Elder care may have a waiting list but get her on it asap.Medicaid and her social security will pay for memory care. Keep calling them and make sure your case is on file.
Medicaid is available to anyone who is income eligible, and pays for nursing home care. Different from Medicare, Medicaid is Federal dollars, which are distributed to states, and then counties, where each state and county creates their own local program to administer healthcare funds to the people who need it. So, you want to contact your local county health and welfare office and ask how to apply for help with medical costs.
You find a nursing home with memory care that accepts Medicaid. Medicaid will pay for the nursing home. That is where my BIL is right now. His social security plus pension pays for some of the nursing home memory care the other is paid by Medicaid.
My mother receives too much money in her widow benefits to get Medicaid, but I cannot afford to pay without the help. So far I have not received any viable answers from the State of Maryland.
I was told my only option is to claim she is having problems and take her to the ER. Then when they say come pick her up, refuse to do it so she has to go to a home. That to me is cruel. It's like taking kittens and puppies out to some distant place and putting them on the side of a road or woods.
Then again, I was also told to move to Delaware as they have many more support programs. I'm doing my best to move, but who can afford today's prices? Rent alone is in the thousands.
The difference between dropping kittens and puppies out in the woods and sending you LO to the hospital is there is no one to take care of the kittens and puppies out there. In the hospital, your mother will likely receive much better care than you can provide at home. It is not cruel at all. In fact, it may be beneficial.
Anyway, put that aside because you don't want to go that route. What you need to do then is hire a good elder attorney who knows how to navigate the state laws and structure mom's income so she does qualify for long term care or nursing home Medicaid.
My husband is on Medicaid and the nursing home he is in takes his Medicaid and takes all but $60 a month of his social security. There’s no way I could afford to self pay for him.
That's about average for being in a nursing home and on Medicaid. My aunt was allowed $70. When she passed away, all of her social security money went to the state to pay for having a reduced payment to live in a nursing home.
The only problem with Medicaid is they are at the bottom of list with most facilities. Money talks and people with it are on the top. So if you know someone who has connections with the facilities get them to refer you. It goes a long way to get in that spot. Good luck!
They apply for Medicaid in their state and Medicaid will pay for a nursing home. speak to an elder law attorney in your area and they will help you. There are many rules about Medicaid and the attorney will look at any assets and advise you properly.
Is your loved one eligible for Medicaid (which includes various Medicaid waivers)? Visit an Elder Law Attorney for help applying, if you know their income is below the limits and their overall assets are low enough (often at total of only a few thousand dollars).
If their monthly income is too high, you may be able to visit an Elder Law Attorney and set up a "miller trust" in order to get their income down to the needed (lower) levels required to apply for Medicaid (usually somewhere below $3k per month). I believe up to $4k a month can usually be put into a miller trust, BUT not all states allow for miller trusts. Again, see a lawyer and find out more. Call around to see which lawyers can talk to you about this, and many may offer a free initial consultation.
Then, if the person is eligible to use a miller trust to apply for Medicaid, you can research which facilities in your area take Medicaid (or Medicaid waiver programs like PACE).
In some states, MC is indeed covered by Medicaid (such as my state of CO)...but your choices are limited. There are other states where you can find this, but I suggest starting with your local Care Patrol people. Look up "Care Patrol" online and put in your zip code, then give them a call. They are amazingly helpful! They can help you find out what your options are. In states where MC is not covered by Medicaid, you will probably be forced to placed your loved one in "skilled nursing," which may not be as nice (all types of homes can vary for sure) but they will definitely keep him/her as a resident, no matter what types of needs they develop, which is helpful.
What is MC you refer to ... covered by Medicaid. Is your reference to "skilled nursing" a nursing home? Thank you for this information. I never heard of the Miller Trust. Maybe that is what you mean MT instead of MC. Gena
In many parts of the world, the elder moves in with other family.
Supervision & assistance is provided by the people at home, either women home with small children, older children after school or if funds allow, a paid woman to come in. Work collegues of mine have these arrangements in their birth countries accross Asia. Interestingly, my work collegue from Africa said he did not believe they had Dementia in his birth country - he only found out about it working in the health industry. He then realised what was called 'seeing ghosts' could be called hallucinations. What was known as 'old prople being possessed by evil spirits' could actually be mood & behavioir changes of dementia. Family managed those aflicted as best they could in their homes.
Just as it proved more economical to bunch young children together for care (aka daycare) while women worked, it is similar for the older, more infirm people. To provide care for a group is more economical (aka aged care). It is happening in many parts of the world. Not saying it is a good system, but the alternatives seem to be either 1. Privately hire a Nanny for young children & a private Carer for adults needing care (disabled or elderly) or 2. Oppress some family members into being 'care servants' for the family, with no freedom of other career choice.
I think back to when I was a child, I’m 60 for reference but do you remember when older people were called senile? I believe all the people who were locked away in psychiatric facilities were suffering with dementia but we weren’t aware or ready for it back then. Or now!
All nursing facilities including memory care have Medicaid beds. According to Google 99.9% of nursing facilities take Medicaid, so if you have someone needing placement, please apply for Medicaid for them.
Jo
So, you want to contact your local county health and welfare office and ask how to apply for help with medical costs.
I was told my only option is to claim she is having problems and take her to the ER. Then when they say come pick her up, refuse to do it so she has to go to a home. That to me is cruel. It's like taking kittens and puppies out to some distant place and putting them on the side of a road or woods.
Then again, I was also told to move to Delaware as they have many more support programs. I'm doing my best to move, but who can afford today's prices? Rent alone is in the thousands.
Anyway, put that aside because you don't want to go that route. What you need to do then is hire a good elder attorney who knows how to navigate the state laws and structure mom's income so she does qualify for long term care or nursing home Medicaid.
Call Medicaid office and ask.
speak to an elder law attorney in your area and they will help you. There are many rules about Medicaid and the attorney will look at any assets and advise you properly.
If their monthly income is too high, you may be able to visit an Elder Law Attorney and set up a "miller trust" in order to get their income down to the needed (lower) levels required to apply for Medicaid (usually somewhere below $3k per month). I believe up to $4k a month can usually be put into a miller trust, BUT not all states allow for miller trusts. Again, see a lawyer and find out more. Call around to see which lawyers can talk to you about this, and many may offer a free initial consultation.
Then, if the person is eligible to use a miller trust to apply for Medicaid, you can research which facilities in your area take Medicaid (or Medicaid waiver programs like PACE).
In some states, MC is indeed covered by Medicaid (such as my state of CO)...but your choices are limited. There are other states where you can find this, but I suggest starting with your local Care Patrol people. Look up "Care Patrol" online and put in your zip code, then give them a call. They are amazingly helpful! They can help you find out what your options are. In states where MC is not covered by Medicaid, you will probably be forced to placed your loved one in "skilled nursing," which may not be as nice (all types of homes can vary for sure) but they will definitely keep him/her as a resident, no matter what types of needs they develop, which is helpful.
Is your reference to "skilled nursing" a nursing home?
Thank you for this information. I never heard of the Miller Trust. Maybe that is what you mean MT instead of MC. Gena
Supervision & assistance is provided by the people at home, either women home with small children, older children after school or if funds allow, a paid woman to come in. Work collegues of mine have these arrangements in their birth countries accross Asia. Interestingly, my work collegue from Africa said he did not believe they had Dementia in his birth country - he only found out about it working in the health industry. He then realised what was called 'seeing ghosts' could be called hallucinations. What was known as 'old prople being possessed by evil spirits' could actually be mood & behavioir changes of dementia. Family managed those aflicted as best they could in their homes.
Just as it proved more economical to bunch young children together for care (aka daycare) while women worked, it is similar for the older, more infirm people. To provide care for a group is more economical (aka aged care). It is happening in many parts of the world. Not saying it is a good system, but the alternatives seem to be either 1. Privately hire a Nanny for young children & a private Carer for adults needing care (disabled or elderly) or 2. Oppress some family members into being 'care servants' for the family, with no freedom of other career choice.