My Mom (81) lives with me and is on Medicare. Our attorney said to sign her up for Medicaid now even though she won't qualify. Why?

She WOULD qualify if she went into a Nursing Home where the cost would exceed her income. And that could happen sooner than you think. Go to
dmasva.dmas.virginia.gov for more information about services for her.

Your Mother may qualify for Medicaid if her income falls below a certain point. Our attorney advised us to do the same thing. We applied for Medicaid for my parents in hopes that Medicaid would help us with their long term care. They were denied because they made too much money. (They only collect social security) That's step one. After denial, step two was to reach out to the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) to apply for home support, which will likely be granted. The state should approve a number of hours to bring in caregivers to the home and you will not have to pay for this out of pocket. This would give you a MUCH needed break and additional help which is AMAZING. I recommend applying just like the attorney recommended.