Medicaid Eligibility and the Homestead

by Richard
(Clifton Park, NY)

Our father recently passed and our mother is in Medicaid-funded nursing care (Florida) The home was left to our mother but it's in dire need of repair and upkeep. We've been told to hold onto the property until her death because the sale of the property today would then be considered a countable asset and she could lose her Medicate eligibility.

She will receive about $20K from an insurance policy. We are told to use the funds to improve the homestead. We don't want mom to want to lose her eligibility. Is this our only viable option?