Hello. Our mom was just approved for community Medicaid in New York. If a person is approved, then the family has to find a Medicare long term home care contractor. We went with Integra, since our mom's agency has a contract with them. She's 90 years old, has advanced alzheimers, and is completely bedridden. She has to be turned, changed, and she isn't able to get up out of her medical bed without assistance. Without the 24 hour a day,7 day a week assistance of home healthcare aids, she would die. Our brother was interviewed by Integra, and they are only willing to pay for 8 hours a day. I heard that some contractors are better than others when it comes to actually paying for 24/7 help. Does any one know of a contractor that pays 100% for an incapacitated person? Many elderly people worked hard all their lives to save their money and for what? Thanks for any suggestions.
Once someone is on medicaid it means that no matter how hard they worked, they have now outlived all the money they saved and clipped coupons for. And the Government is now paying. The current Special Edition of AARP about Medicare, Medicaid and Nursing homes tells just how MUCH they do pay of the taxpayers money.
I myself have now outlived everything I put into Social Security. And it was a LOT as I was an RN; when I worked double shifts in the Clinton years I would look at my check and say "WOW, I am happy. BILL is happy. We are all happy". But see, now I have lived to 78 and still going, my partner is 80. We have now drawn all that money down and MORE and the government (that is to say you, the taxpayer) is still paying for us.
You are doing the best you can to get care for your loved one. You can do no more. I do not think that 24/7 care exists in an inhome setting, but I cannot swear to that. You may be looking at LTC facility as the only choice for 24/7 care.
I am not unsympathetic to your plight. Given my age I can't AFFORD to be, because as the old adage goes, "there but for the grace of god go I" today.
I wish you all the luck. I wish I had some advice of any real value to you, but just want to say that how long we live, and what needs we have, just cannot conceivably be met by a government with huge deficits and taxpayers already groaning under their burdens. I wish it were otherwise.
I hope others have ideas of contracters to explore.
I know a lot of the approval depends on how your brother answered the questions. If you can find a SW who knows the "right" answers to give, then you can likely get those hours increased substantially.
The same thing happened to an acquaintance of ours whose mother has advanced dementia. After she got some advice from a SW, she asked for another interview and got many more hours added.
Reach out to your local senior center, if you have one, and start there, asking if they can recommend a SW/counselor who is familiar with the medicaid system.
Good luck.
In addition, once 24 hour care was needed, Community Medicaid would not pay as it then became more cost effective for the Medicaid program to have the patient placed in a facility for care.
I think the government would like to keep people at home but it requires a large participation on the part of the family to do that- and at some point that just becomes too much.
It must be very hard. But you will need to be realistic about what is available.
If the main priority is HOME until the very end, then the choices will be: family do the other 16 hours, private pay the 16 hours or maybe 8 hours with no night care (have a good pressure receiving air mattress & incontinence pads in place). I don't mean abandon overnight - this would be only if a responsible adult lives there onsite.
Does Dad live with Mom? Is that the priority? To keep them living together?
If family or funding can not cover the 16 hours left in the day, then a compromise will have to be made. Maybe they spend a lot of the day together (at a local Nursing Home). Dad then goes home for a good night's sleep while Mom sleeps there. Many get used to this out of necessity.
I hate to sound uncaring, but if advanced Alz & bedridden - what sort of recognition in her surrounds does Mom still have? A room decorated with her own throw rugs & photos may look & feel home-like enough?
Your options for keeping your mother at home are you can take the eight hours a day that Medicaid will pay for and privately hire aide care that your mother or your family pays for to work the other 16 hours in the day. Look on a caregiver website and check people out. Hiring privately means you can negotiate the pay.
Another option is the family can cover the remaining 16 hours a day that Medicaid will not pay for in shifts.
Or you put her in a nursing home. Medicaid will pay for that.
They will not pay for 24 hour care in the home.