Caring for a spouse is different from caring for a parent, financially and otherwise. New York's spousal impoverishment protections -- the Community Spouse Resource Allowance and Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance -- exist specifically for this situation.
Short answer
Options that keep a couple together, and the spousal protections Medicaid provides.
What to do, in order
- Understand the spousal protections. New York's 2026 Community Spouse Resource Allowance ($74,820-$162,660) and Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance ($4,066.50/month) protect a healthy spouse's finances when the other spouse needs Medicaid-funded care.
- Look at communities that keep couples together. Several campuses offer more than one level of care on one site.
- Be honest about your own health. Spousal caregivers routinely under-report their own decline.
- Get an objective assessment. The Area Agency on Aging serving your county can assess both of you at no cost.
