What if money tight

Hi Charley, I can tell from your questions that you are trying hard to get your head around what lies ahead for you and your wife. The vast majority of folks in this country cannot afford to pay for long-term dementia care (it runs anywhere from $3000 per month to over $10,000 per month, depending on where you live). Medicare does not cover long-term care either; therefore, most people end up needing to apply for their state's Medicaid program. This usually involves assessing what you have, and each state has specific rules about how much of those personal assets have to be spent on care in order to qualify. As said on other threads, you need to make an appointment with a certified elder law attorney (abbreviated CELA) who can help you assess your finances, get her qualified for long-term Medicaid in your state, and get your other legal papers in order. CELA's can be found by location at nelf.org. It is very much worth the money to get it right. Once this is done, you can research what facilities in your area accept Medicaid payment. Many times, families admit their loved one to a facility and pay for as many months as they can afford privately, before converting to Medicaid payment--but not all facilities do this, so you want to know on the front end. Most families don't want to admit their loved one to one place and then face another move later.

Hope that helps.

Thanks! I am in the early stages of trying to figure this all out.