Many families have come to us recently with concerns about transitioning someone to a nursing home when most facilities are locked down due to Covid. As you can see from the photo, some local Tulsa nursing homes have literally installed fencing to restrict visitors from entering and residents from leaving. These safety precautions make sense right now because residents and staff have been the most affected by the virus but the precautions definitely leave families confused and concerned.
We have been helping families figure out the financial side of long-term care by helping them qualify for Medicaid and VA Aid and Attendance benefits but the logistics of moving into a facility are a hurdle as well. Some families have said they were hoping to wait until the virus is gone to help mom or dad move into the nursing home but the situation has become urgent and mom or dad needs help immediately. They ask us, “how do we move into a nursing home during Covid?! We can’t even visit the nursing homes.”
What we have seen is that our area nursing homes are doing their best to help new residents move in and also keep current residents safe. Some facilities are willing to do all the administrative intake work by telephone or video conference. Then, if they are equipped to handle isolation, they will take a new resident, test him for Covid, and then quarantine him for two weeks to ensure the safety of the other residents and staff. It has worked well for our recent clients and the families have felt secure about the transition.
While it might seem like this is a hard time to transition to a long-term care facility, know that there are resources available to help your family both with the logistics and the financial side of long-term care. We are helping families qualify for benefits that will pay for long-term care and we can help you get the answers you need.
Call our office for an appointment or using the contact form below. 918-901-7777
Jorjana Marx, JD
Blaine Frizzell, JD, LLM
Todd Whatley, JD, LLM, CELA