How do I get my mom 78 with dementia into a facility with Social Security as her only resource? I don't know where to start?

thank you, to those that responded!!!

I concur with mstrbill. I would like to add that the reason you aren't getting help, is the business model of placement agencies. Most placement services offer to search for a place for your mom at no cost to you. They instead make their money by collecting a fee from the facility. Many places do not accept the Medicaid rate at all. But many do accept Medicaid. But many of those want to be paid at a higher private care rate in the beginning. No facility is going to pay a placement fee and then immediately accept the Medicaid rate. You probably can get a list of licensed care facilities from your state. But network and ask everyone you know. Personal referrals can be a good guide. Likely that you know people that have been through this before.

Fill out all your Medicaid application forms. They will schedule an appointment to do an in home assessment.

I assume you mean Medicaid assistance? Yes, they need her income and bank statements to determine eligibility. Once they see those and see she has limited income and assets and along with a physician's determination she needs nursing home care, they can qualify her for state assistance for LTC Medicaid.

It is not easy to place someone in a home by yourself with no assets, even those that may take those that have Medicaid pending. The nursing homes are going to need to be paid by someone, so getting that Medicaid approval is the first step. If you don't feel you can do it by yourself, or pay an attorney to do it, you may want to call a state social worker (APS) to do a welfare check on her. The other route would be to go through the hospital to get help, but something would have to happen to her to get her to the hospital in the first place.