Many problems can be avoided by so doing. Even an incapacitated person can have moments of clarity in which they can express their first choice. If the individual has limited means and his or her needs will require placement in a nursing home, then the Guardian should immediately seek out and choose an appropriate nursing home while funds are available. Some nursing homes accept initial Medicaid applicants, but have a limited number of beds allocated to Medicaid, and some do not accept Medicaid. By being a self-paying resident initially and later applying for Medicaid, you can avoid these problems and broaden your choices for acceptance by a nursing home of your choice.
Funeral plans are another consideration.
If the individual has not made prior arrangements, you should consider using some of his or her funds to pre-purchase a funeral before the funds are exhausted and a Medicaid application is filed. A final bit of advice is to try to keep open lines of communication between you, as the Guardian, and the Ward and his or her friends and relatives. This avoids misconceptions of your actions or motives. Frequently, these misconceptions, if not promptly corrected, result in unwarranted complaints being filed with the Court and the time and expense of responding to them. Although every effort is made to present accurate information, security is imperfect and unintended errors or mischievous material may be present.