She is 99 years old, legally blind, has 2 hearing aids (which she needs help with) and in a wheelchair, now requiring a 2-person assist for transfers. She has about 100 thousand dollars left. We have applied to several nursing homes, but just got denied by one corporation because of her gifting! We are afraid no place will take her. She has been giving $ for birthdays and Christmas for decades (to her 5 children, 2 stepchildren and 7 grandchildren). I was under the impression it was ok for her to continue regular gifting. Am I wrong? The amounts ranged from $50, $100, $200, (wedding gift was $500.)
I was advised to get a lawyer. I’m hoping someone here can reassure me about what the future holds. If we can’t find a place that will take her…then what? She lived with us for years, but we have stairs, an upstairs shower, and I can’t imagine her coming back here…I don’t think I could even get her on a commode anymore.
I have a call in to the Center for Elderlaw & Justice for help, but it’s late afternoon on a Friday, so I’ll be waiting all weekend with no answers.
She is not seeking medicaid is she?
She is merely seeking care for cash?
What am I missing here?
And no, gifting is never OK in terms of applying for medicaid. The lookback is 2 1/2 years in California and I believe 5 in many other places.
At 99 she may have enough funds for her care, but only time can answer that. The gifting should never have happened because it has robbed her of funds she required for her own care.
I am glad you are seeing an attorney; that person will be able to clarify your questions and answers them, and will be able to give you options for your own state.
I sure wish you luck and hope you'll update us.
My mom has been offered a bed in a SNF operated by the same company as the Assisted Living where she currently lives. And she’s being evaluated this afternoon ( for an opening in memory care) for another. This company called to ask me specifically about the gifts. When I said they were individual checks to 14 different people for birthdays, Christmas, weddings, and each check was between $50 and $500. They said it would not be a problem. Also, another SNF asked the question differently…”have you transferred any asset value over $1000 in the past 5 years”. The answer to that is no. We have not applied to Medicaid yet since she can still pay for a few months…a bridge I’ll cross then!
Only someone versed in your states Medicaid rules will be able to tell you if the gifting is a problem.
Thankfully, she has some money to private pay for a while.
Have you checked into a board and care home? They tend to be way cheaper then a nursing home and many take people in your moms condition.
Do not go by what an employee at a NH tells you in ref to Medicaid. We have heard some pretty wrong info here. Good ur seeing a lawyer.