My mom is in hospice and because she clears $2,100 a month, she is denied for Medicaid which is screwed up because she really needs to be in a hospice residential home for full time care. I don't make enough money to take care of myself as a receptionist so I have no way of supplementing a $6,000 + facility without losing my apartment, losing my car, stop paying bills like water and electricity and food if I had to use my paycheck to pay for a facility. Medicare pays for hospice in home but I am having to cut my hours, pay someone $20 to $35 an hour (which is more than I make an hour) to watch her for four hours a day while I'm at work. In other words, my life sucks with everything I'm going through not to mention, 20 years is sucked from my own life. I love my mom but it is a travesty that our crappy government sends millions, billions over to other countries and tax payer freebies to millions of illegals on a silver platter when poor Americans are left out in the cold, dying and starving. Where can I find help?
Is that Independent Living in a facility or in her home or condo?
If in a facility can she be moved to AL or even Skilled Nursing? She would have more staff to care for her and you may not have to have hired caregivers. If she is living in her home or condo you sell the home or condo and the money from the sale will pay for the care that is needed.
Side note YOU should not be paying for caregivers that comes from moms accounts.
I need to ask a bunch question so we can get you the help you need.
1. Your mom has to be medically AND financially qualified for Nursing Home Medicaid. Was she denied ONLY on a financial basis?
2. Have you consulted a Medicaid planner or Elder Law attorney? In most states, there are provisions for elders who are just a bit over the limit. Have you investigated whether mom's state is one that allows pooled income trusts or if there is a spend down provision? With the expense of NH Care, mom's income will almost certainly be under the limit.
Please come back to we can provide good guidance. Don't lose heart.
https://www.medicaidplanningassistance.org/
I hope igloo is around on this specific holiday time, as she has good ideas how you can get advice, but it needs to be expert advice. Hopefully someone on this Forum is from your state (what State are you in) and can begin telling you where to go. Also talk to medicaid. Go to medicaid.org and look up your specific state's rules.
There ARE ways around this, trust me. They will NOT, however, get you ALF or MC. They will get you the same of nursing home that most people (even illegals) end up in. There's no way around not having saved up enough for age, or not having assets from sale of home, and etc to get you a good place in ALF. No way around it for anyone.
I wish you the best of luck, and again, get EXPERT advice for this complicated question. Make an appt with an elder law attorney and have at hand income, assets (all assets) and etc. Good luck. Hope you will update us as to what you learn.
And really each State can determine just what they want to do with their State share of Medicaid $ to match up to the federal share. But most States do not, absolutely do not provide for LTC Medicaid custodial care for undocumented. They require you to be a legal resident of the State. and that really gets to be an issue for kids who want to move ther now frail and very at need parent from their old State to the State they the kids live in as they have to jump thru hoop’s to establish residency in & then get slapped with the issue of parent home in the old State being viewed as a nonexempt asset atop all other drama. This comes up all the time forum. It’s really sad.
And in addition the States quietly run PARiS regularly to do additional match up to ferret out any ill gotten gains for those receiving support on any other low income programs. Trying to work the system aint happening as stuff surfaces.
A Miller Trust is something to discuss with an estate or Medicaid Planner for her home state. Medicaid in most states only covers LTC, which is medically assessed as necessary by a physician, plus needing to qualify financially. Most states have a 5-year look-back period on the financial portion of the application.
Elder Law attorneys are expensive. Would you be paying that out of your pocket?
I would call you local DSS, and try to get someone locally to help you address Medicaid. A lot of times calling the 1 800 numbers makes you and your Mother just another number.
This is just my opinion.
Also, a lot of times Senior Center have programs to help with so many things that involve taking care of the elderly/Senior person.
You're not alone. A lot of seniors didn't plan on old age, but it's a mute point when you're trying help them right now.
People who are proud and never had to ask for help and worked all of their lives are now relying on us(their retirement plan) are having to ask for them. Oh, the irony.
Take care. Like in the movies, put you oxygen mask on first.
And to clarify we used Legal Aid to draw up Mom's will, POA and advanced directives. Not sure if there are Elder Law attorneys that do that for free, you can ask.
Local ombudsman for your county are also a helpful resource.
FWIW hospice as a benefit provided 100% by Medicare is only done if you have paid into FICA and worked in the US with enough quarters to be fully eligible for Part A coverage. And guess what, that means anyone illegally in the US will not ever get this as a benefit.
Regarding Medicaid, huge # of programs. Very much is as mrtrbill posted!
Has your mom actually filed an application for LTC Medicaid (program that pays for custodial care in a NH) OR is this just a rant? Like did she actually enter a facility, filed the application & is also fully “at need medically” for skilled nursing care so meets the requirements for aspect of LTC Medicaid as well and now has gotten an ineligibility determination? If so, exactly why is your mom ineligible for it?
OR….
is this just something that you are guessing that is going to happen once she actually does file an application based on what the LTC Medicaid program is required to review as a part of the 5 yr “look back” on your mom’s finances??? I’m guessing it’s this….
At $2100 a month income, mom is ok for the income limit for LTC Medicaid as most states have it at $2742. So the ineligibility has to be due to something else….. and the main reason for ineligibility is that the parent has “gifted” $ or assets to their kids within the 5 year look back period. They wrote checks or withdrew large sums of $ or flat outright transferred assets into kids names. Penalty’s penalties & more penalties on stuff they did with their $$$ and it’s all easy peasy to see in their bank statements and joint bank accounts. I’m guessing that based on how you described your own dire financial circumstances, job loss, RV etc that mom has lent you $ or paid your bills or maybe even consigned for stuff for you. If this did happen, it will surface in the lookback and will pose transfer penalties for your mom’s eligibility for LTC Medicaid. So yes, she will be denied Medicaid. & she will have a transfer penalty placed on her application as well.
If this is kinda what you anticipate will happen, dealing with transfer penalties can be done by your mom but imho & not an attorney opinion, she - not you - will have to get with an elder law attorney on this to discuss what her options could possible be. & best done before ever filing the LTC application.
“freebies to millions of illegals on a silver platter” that’s a fallacy.