My mom has been diagnosed with dementia and it has been suggested that we move her to assisted living. She will, barring unforeseen circumstances progress to a memory care facility. Many of the ones we have looked at (all of the best ones) don't take medicare. What do we do?
I have been told by an elder attorney that if you have too much in assets to qualify for medicaid for your spouse, there are some methods to protect your assets and that one way is to convert your assets (stocks, bonds, etc.) into an annuity. I haven't done this yet as we still have long term care benefits, but they will soon run out. Does anyone have any suggestions to avoid getting wiped out financially by Alzheimer's. Also if you or your spouse is a veteran, there is an organization, which I believe is called Veteran Angels that can provide monthly payments.
Good luck with the process. If you have trouble doing it all yourself, call social services and ask how to get help.
Carol
I have called all the assisted living, nursing homes and AFH within an 1hrs drive of us and all want 2-3 yrs private pay first. I guess Minnesota is better than Washington on this.
My mom is in the moderately-severe stage of the Alzheimers and goes to the day care 2 days a week, which she enjoys but exhaust her so I am not sure if I can get her there 5 days. It is hard leaving her alone because she can unfortunately make bad decisions that we catch and correct. I am trying to see if I can get work from home, but it is hard finding that from scratch. Oh yes - I have a great caseworker and I do get paid to be her caregiver but it is only a small stipend, about 20% of what I used to bring home.
Thanks again for your reply. Just having others to talk to is helpful.
Carol
What level of care does she need? What kind of care center are you looking for? Assisted Living? Group home? Memory Care? Nursing Home?
I don't know how it is in Washington, but in Minnesota it is not hard to find good Memory Care or Nursing Home facilities that accept Medicaid from day 1. It is harder to find Assisted Living Facilities that don't expect some private pay before they will accept Medicaid. They do exist, but they are harder to find. I don't have any experience with Group Homes.
Your profile says Mom has dementia. Except in the early stages, many persons with dementia need (or will need) more personal care than ALFs typically are set up to provide. Does your mother wander? Can she dress herself. feed herself, toilet herself? What does she need help with?
You are in a very tough spot. Ask her case worker for help in finding a suitable care center that accepts Medicaid. Also check with your state's Department on Aging.
Have you considered getting paid for your mother's care? If finances are the only obstacle, find out what kind of in-home help your mother is qualified for and see what you would need to do to be able to be her paid aide or caregiver. Again, talk about this with Mom's Medicaid case worker. The money may not be enough to meet your needs, and I realize that there may be other factors that are involved here. But it is worth checking out.
Another thing that Medicaid often pays for (at least in Minnesota) is adult day care. Mom would be picked up, taken to the center, given breakfast and a hot lunch, and returned home in the late afternoon. This arrangement allows some caregivers to work while their parent or spouse is safely looked after. It also provides some stimulation and socializing opportunities to the care receiver.
Explore all the options. If placing Mom is the best option, I sincerely wish you well in finding a good place that accepts Medicaid.
We placed my mthr about 30 mins from home. I know that seems far, but it works out well for us. The important thing is that they had availability when we needed them. What a blessing.
I can believe it is VERY frustrating to hear over and over again that a place does not accept Medicaid. Keep searching ... you'll find one that does! To help narrow down the search try contacting the Alzheimer's Association in your area, and/or your state's Aging Care help line.
we do not have a bed for you. Plus she needs memory care? I hope i never get this disease. This is soo sad. She doesn"t own anything.
Because individual states differ (even though Medicaid is a Federal program), you will do best to get local information from your local social services office. Another great resource in your long-term care ombudsman who can be found by typing in the Zip code at www.longtermcare.org. These people are very helpful and can guide you.
I will tell you for sure that your mom won't get this care paid for while she has the money to do so herself. If she has a lot of assets (house, cars, investments) you may want to talk with an elder law attorney for planning purposes.
Good luck,
Carol