A special needs trust is a legal arrangement that can be set up for any reason or without any reason at all. A special needs trust can be used for any child with special needs, whether that child is equipped with a trust or not.
The purpose of a special needs trust is to pay for the most important things in life for your disabled child: education, housing, medical care, and funerals.
Many parents feel like they are carrying too many responsibilities and duties when they start to think about how much their disabled child should cost.
But, the truth is that money cannot be used to pay for everything you want it to. There are some things you will want to buy your disabled child, but there are other things that are more cost effective.
This article will go over some ways a special needs trust can help you keep control of your budget while still paying for the services you want for your child.
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Personal care assistants
A personal care assistant is a person who helps with everyday tasks and problems that people with severe disabilities cannot handle by themselves. These assistants come from training programs and are formally certified to help with these tasks.
They can also do things like washing the dishes, grocery shopping, teaching children with special needs how to take care of themselves, and even helping someone with a disability apply for a job.
Because of the long hours this job can require a high quality of work ethic and integrity. The client and helper both need to trust each other enough to know what they can and cannot do alone, so they must be trustworthy.
This job is hard to gain solid reputation on because it can be with how you feel when working with someone, how they treat others, and how they treat themselves. People who are lighthearted or happy in their work can ruin the rest of their day.
Home modifications
Home modifications are one of the most prominent ways that a special needs trust can pay for modifications to the home. This includes adding new rooms or expanding an existing room by purchasing a new piece of furniture or renovating an existing room to add a new one.
In order for the trust to acquire this property, they must first sell the current home which is not a desirable location for living. Then, they can buy the property that they have selected as their new home.
However, when buying a home, it is very important that you are able to manage your expectations. You did not spend thousands of dollars on reports and inspections when you know nothing will be changes and it will be just like it was before.
Home modifications can make a huge difference in how much your family loves living there, and how much you appreciate being able to enjoy the property without having to take care of major updates every few years.
Transportation modifications
If your special needs child needs a car, or any other type of transportation modification. You can obtain a special needs vehicle modification permit in most states.
As a parent, you may be wondering if it is cost-effective to get the modification permit. The cost of the modification may be more than one would pay in cash for the vehicle, however.
Some modifications such as adding a seat or put-away trunk are free to purchase with your special needs vehicle insurance. Others may require paying for but not receiving a new insurance policy. A dealership might also help with this process.
Assistive technology devices
Assistive technology devices are devices that help a person with an intellectual disability communicate and assist in communication. These devices can be software applications or hardware tools that are used in the home or at work.
Their purpose is to provide someone with an intellectual disability with the ability to communicate, which varies based on what assistive technology device they use. For example, certain software applications can help a person move their body without direct intervention from the person with an intellectual disability.
Some software applications only work in specific environments and have special set up requirements, making it not 100% reliable. Another issue that comes up is when one of these software apps get‘s misappropriated and be used in the home or community setting, it may cause harm or embarrassment to someone who is actually at risk for professionals to identify problems.
Recreation activities
There are a few things that most people find exciting about recreation activities such as playing sports, organized play programs, and other community events.
However, you should be careful about participating in these types of events when it is your child who needs help with getting ready, handling injuries, and making decisions. There are several rules of organized play programs and sports teams that meetets have to follow in order for the children to participate.
Some teams even have specific dress codes that must be followed. For example, some wear shorts and sandals only!
If you are planning any type of event for the children, be sure to budget for reimbursement for health and safety preparations. Even with this coverage, there can be some apprehensions about what if something happened? What if they fall? What if they get injured? Are they ready? all these questions can come up when trying to decide whether or not to go into this area of law.
Food supplements
Food is a scarce commodity in most societies. This can make a difference between a healthy and unhealthy lifestyle.
For someone with special needs, food can be a problem. That’s why there may be a food budget set up. This budget can include what food items are bought, how much money is spent on it, and whether or not it is delivered.
It’s theettally important to ensure that your special needs trust spends enough money on food to ensure they are not hungry. To prevent hunger-induced insecurities, the trust can purchase nutritional supplements such as calcium carbonate or vitamin D to add to their diet.
As these nutrients are expensive, they may only be spent by those with ample funds. A smart use of special needs trust funds can ensure that they are used properly.
Medical supplies or equipment
Special needs trusts can pay for medical equipment such as a wheelchair or mobility aid, medications such as wheelchairs and medicines, or supplies like bandages and wipe cloths.
Some equipment is more appropriate for one type of disability than another. A manual wheelchair versus a motorized one, for example, can help someone with moderate to severe disabilities.
Or, if the person has no special needs trust funds, then buying supplies can be a cost-effective way to help someone without a trust. For example, buying Bandage Tapes and Adhesives at the local grocery store is an affordable way to help someone with special needs.
You do not have to buy these items if they are not needed.
Respite care fees
Special needs children often need a few days of respite care every month. This can be costly. Most respite care facilities charge between $80 and $150 per day for child care.
Many parents cannot afford this and it can be difficult to plan ahead with only $70 a day to help with transportation, food, and diapers. Plus, most facilities do not have the capacity to help with homework and other needs that may arise during the time of need.
If the child is not able to stay at his or her parent’s home for at least one night per week, there may be a need for extra hotel rooms or extra childcare. If the child needs extra help with learning how to manage their space, then additional help in learning strategies may be needed.
To save money, parents should look into hiring additional caregivers or paying them out of pocket.