DO NOT trust the business staff or administrators at the nursing homes, they are mostly paid by the state - I have had to deal with them, they don’t have your best interests in mind - especially if the state or Medicare or Medicaid are paying for any part of his care.
Call a tax attorney and accountant, it is money well spent.
That is true. Some of these staff can be completely off the wall.
Excellent advice. I would also add to look for an attorney who specializes in elder law.
What you don’t want is to find some attorney who advertizes in the phone book or on TV who claims to do everything; i.e.; divorces, bankruptcy, personal injury, workers comp, criminal law, wills, estates, etc. Instead find a lawyer who specializes in elder law. Same with an accountant. Make sure any accountant you deal with is not just a glorified bookkeeper/tax preparer who is also an insurance salesmen and “investment advisor” – and sadly some are just that – stay away from them!
Also don’t discount the value of a good and experienced real estate agent. While a real estate agent isn’t going to give you personal tax or legal advice, he or she should be aware of the legal landscape of selling a home belonging to someone in a nursing home and will be able to, along with an appraiser if necessary, come in and assess the true and reasonable market value of the home given the comparable market in that neighborhood and come up with a realistic selling price up front so you will know what to expect.
A good and experienced real estate agent will also be able to tell you if the home needs some simple improvements that will help it sell faster if a fast sale is a primary concern or what you might have to do over and above that to get to the selling price you want given what other similar homes in the neighborhood are selling for.
Try to find a real estate agent in your area who has a long experience of selling homes like your father’s and in dealing with situations similar to yours.