“How To Plan The Legal And Financial Needs Of A Loved One With Dementia,” by Christopher Berry, Forbes

“If you have a loved one who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia, there are certain things that your family needs to plan for both legally as well as financially. … There are six main ways to pay for long-term care, so it is up the family to best determine how to use the following options. … 6. Finally, Medicaid may help pay for the cost of a nursing home. However, there are certain requirements to qualify for Medicaid, including an asset test that varies by state, as well as a look-back period to see if a family has moved any money around. One of the strategies to help pay for long-term care and use Medicaid would be utilizing an asset protection trust, such as a Castle Trust, as a way to shelter assets and protect against the Medicaid or nursing home spend-down.”

LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform):  Let’s see. There are six ways to pay for LTC. They all cost a lot in time, effort and money except one. That one just takes a simple legal “trust.” Hmmm. Whatever shall we do? That’s the choice most people face and offering it in the absence of full disclosure about Medicaid’s access and quality problems is journalistic, not to mention, legal malpractice. Shame on Forbes for publishing this attorney’s self-serving advertisement as if it were objective advice.