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I'm a caregiver for my girlfriend. There is no help from her family, or anyone for that matter. We have exhausted efforts to get help with things, especially for physical and occupational therapy. Money is not an option because she had been in the hospital for 4 months and SSI took her money now and knocked it down $30.00 a month from $600 all because she forgot to report it. She didn't know and she was in a bad way in the hospital, barely survived. We are on our own and living on fumes as I took off work to caregive, but I am going to have to go back at some point or we will end up homeless.
She has Sunshine health and they are worthless, deny and lie about everything.
My question is are there grants, or anything that may help? Like I've said, we've exhausted options and have went in circles talking to every outlet with no luck. She is bedridden and can't walk. I cannot help her on my own to walk again.

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The bottom line is she needs to be in a place where her needs are met 24/7. If she can't live on her own by herself, than she needs to be in a facility if there aren't caregivers there to be with her at home. And you cannot be the caregiver if you need to work to support yourself and/or her. Obviously you can't make ends meet with you not working, so she needs to be in a facility. You are not abandoning her, you are helping her get the help she needs. Get a state social worker ASAP. The hospital should not have released her to an unsafe environment. I'm guessing you told the hospital discharge team that you would take care of her? And they were all too happy to believe you would be able to do it without having an income yourself and release her to you and get her off their hands. Please call state elder services and let them know you need to earn a living and can't be with her 24/7.
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She won't get SS disability. She's already medically qualified for SSI benefits, but obviously did not have the work history to qualify for SSDI, only SSI. On SSI if someone is institutionalized, also say prison for 30 days, they are not financially qualified, as their basic needs are being provided for. SSI recipients have to report their financial circumstances regularly and missing a report can end benefits, at least temporarily. This happens frequently because the recipients are elderly or disabled and may not clearly understand or be able to carry out their responsibilities. (This is different from SS or SSDI which are EARNED benefits and don'tstop while you are hospitalised but do if imprisoned.) They then might have been overpaid and have future payments reduced. She may be able to negotiate a smaller monthly repayment and longer period to repay.
Get someone to help deal with the accompanying Medicaid program, maybe a free legal clinic or the Area Agency on Aging.
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Are you in Florida? I looked up Sunshine Health and its a Medicaid plan. Medicaid, in my experience, pays for everything unless u have co-pays and deductibles. I would question why they aren't paying. Your GF should have a caseworker.
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XxJCBxX Mar 2022
It won't pay for it. Matter of fact they deny alot of things. They gave her 6 visits with a nurse at home and that was it after she got out of teh Hospital Feb 11th.
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I don't understand the SSI thing. Because she was in the Hospital and did not report it she is being penalized? She still has to pay bills. Did she have Medicaid for health insurance? It usually goes with SSI. Thats if ur talking about Supplimental insurance.

Go to Social Services. Ask if they can help you with getting her Social Security Disability. Then fill out all the forms. You will need info from doctors saying her disability is permanent. She maybe denied the first time. This is when u get a SS Lawyer. He/she takes no payment from her. If she is finally excepted, there is retro money that the lawyer gets a % of. Once excepted, SSD will retro back to the first application. So you get a lump sum and then monthly payments.

While there ask about "in home" Medicaid. She maybe too young for this but try. Do sign her up for Medicaid for health.

APS is Adult Protection Services. I may start with Office of Aging and Disabilities. Maybe they can help get her SSI re-instated. But, still apply for SSD. If she receives it, she gets Medicare and maybe Medicaid. Also ask about this Sunshine insurance. Maybe a Social Worker can step in and see why her claims are being denied.
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XxJCBxX Mar 2022
I know. They penalized because they said she didn't report it that she was in the Hospital, but to be fair most of her Hospital stay was fighting for her life and , neither I , nor her knew she needed to report it. Its pretty rediculous.
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All you can do is file an appeal for services through her Medicaid.

What does she need to do with social security to get her benefits back? There has to be a way, especially if she has the medical records to prove her disability.

If she can't be left alone and is completely helpless, she really needs to be in a facility and you need to be working to support yourself.

Sorry, not many options for 50 somethings in her and your position.
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XxJCBxX Mar 2022
Only things that is needed to reinstate is the discharge papers which I faxed them like 3 weeks ago. They are very elsuive about anything and very hard to get on the phone. Finally they told me they needed a cop of discharge papers. So now just waiting.
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Contact your county aged and disabilities office… take care of your bills to stay in your home first. Medical bills, try to come to an agreement with the billing people, they may write some of it off.. I’m sorry you are in this predicament.

your hand may be forced to place in a home where she gets care. Your girlfriend would probably qualify for Medicaid.
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I appreciate your feedback and helpful information. I agree with you. It is a conundrum, but I gotta make a living as well, or be in a worse situation. But also I love my gf very much and certainly don't want to abandon her either.

Anyway, thank you for your answer.
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XxJCBxX Mar 2022
Also what is APS?
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I'm so sorry you are in this situation. I'm wondering why and how the hospital discharged her to this situation if she is unable to survive on her own. You cannot give up the ability or opportunity earn an income. You need to go back to work. Your first step is to call state elder protective services or APS and let them know your girlfriend is a vulnerable adult and you cannot be there all the time for her because you have to work to earn a living. You need to get a good social worker involved to find the best situation for her. Then you need to go back to work. You need to do this. If she has to be placed in a facility for a while, then that is what has to be, but you know yourself that the situation you are in now is not going to work for either of you. Call APS and get them out to help you.
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XxJCBxX Mar 2022
Because once her health insurance stopped paying they got rid of her. I will for sure do that. Thank you for your advice
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