Follow the Yellow Brick Road

When Dorothy clicked her ruby red slippers together at the end of The Wizard of Oz and whispered, “There’s no place like home,” she wasn’t just wishing herself back to Kansas. She was speaking a truth that resonates with almost everyone.  Home is where we feel safe and comfortable.  

For older Arkansans facing health challenges, that truth carries even greater weight. The prospect of moving into a nursing facility often feels overwhelming. For many families, the dream is to keep loved ones at home for as long as possible while still ensuring they are safe and receive the care they need.  

In Oz, Dorothy and her friends had to choose a path—literally following the Yellow Brick Road—to find what they were searching for. Families navigating long-term care decisions face a similar point of decision. For some, the safest and most appropriate route is facility care. 

Nursing homes provide around-the-clock supervision, medical oversight, and specialized services that simply can’t be matched at home. But for others, those whose needs are significant but manageable at home with the right support, the path may lead somewhere else. With planning, coordination, and often some financial assistance, many of my clients have been able to remain at home. That’s where the Medicaid program called ARChoices comes in.

Medicaid is best known for covering the cost of nursing home care, but Arkansas also offers the ARChoices program, a version of Medicaid designed to pay for in-home care for eligible individuals. Through ARChoices, Medicaid can help cover the cost of caregivers who come into the home to assist with daily activities—things like bathing, dressing, meal preparation, and light housekeeping. For families who have been carrying the full weight of caregiving alone, this kind of help can make a huge difference.

But the program is not a one-size-fits-all solution. First, families must realize that the program generally maxes out at twenty hours per week of covered care. Second, the type of care covered by the program is not medical in nature. For some, these realizations make this option unworkable, leaving facility-based care as their only safe alternative. Further, like facility-based Medicaid programs, ARChoices has strict income and asset rules that may seem to eliminate this option from consideration. That’s where a good elder law attorney may be able to help.

Dorothy journeyed to the Emerald City to see a wizard for guidance. I haven’t met any elder law attorneys who would go so far as to refer to themselves as wizards, but there is something almost magical about finding the right person at the right time who has the exact answers you’ve been searching for when in desperate need of help.  

For instance, ARChoices comes with an income cap, and many who have monthly income over that cap assume they are out of luck, and look no further. But a good elder law attorney will be able to assist families to circumvent that income cap with the proper use of a Miller Trust. ARChoices also has strict asset limits. But a good elder law attorney will know how best to reach the point of eligibility while protecting the maximum level of assets.  

Medicaid rules of eligibility, and the application process itself for that matter, can be extremely confusing. I wouldn’t say you need a wizard’s help to be approved, but having a qualified elder law attorney to guide you along the way can make all the difference.

“There’s no place like home” is more than a line from a movie. For older Arkansans, it’s a hope that influences decision-making as health needs increase. Sometimes, the safest path leads to a nursing facility, and acknowledging that fact is an act of love. 

But other times, with the right combination of planning, support, and financial assistance through Medicaid benefits, home remains within reach. 

If you or a loved one is facing decisions about long-term care, don’t assume that a nursing facility is the only option. Explore the programs available in Arkansas, including ARChoices, for home care. If you’ve been told you don’t qualify for assistance, don’t give up.  

My team and I at The Elrod Firm would love nothing more than to help you navigate the Medicaid process, and I can assure you, if there is a path towards eligibility, we will find it while protecting the maximum level of assets possible. It all starts with a phone call to set up a free consultation, or you can visit ElrodFirm.com to learn more.