Putting A Parent In A Nursing Home
Terry
We need to put my dad in a nursing home and Medicaid will take all of his social security check and he has about $8k in credit card debt with no assets or savings and was wondering how we handle the debt?
Thanks
Terry Says
Ugh — that’s a tough situation at the holiday time. If he has no home, no other assets, yes Medicaid will take his SS and cover the balance of his costs. But, please be very careful where you place him. Medicaid-funded nursing homes are not known for their attentive care! You really need to visit every day — and pay attention to things like bedsores and his weight.
As for the credit cards, you should contact each one– the number is on the back of the card — and inform them that they are wasting their time trying to collect, describing his situation now. They will likely write off the balances as bad debt. But there is no way they can get anything from him — and you are not responsible for the debt.
If by chance they turn the balances over to a debt collection agency, tell THEM the situation — and remind them they are subject to anti-harassment laws.
