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Hi Everyone,


My uncle Alfred is 78. Before he went in a nursing home he lived by himself in rural northern California. He has no assets or income other than a monthly social security check. He does have two adult children but they live on the east coast and he is not in touch with either of them. About a year ago he had a medical incident and after he was released from the hospital, he was admitted to a nursing home in the area & has been there since. While he does need care and needs to live in a facility, he is cognizant and able to reasonably get around. Although his children aren't interested in helping him, my cousin and another uncle would really like to move him to Maine, where he has extensive family. He has literally no one in California. The current nursing home requires that nursing facility arrangements be in place before he is released. My cousin said it has been difficult to do this because he is not his son. I live in Texas & know nothing about elder care or how nursing homes work. Any advice on where to begin?

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If he has no money or assets he will have to apply for Long Term Care Medicaid. The family will have to find him a bed in a nursing home that accepts Medicaid pending. Some homes expect a month or two as self paid or paid by family. The social worker at the nursing home will explain requirements. If he is on Medi-Cal in CA it does not transfer to Maine . It usually takes 3 to 6 months to get Medicaid approved in Maine. He will have to go thru 5 year look back of his financials. Maine is more thorough than some states in the look back process. In some areas of Maine there are nursing home shortages. Maine is a rapidly aging state with a great demand for elder services
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Does your cousin have Power of Attorney for him? If not, that could be your first step. That would make decisions much easier and binding.
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I spoke with the facility that I was moving my dad to.

They told me everything that I needed to do and they told me exactly what they would be doing in the process.

So that would be where I would start. Find the facility in Maine and enlist their professional assistance in the process.

Unless your uncle is a ward of the state the current nursing home CAN NOT keep him from leaving, that would be false imprisonment and it is illegal. Just so you know.
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Hi everyone, thank you so much for the responses. The nursing home told my cousin that power of attorney is not needed because my uncle can still make his own decisions. It's a catch-22 though because he really has no resources or know-how to make a move to another nursing home across the country. I'll talk to my cousin about what he has found in Maine. He also has immediate family members in Vermont - that might be an easier process than Maine. Once again, thank you!
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