If medicaid pays to place a person into a nursing home, why doesn't medicaid pay the home caregiver so the person can stay home with family?

Apr 1, 2010

what state do you live in? in California, they do. it's called IHSS (In home support services) they pay up to 100 hours of care for you or a caregiver you hire. Check with your local senior resource center or state's department of aging.

Helpful Answer (1)

hair

Apr 2, 2010

Thank you arose4yu, we live in NY and I don't believe we have anything like California has, but I will check into it to be sure. What California has is a great idea. It would help with food or other needs. Thanks again

giles167

Apr 3, 2010

hair, I know what you mean. I'm in PA and we don't have anything like that either. What can I say....when does anything the govt does make any sense?! It's kinda a@@ backwards if you ask me. They should give insentive for people to take care of their family members at home. As it is, unless you're ultra-wealthy, you go into it accepting the fact that it's gonna take a tole on your financial situation. I know it has in my case. I think more people would take the initiative if they didn't have to suffer financially to do it. But then again, maybe it helps weed out those who would keep a family member at home just for the money and not actually take care of them. Unfortunately their are people out there like that and they're usually the ones who ruin it for people like us. Sad state of affairs.

AlzCaregiver

Apr 3, 2010

That situation in CA takes into account the income of the invalid or senior, not the income of the caregiver. So my mom "makes too much" to qualify for Medicaid, so I suffer. "She" gets nothing, thus I get nothing. I qualify only for a $40 coupon to get a converter box to get digital TV last I checked.

Attacking home care givers is The Governator's favorite sport, and home care and senior day care centers are always on the budget chopping block. There IS a lot of abuse and over billing, of course, and family caregivers who do not care and are in it for the cash.. (You seen "Precious"...how the mother brought the little kid over just for the interview so she could continue to get checks...)

arose4yu

Apr 3, 2010

alzcaregiver, I understand--we are/were in the same boat. We couldn't qualify for our parents for IHSS, but we did get 1 year of a weekend caregiver by getting on a waiting list that the Southern Caregiver Resource Center told us about....they don't tell you these things...lol...you usually have to dig!