questions & answers

Question: My parents are on social security income only and we are evaluating whether to put my Dad in a nursing home. He would most likely be eligible for ALTCS. My parents own their home and it is the only asset left to support my mother. I heard that a nursing home can take half the house value if the house is sold within 3 years of my father entering a facility. Can the home be put into a trust for my mother or sold to a family member before my father enters a nursing home to avoid this?

Answer: ALTCS/AHCCCS typically covers the cost of a skilled care facility (“nursing home”), after which, they can recover their costs from a patient/member’s income and other liquid assets, not his/her home. Specifically, ALTCS/AHCCCS rules state that it may not impose a lien/claim on a member’s home if a spouse is lawfully residing in the home. (The skilled care facility itself has no financial relationship with the patient/member—only ALTCS/AHCCCS rules apply.)