They want to be assured they will get paid. I applied her for medicaid last August. Before that, we had a PRI done which concluded that she should be in a SNF. I submitted applications to 4 different NH's & she was put on waiting lists for all. She has dementia, has a serious balance problem, can only walk short distances with a walker, can no longer manage taking her medications correctly, & cannot take care of herself. Now she is getting more forgetful, most of the time can't follow a conversation, & isn't eating nutritious food. She is currently living in an over 55 apartment complex, not assisted living or any kind of help. The medicaid caseworker now tells me they can't approve her for NH medicaid unless she is currently in a NH, they tell me she should apply for community medicaid. The NH director of admissions tells me they can't admit her without medicaid 1st being approved. I feel like a ping pong ball getting bounced back & forth. She is falling through the cracks because nobody will go a little extra to steer me in the right direction. She needs to be in the care of a NH but, at the NH director of admissions urging, I told the medicaid caseworker to go ahead & change the application to community medicaid. I don't feel comfortable with that because she can't do so many things for herself. Since the NH won't work with medicaid pending, how can I get her admitted without waiting for something to happen to her? She is willing & ready to go, she knows she needs to be there.
In 1993, the U.S. Congress passed The Estate Recovery Act which demands that each state seeks repayment for Medicaid benefits from certain people and for certain services
People over the age of 55 who have received Medicaid payments in a specific time period
Payments for nursing homes and nursing care facilities, home and community-based services, related services at hospitals, and prescription drugs.
Most people's assets are is in their houses. Now this targeted groups will find that money is sought on death
While some states do have s homestead exemption or personal residence waiver your state amy still seek financial recovery after you die. In some states the house might be safe as long as your husband or wife is still alive.
Either way they will still come after the money
I for one have had a parent and now a wife in memory care. Although I do not have a "legal background" I have almost 10 years of learning by doing and I am pretty sure many other here are the same.True there are many many differences in the rules of Medicaid from state to state but you do not realize that until you ask. We all come from different perspectives but I do not mind paying taxes to help cover medicaid.....but I do not want to pay additional taxes to cover medicaid for someone else if they are only getting it because a clever attorney has hid their assets. I am sure Florida has its own problems as well. For instance why should medicaid and taxpayers pay when there is still considerable value in a "homestead" for the children to split later? Believe me when I say my family has spent almost $1,000,000.00 for care over the last 10 years without collecting one dime in government money while at the same time listening to families literally bragging about how their attorney "fixed" this or that so they got medicaid. The system is not fair regardless of which side of the fence you are own but it may well be because there are just to many way rules and loopholes instead of not enough tax money.......and way to many lawyers.
If you have current statements of her assets and property it may take less time.
She can begin to get services in home and then move to a facility.
Try your local area Agency on Aging and ask for help.
Good Luck