I Didn’t Know What I Didn’t Know

My elderly parents have no financial resources beyond monthly Social Security payments, so I took steps to get their legal affairs in order by seeing an elder law attorney back in 2017. That attorney told me at that time that my parents would need Medicaid planning. She mentioned the long-term care options that might be available for my parents if they needed it. She also mentioned that government assistance might be available to pay for care.

It might seem simple, but it’s not. Each government program comes with a complicated set of rules and regulations for getting qualified, staying qualified, and what you get once you qualify. It was confusing—and I work in the legal industry! I was especially concerned about the caveats because nothing is free. What are the traps? What are you giving up? Would my parents have to move out of their home in order to take advantage of these services? I wanted to keep them at home.

When my parents’ health started going downhill, I was acutely aware of how much I didn’t know about this process, so I asked people I knew for advice. My older aunts and uncles offered me bits and pieces of information, but their advice wasn’t helpful. They're a lot more secure financially, and they didn't know anything about what government assistance might be available. I talked with my legal colleagues around the country, and not even one of them knew that their state had a Medicaid program that could pay for care at home for older adults in certain income brackets.

Thanks to Google, I found Kimbrough Law. When sister and I first met with attorney Hailey Brock, she gave us information about our options, things to watch out for, and what course of action might make the most sense for my parents. Hailey told me that she and Kimbrough Law founder William H. (Kim) Kimbrough, Jr. had co-authored a book about Medicaid Secrets because there’s such an information gap. It was such a relief to know that I was working with someone who could guide me.

I'm a smart person. I have resources available to me. I've got a network of people I can reach out to for help—yet none of them could help me with this. My ability to figure things out on my own was not enough to help me navigate this process. I have a full-time job. I've got my own kids. I've got my own household to run. I'm worried about my parents, but there's not enough of me to go around.

When you think about elder care, you think about the legal side, but that’s not where I needed the most help. I needed help with the practical day-to-day tasks of getting the right care for my parents.

It was like a gift from heaven to stumble upon Kimbrough Law. I don't know what I would be doing right now had I not made the decision to go ahead and get a Life Care Plan that included the services of a Life Care Coordinator like Robin Lacrimosa.

I don't know how much life my parents have left, so I'm going to need Robin's help until it's time to say goodbye. It took me less than a month to realize that the Life Care Plan from Kimbrough Law was worth every penny. More recently, I've had things going on that have taken my focus away from my parents. Robin was there to help. When I told her about my situation, she didn’t hesitate. "What do you need me to do?” she asked. “I’ll do it."

My advice to anyone in this situation is simple. Be persistent and find an expert who can help you. For me, that expert is Kimbrough Law.

Cynthia B. Metro Atlanta