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Elderlycare2020 Asked July 2021

How do elderly patients get help if they require memory care but they are not qualified for Medicaid nor have money to private pay?

Both of my parents are 74. Both do not qualify for Medicaid due to their SSI income is right above the guidelines requirements. My mom have dementia. My dad taking care of her, at this point, she is required 24/7 care. My dad cant do this all by himself; She cant go to a memory care facility because they do not have Medicaid and do not have that type of money to private pay. ($5k-$10k per month) They really need help. I have to work and can only do the max I could like cook , clean, help bath , feed my mom, doctor appointments, etc..... We all exhausted. How can we get help to have her taken care of? Thank You for all answers.

mstrbill Jul 2021
I wanted to add to what I had written below, as I wasn't able to yesterday. What is going to have to be done is your mom is going to have to be placed in a SNF, paid for by Medicaid. She will qualify, an elder attorney can do it for you. They do cost money, but if your parents have equity in the home, it may be well worth it to have the attorney set it up for you. If you don't or can't afford to go through an attorney, you can try to seek help through local AoA or possibly a state social worker (perhaps APS). If the local AoA can't really provide enough assistance, as sometimes is the case, you can call APS, you can do it anonymously from a distance, just report 2 elderly people who seem to need assistance. Bottom line is you need a social worker to help find a solution. And it does not have to be you if you can't due to work requirements. The first step though is to get Mom qualified for LTC Medicaid, and then you need to seek out a NH for her. The last resort, if all other efforts are getting you nowhere or the wheels are turning too slowly, is to seek help through the local hospital. When there is even the slightest "emergency", have her transported to the hospital and let the social workers there know mom is not safe at home anymore.

sjplegacy Jul 2021
Income is never a disqualifier for Medicaid. A Medicaid planner or Elder Care attorney can help. Call one of the agencies already suggested to get help.
JoAnn29 Jul 2021
Yes it is for longterm care. Your monthly income has to be below the cap allowed. It can be gotten around with a Miller Trust if the State allows them. Your assets have to be below 2k. Even "in home" you must hit certain criteria. Health insurance thru Medicaid you can have a certain amt of income. A lot depends on size of family.

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mstrbill Jul 2021
Please get in touch with a social worker, either through your local Agency on Aging or a state social worker, or have your mom's physician send a referral. Also as others have said, a Medicaid case worker.

Geaton777 Jul 2021
Your father should invest in a consult with a Medicaid Planner. Your parents are young to need this help already, so wise long-term planning is a must. He won't regret it.

JoAnn29 Jul 2021
First, I would call your local Medicaid office and ask how it works when the monthly income is more than the cap allowed when one spouse needs care in a NH and the other would be the community spouse. Medicaid may not use the combined income in that instance. See Moms SS is hers and Dad's SS is his.

Do they have assets, like savings, bonds, stocks, investiments?
Medicaid allows these assets to be split. Moms half would go for her care and when spent down, Medicaid can be applied for. Dad as the Community Spouse would keep the home, a car and be given enough of the combined income to live on. But, you may need a lawyer well versed in Medicaid to help u sort this out.

AlvaDeer Jul 2021
Generally the person must go to Nursing Home Care and do so on Medicaid which should be applied for. Because both your parents are living it is important to have an elder law attorney in your state who can guide you in division of assets so that your Dad can have his own life, and your Mom's Social Security and other assets pay for her care in facility, the state picking up the other costs. Qualification becomes more complicated by a lot when the two spouses are still living so I would get professional help.
Some on Forum, such as Igloo can help you with understanding how this division often works for an elder, so I hope she is about to see your post. Some Social Workers are also adept at helping with such knowledge, division and application, so you might consider that. Speak to the doctor involved in the care of your Mom about where you should go for the information and application. This is all so hard and I am so sorry you are facing this.

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