Mom has enough funds to live at the Adult Family Care Home for about 4 years. How far in advance of her funds running out should we apply for Medicaid? Appreciate the input.
Thank you both for your comments. To answer your question Babalou, the AFCH where she lives does not take medicaid at this time. We are paying for she stay with her SS benefits, VA aid &attendance benefits and the balance comes out of her savings. My sister and I calculated things and if we watch her money closely 4 years is max it will last. I know once she goes on medicaid she loses a&a benefits so I dont want to apply to soon, but I also dont want to find ourselves in a gap with no funds to pay for her care. I think I will do as you said jeanne, revisit in 3 yrs. I have heard it can take up to a year? Thanks for all the support, great bunch of people on this journey with me!
When mom went into the NH, they told us to apply when she had 6 months of funds left, but your situation may be different. Is this a facility that will accept Medicaid when the time comes?
The way it was explained to us, there are facilities that will accept Medicaid payment after a certain length of stay as a private pay patient. We selected the rehab facility mom went to after hip surgery based on the fact that she could rehab there, stay on as a private pay NH patient and convert to Medicaid if she had three years of private pay. We were fortunate to have a stellar discharge planner at the hospital who explained this all to us. Several times. This is rocket science people, a steep learning curve for most of us.
Understand that when the discharge planner asks what kind of funds your parent has, it's a very real question that you need to answer honestly. At least that's how it worked out for us.
Think about it again in 3 years. Who knows? Perhaps some aspects of how we provide care for elders who cannot pay for their own care will have changed.
Right now you should keep careful accounting of how her money is spent. Be sure that nothing could be interpreted as giving her money away.
3 Answers
Helpful Newest
First Oldest
First
The way it was explained to us, there are facilities that will accept Medicaid payment after a certain length of stay as a private pay patient. We selected the rehab facility mom went to after hip surgery based on the fact that she could rehab there, stay on as a private pay NH patient and convert to Medicaid if she had three years of private pay. We were fortunate to have a stellar discharge planner at the hospital who explained this all to us. Several times. This is rocket science people, a steep learning curve for most of us.
Understand that when the discharge planner asks what kind of funds your parent has, it's a very real question that you need to answer honestly. At least that's how it worked out for us.
ADVERTISEMENT
Right now you should keep careful accounting of how her money is spent. Be sure that nothing could be interpreted as giving her money away.