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Hi everyone
Dad moved in with us a few months ago. He does not own a home. We will be looking at Medicaid nursing home in a near future. I was wondering if he can pay for the repairs of our home since he is living here now without it being counted for penalty during Medicaid look back. We have been using his debit caard to pay for every day expenses like groceries and doctors visits but was wondering if we could make a bigger purchase since we have to adapt the house.

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No. You cannot. This would look like he is gifting you.
What you CAN do if you are POA and even if not and if your father doens't have dementia, is go to an elder law attorney and make out a care contract. This would include shared living expenses for mortgage, repairs and maintenance and upkeep as well as food, transportation, needed adjustments for living space and etc. Careful record keeping required and on you go. Be certain you don't put in "rental" which is income and has tax consequences, but rather "shared living costs" which doesn't . This attorney for an hour of time can answer many other questions for you as well and it's crucial you get this right for your father's sake.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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One way you can legitimately have your Dad cover expenses is to charge him for shared expenses, with a contract, as you would if you had a roommate. You'd figure the cost of housing, utilities, food, etc. and charge him his share. For example, if there are 3 of you it would be 1/3rd the cost of utilities, insurance, maintenence. Same with food. You mention you are using his card to pay for groceries, but please make sure you could demonstrate that this is the cost for just his share. If it's clear and well-documented that he's paying you a portion of the overall household expenses, it should not be a problem with Medicaid and wouldn't be considered gifting. Having Dad pay for repairs is not good idea. That is your responsibility as homeowners, as it maintains or increases the value of your house.
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Reply to newbiewife
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If he is not an owner no it will be seen as gifting.
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Reply to Guestshopadmin
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Consult an elder care attorney who's versed in Medicaid who can guide you accordingly. Medicaid looks back for 5 years at large expenses, so you need accurate info about this.
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Reply to lealonnie1
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