Short answer
If private funds run out, the options generally are a Medicaid HCBS waiver for care inside a licensed community, Medicaid nursing facility coverage, or moving to a community that holds a waiver provider agreement. Confirm your state's specific programs before relying on this.
Ask before you move in, not after
This is the single most consequential question families skip. A community that does not hold a Medicaid waiver provider agreement will ask your parent to leave when private funds are exhausted — often with short notice, at the point when moving is hardest.
Ask directly: do you hold a Medicaid waiver provider agreement, and how many current residents use it? A community can technically hold an agreement and still have no waiver capacity available.
How families pay for care. New York's Assisted Living Program, NHTD waiver and Managed Long Term Care each pay for different community-based settings. Read the full explanation →
The local long-term care ombudsman. Suffolk: Family Service League, 631-470-6755. Nassau: Family and Children's Association, 516-466-9718. Read the full explanation →
