Did I miss part of the question or something? I believe that the person asked only if Medicaid pays for assisted living as her mother already qualified. While I may agree with some of your comments about spend down etc. it seems like you dissed this person by getting on your soap box about spend down before even addressing their question.
Florida Medicaid Assisted Living Waiver only pays for the Medical Care. Room and Board are on you. Best find an Elderlaw attorney in your area to get better advise and find out if your state carries Assisted Living Diversion program which is easier to get on and pays for more then Waiver. If your parent or spouse was in the military and served during war time then the VA may be able to help as well
Assisted Living costs $5,000.00 a month. My mom has Alzheimers, and has been in one for almost 3 years. Try again, $4,000 to $5,000 is wrong, dead wrong!
Medicare does not pay for assisted living, nor long term nursing home care (some exceptions, such as after a hospitalization..) If she can't be left alone, maybe you should consider an actual long term care facility...specifically one that has capabilities to care for Alzheimer's patients...a "wondering unit"...some are called. The needs of the Alzheimer's patient are different from the needs of a person that is there due to aging and other health related problems. These units are designed special for the needs of people like your mom and I would assure the staff has special training as well. I do not respond to this as an "expert"....I am a nurse, but have also just encountered a similiar situation with my father in the past year. He was living at home and I moved in with him. He did get out of the house one night in a bad rain storm....we were very lucky he was not hurt. But that was when it was realized it was a safety concern for him to be at home...even with me there. And I was very particular with my father, loved him very much and was not ignoring or "half-way taking care of him". We had sitters during the day and I was there at night...but I just did not hear him get out. Immed. I installed alarms on all doors, bells on his bedroom door, on his walker, on the chairs that I pushed against his bed (so if he tried to get up I would hear the bells) AND a monitor in his room and mine. We did manage with that, until he we were able to secure him a room at the Veterans Center in our area, which did have an Alzhiemer's unit...however...by the time the room was available...he was basically no longer a wondering risk...he was no longer able to get up and down with assistance and really did not even try. Most Alzheimer's patients will eventually NOT require the special services of an Alzheimer's Unit...when/if they become no longer able to move about without assistance. I wish you much luck...the heartache you are encountering is still very real in my own heart! And...it is not good for your kids...they need to remember and know that their grandmother IS not the person they are seeing now....and I would say your children are old enough to understand that. God Bless you, your mom and your family....
My mother has early Alzheimer's, however is not bad enough to go into a nursing home. She knows who we are and how to do some things, but can't be left alone. I work and have 2 children 8 and 13. She lived with us and it was not good for my children she was abusive to my son. She is on Medicaid, and I do not have the money to pay for her to live in an assisted living facility. Does anyone know if medicare will help with assisted living?
I don't know where there is assisted living costing 4K to 5K per year---my mom is in an assisted living facility that costs $7,000/month!! It is probably above the average assisted living facilities but even facilities not as nice as mom's cost 4-5,000/month, NOT per year. (mom's facility is in a suburb of MD, close to Washington,DC.). I do have a question about Medicaid, though. Mom will run out of all her money, including the money from the sale of her house, in 2-3 years. The assisted living facility said they would subsidize her expenses until she reached a LOC (Level of Care) to qualify for a nursing home. at which time they will help her apply for Medicaid. I understand that a person can only have a very small amount a month (can't remember the amount, but less than $100, I think) Mom will continue to get her Social Security and the annuity pension plan from my deceased dad, amounting to about $2700/month. Will this disqualify her for Medicaid? What happens when a person qualifies for Medicaid but has additional needs not paid for by Medicaid such as clothing, beauty shop to wash and set her hair, etc??
We sold my parents home and its being used for home care and daycare and anything she needs. I agree we dont owe anyone an inheritence just good care. At least I feel that my parent being taken care of by myself, is better than any nursing home, and is less money overall including daycare. I assume once the money is gone, we apply for medicaid. We didnt before because they would put a lean on her house. Sometimes the less you have, the better off you are, whats wrong with this picture. We have to use my parents money and then get medicaid and if they didnt have any, they would have gotten it already, makes no sense to me. All that matters in the overall picture is the best care possible though.
To preserve assets, if you can convince a parent to transfer them to a child (if the spouse is deceased-otherwise all a couples assets can immediately be transferred to the other), after the five year look-back period (which means medicaid can count the assets against a parent prior to 5 yrs. after the transfer), the parent will qualify for medicaid coverage. The time frame used to be three yrs. until ~5 yrs. ago when Congress passed legislation extending the period.
There are 2 other means available: If both parents are alive, do not own a home, and one requires long term care, purchase of a house with their assets will shield them as medicaid does not count a primary residence for disqualification during the 5 yr. look-back. If there is a disabled child, age not a factor, transfer of funds to that child will immediately qualify the parent regardless of whether both parents are still livig.
Today, nursing home care costs between $7-$12K a year. Assisted living runs $4-$5k/yr. Average costs for home health services is approx. $17-$20/hr. If 24/7 care is required, the costs are significantly more than nursing home care.
These costs, if required for even 6-12 months, can wipe out a person's hard earned savings. If affordable, services of an eldercare attorney will provide the family counsel in making the best decisions for all.
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Does a Medicaid waiver cover all assisted living costs?
It is probably above the average assisted living facilities but even facilities not as nice as mom's cost 4-5,000/month, NOT per year. (mom's facility is in a suburb of MD, close to Washington,DC.).
I do have a question about Medicaid, though.
Mom will run out of all her money, including the money from the sale of her house, in 2-3 years. The assisted living facility said they would subsidize her expenses until she reached a LOC (Level of Care) to qualify for a nursing home. at which time they will help her apply for Medicaid.
I understand that a person can only have a very small amount a month (can't remember the amount, but less than $100, I think) Mom will continue to get her Social Security and the annuity pension plan from my deceased dad, amounting to about $2700/month. Will this disqualify her for Medicaid? What happens when a person qualifies for Medicaid but has additional needs not paid for by Medicaid such as clothing, beauty shop to wash and set her hair, etc??
There are 2 other means available:
If both parents are alive, do not own a home, and one requires long term care, purchase of a house with their assets will shield them as medicaid does not count a primary residence for disqualification during the 5 yr. look-back.
If there is a disabled child, age not a factor, transfer of funds to that child will immediately qualify the parent regardless of whether both parents are still livig.
Today, nursing home care costs between $7-$12K a year. Assisted living runs $4-$5k/yr. Average costs for home health services is approx. $17-$20/hr. If 24/7 care is required, the costs are significantly more than nursing home care.
These costs, if required for even 6-12 months, can wipe out a person's hard earned savings. If affordable, services of an eldercare attorney will provide the family counsel in making the best decisions for all.