Caring for a spouse is different from caring for a parent, financially and otherwise. Indiana's spousal impoverishment protections under federal Medicaid rules set a Community Spouse Resource Allowance and a Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance -- confirm current figures with FSSA before relying on a specific dollar amount.
Short answer
Options that keep a couple together, and the spousal protections Medicaid provides.
What to do, in order
- Understand the spousal protections. Indiana's Community Spouse Resource Allowance and Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance change annually -- confirm current figures with FSSA or an elder law attorney before assuming a specific dollar amount.
- Look at communities that keep couples together. Several campuses offer more than one level of care on one site.
- Be honest about your own health. Spousal caregivers routinely under-report their own decline.
- Get an objective assessment. The Area Agency on Aging serving your county can assess both of you at no cost.
