Articles the February 2022 newsletter cover:
- Stress, long hours and exposure to Coronavirus are being blamed for a staffing crisis at nursing homes across the Unites States, according to several recent news media studies. Nursing home staff members are resigning in record levels, turning what has been a longtime problem even worse.
- Want to know how the staffing problems affect nursing homes that you may be considering for the placement of a loved one? This summer, the Care Compare website from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will add information on nursing homes’ staff turnover rates and weekend staffing levels. This joins the COVID-19 vaccination rates of staff and residents, which were added to the Care Compare website last fall.
- What happens to a Medicaid recipient If their spouse who is still living independently dies first? This is a serious issue that needs to be considered in your estate planning. Without proper planning, the independent spouse’s death could leave assets to the spouse living in the nursing home, putting her or him over Medicaid’s strict asset limits. This could disqualify them for nursing home coverage, and threaten the family’s plan to leave assets to their heirs.
I hope you our clients and referral partners find these articles interesting and worth the time to read. Like the frequently cold and gray days of February in Ohio, the subject matter is not entirely pleasant. But we believe it is information best known in advance rather than learned in a critical time of need.
May the rest of your February hold some sunshine and warm thoughts for the spring ahead. We will be back in March with another R. F. Meyer & Associates newsletter.
Sincerely,
Richard F. Meyer
Link to the full February 2022 R. F. Meyer & Associates newsletter in PDF form
Should you have questions about any Estate Planning, Elder Law or Probate matter, contact the law offices of R. F. Meyer & Associates for legal help. Reach our Worthington office at 614-407-7900, by sending an email to [email protected], or by simply completing the Contact form on our website at ElderLaw.US/Contact.