Protect Your Assets from Nursing Home Costs in Ohio (Without Going Broke)

PROTECTING YOUR ESTATE FROM NURSING HOME COSTS

When families in Dayton and throughout Ohio begin facing long-term care decisions, one of the biggest fears is simple:

“Are we going to lose everything we’ve worked for?”

And unfortunately, without proper planning, that fear can become a reality.

Nursing home care in Ohio can cost $9,000–$15,000+ per month, quickly draining savings, retirement accounts, and even putting your home at risk. The good news is that there are legal, proven strategies to protect your assets—if you plan ahead.

Long-term care and custodial care are terms referring to assistance to a person for their daily living requirements such as dressing, walking, bathing, eating and taking medications. Long term care may require residency in a nursing home. Medicare does not pay for long term custodial care in an nursing home. Medigap and Medicare supplemental insurance and private medical insurance also do not cover custodial care.

Long-term care is expensive. The average median cost of a stay in a semi-private room in a skilled nursing facility in Dayton, Ohio is $110,778 (2025).

LOCAL COSTS (2026)

Bethany Lutheran Village: $552/day; $198,720/year
Franciscan at St. Leonard’s: $441/day $160,965/year
Maria-Joseph: $360/day $129,600/year
Village at The Greene $374/day $137,605/year
Otterbein Community (Lebanon) $486/day $174,960/year

Of course, none of us want to go to a nursing home. However, a medical event is something you cannot control and you may end up in a nursing home whether you want to be there or not. The risk of needing long term care and entering a nursing home is significant. For persons over age 65, the risk of needing some long term care is as follows:

Men: any- LTC 46.7% ; less than 1 year- 18.4%; 1-2 years- 7.4%; 2-5 years- 11.1%; greater than 5 years- 9.8%
Women: any- LTC 57.5% ; less than 1 year- 19.4%; 1-2 years- 8.1%; 2-5 years- 12.3%; greater than 5 years- 17.8%

Do you have enough income, after paying taxes and other expenses, to pay for $120,000 to $200,000 per year of nursing home costs? Even if you can afford this out of your income or savings, what standard of living will you and your spouse be left with after paying for the nursing home? Will there be anything left to pass on to your children or other intended beneficiaries?

There are legal planning options to protect your estate. Based on my knowledge of estate planning, trusts and Medicaid law, I can advise you concerning estate planning strategies to protect your estate.

1 Genworth 2024 Cost of Care Survey

2 Health & Humans Services, SAPE report: Long-Term Services And Supports for Older Americans: Risks and Financing (Revised Feb. 2016)