You can call adult protective services to visit her. Call your local area agency on aging for in home assistance, maybe if she had someone coming in on a regular basis to help her, things would be a bit better. Parents will sometimes respond better to a stranger than they will to us.
If you know her doctor's name, write out and fax a copy of a statement to the doctor about the woman's living conditions. Ask the doctor to do something immediately and without delay. If doctor deemed her competent, s/he needs to re-evaluate that finding and get her into the health care system, perhaps a short psychiatric hospitalization to see what is going on with her. Put the monkey on the doctor's back. The fax is laying down a paper trail in preparation for litigation and doctor will recognize the fax for what it is.
Thank you everyone for your answers. I took your advice and called several different agencies. Adult Protective Services steered me in the right direction and hooked us up with a companion program. It is perfect because she keeps her independence with a little help :) I can not thank you all enough! God bless to you all.
I think the confusion we had was that in your profile it says your mother is living in independent living. That's actually a name for a senior citizen community, usually in a continuing care campus. It's so confusing when you first get started in all this! I like the idea of calling the Sherrif's office as they have perceived authority and maybe they can take her to a short term place while someone evaluates her / her homemore thoroughly.
You need a casemanager to evaluate/re-evaluate what services your Mother would be entitled to. From what you are saying "cannot care for herself," "lives below poverty line," you need to get hooked up with an agency immediately....Area Agency on Aging, Catholic Charities, your township/village, etc. Good luck!
She might qualify for Medicaid with or without a Miller Trust. At least that would help with meds, and maybe there would be a community waiver program available for some other supports during the day. You might approach your count office and/or Area Agency on Aging about that.
What was the reason given for denying food stamps and income assistance?
My mom gets social security but it is not enough to cover her bills. She lives below the poverty line but was denied food stamps and assistance. Not sure where else to go to get her help with food, meds, heat and water?? Any suggestions?
Thank you for the suggestion. I have calls in today. Hopefully someone will help. She is not in an independent living facility. She lives at home. That is part of the problem. She needs to live in a facility of some sort. She refuses.
Wow. I'm surprised the IL has allowed her to stay. I am doubly surprised there is no heat and water at an Independendent Living facility. Are you sure that is where she is living?
You need to contact her county human services department and set her up for a needs assessment. I hope the county/state is able to find a good place for her where she will be warm and well fed.
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I like the idea of calling the Sherrif's office as they have perceived authority and maybe they can take her to a short term place while someone evaluates her / her homemore thoroughly.
What was the reason given for denying food stamps and income assistance?
She is not in an independent living facility. She lives at home. That is part of the problem. She needs to live in a facility of some sort. She refuses.
Are you sure that is where she is living?