Easterday is here to help. We can assist you in understanding how custodial care is defined and why this definition is so important.

We can also provide you with the guidance and advice necessary to help you understand all of your custodial care options while protecting your financial assets so you do not lose your nest egg or your ability to leave a legacy. Give us a call today to find out how an Overland Park nursing home planning lawyer can help.

What is Custodial Care?

Custodial care is distinguished from skilled nursing care. While skilled nursing care can only be provided by someone who has had specific medical training, custodial care does not need any specialized skills or knowledge. As such, Medicare defines custodial care as “non-skilled personal care.” This includes care you provide to yourself that has some connection with your medical needs, like putting eye drops in your eyes or figuring out how much medication you need.  Additional examples of what Medicare considers to be custodial care are as follows: (1) if you need help showering or using the bathroom; (2) if you need help getting in or out of bed or a chair; or (3) if you need help eating or moving around.

Oftentimes, people who hire long term care aides or go into a nursing home only need custodial care. These individuals do not need skilled service, but cannot move around and cannot take care of themselves.  As a result, they just need someone to help with basic tasks and, in some cases, to provide supervision to help ensure their safety.

Problems arise, however, because while Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medigap and most private insurance policies will pay for skilled nursing care as long as certain criteria are met, none of these third-party payers of healthcare services will cover any form of custodial care. In other words, your health insurance typically does not cover custodial care (although you can buy long-term care insurance) and you cannot count on Medicare to pay for your custodial care needs.

If you need custodial care, including nursing home care, and do not have long-term care insurance, you will be paying for the cost of care yourself. Considering the high costs of custodial care, if you are paying for it yourself, you could quickly go bankrupt. Your best option is to collaborate with an experienced attorney who can work to get you qualified for Medicaid, which will then pay for your custodial care.  Getting qualified for Medicaid with the help of an experienced attorney may prevent you from becoming impoverished paying for custodial care, allowing you to leave your desired legacy for your loved ones.

Getting Help With Overland Park Nursing Home Planning

An Overland Park nursing home planning lawyer at Parman & Easterday can help create a plan that protects you from custodial care costs. Our legal team will carefully evaluate your situation and help you determine if a Medicaid plan makes sense for you and your family. We can also work with you to protect your assets while qualifying for Medicaid so you do not have to worry about losing your legacy due to long-term custodial care costs.

To find out more about how our legal team can help you design a nursing home protection plan, join us for a free seminar. You can also give us a call today at (405) 843-6100 or (913) 385-9400 or contact us online to get personalized help accessing high quality care without losing your life savings. Call now before you need custodial care and protecting your assets becomes more of a challenge.