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anonymous561139 Asked June 2017

Can a nursing home force me to transfer my husband to another facility?

My husband who has Alzheimer's fell and broke his hip a few weeks ago. He was taken to hospital, operated on, and on the third day there was transferred to a very good nursing home for rehab. He's now been in rehab three weeks and still can't stand on his own, let alone walk. They use a lift to transfer him from bed to chair etc. In the meantime, I have had my lawyer file for medicaid for him. We do not have any money to pay for him to stay in long term care. The NH has asked me to pick out a few other nursing homes to transfer him to because they state they do NOT accept medicaid waiting patients. I'm very upset as this place is less than a mile from our home and I visit him every day. He's 81 and I'm 75. I don't want to put him some place where I have to drive 1/2 or so to visit, especially in the winter. Also, this place has 5 stars. I've been very happy having him there. I'm feeling very pressured and worried now. Our medicare managed health plan does not want to pay any more toward his stay there in rehab. Mostly because of his dementia, which has gotten a lot worse since his fall. I think the move will send him further downhill mentally. Any advice?

anonymous561139 Jun 2017
No, I can't afford even a month in a nursing home. The lawyer told me Ohio Medicaid is among the worst...takes months!
I'll have to go somewhere temporarily until a Medicaid bed is available at one of my original choices.

JoAnn29 Jun 2017
Yes, Barbs advice is good. Breaking a hip is serious and being put undercwill make the Alhemiers worse. So wilk the stayvin rehab. Can u privately pay for a couple of months? Herevis how it worked for me. Mom was running out of money and her house hadn't sold. I got a lawyer and picked a Longterm facility for Mom. It takes 2-3 months to navigate Medicaid. The facility told me I needed to pay 2 months up front for May and June and then Medicaid takes over July.

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Shane1124 Jun 2017
Unfortunately I think they can if that is their policy, but I would follow Barb's advice first. Good luck!

BarbBrooklyn Jun 2017
Go to the business office and talk to them.

Also, call the discharge office at the hospital and talk to the planner who told you that would work with you.

You were not naive.

anonymous561139 Jun 2017
Yes they take some Medicaid long term patients, but from what they say, they have no bed for him. They do NOT take Medicaid waiting. But when I chose that NH when the hospital was working with me to find a rehab place for my husband, I was told they would "work" with me. I guess I was thinking very naively at the time.

jeannegibbs Jun 2017
Do they take Medicaid at all? I mean, after the application is approved, would they accept him back then? Is it just the "pending" part they object to?

Care facilities are not required to accept Medicaid payments. Medicaid pays less than they charge self-pay residents, so of course not all facilities are willing to do that.

I hope another NH near you will accept your husband.

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