nursing home and real-estate

South Carolina
My mother is having to be put in a nursing home. Her only income is social security and it is not enough to cover the expenses. What will happen to her real-estate once she is in a nursing home?

It depends on a lot of factors. Is your father still alive, does a minor child still live in the home, can she qualify for Medicaid? Even if she qualifies for Medicaid, the state can claim the real estate up to the value of the money they have spent on her care. The DRA of 2005mandates that states start enforcing estate recovery.

My suggestion is to sell the real estate in order to properly provide for her care as long as possible. You will need to maintain her Medicare premiums and the income from investing the money from the sale will help. The nursing home should be able to assist you or recommend an attorney. You need to be sure that she has a living will (SC now recognizes the "Five Wishes" form), POA, will, etc.