On the 1st, I paid Mom’s patient liability to the nursing home, which is all of her SS check minus $50. Am I owed a refund?

Yes. They are supposed to refund for the rest of the days that your mother wasn't in their facility.

It's going to be hard to get that money back, but if you have an Ombudsman's Office in that state Tennessee then that would be a good place to start.

Miss Pearl, Also if there was a balance in your mom’s personal needs account (the $ placed in separate at the NH, like $ used to pay for beauty shoppe or small incidentals) that $ also should go back to you as POA as well.

Answered this and then noted that you have a check coming in the mail. Glad it worked out well for you, Ms Pearl.

Ms. Pearl, thank you so much for the update!

I emailed nursing home to ask if there’d be a refund for the remaining days? Yes; the ck is in the mail. This is a relief bcz my little bit of research made me think that patients under hospice status would not be due refunds. I’m grateful.

They probably haven't gotten around to refunding you yet I think that, yes, they should refund.

When my Mom entered LTC, she paid privately for 2 months at $9300 month. Which over those two months averaged $305 a day. When Mom went on Medicaid, her SS and pension of $1700 went towards her care and Medicaid paid their share which is not even close to the difference if $7600. When the lien was put on the house by Medicaid, it was just short $6000 for 85 days of care at maybe $70.50 a day. If I take my Moms 1700 and divide by 31 days she paid for her care $55 a day. She died 9/23. So that last 7 days would come out to $385 that should have been returned? Not sure if I was entitled to it or not. My Mom received very good care while she was there. They could keep that $385.

I went into my Moms the day after her passing and got her stuff. But I am pretty sure I would have been called if I wan't there that day. If I hadn't cleaned it out, they would have and put Moms stuff some place. Actually, there were clothes in the laundry I wanted back and never received. My Mom died the 23rd and I received nothing back for the last 7 days. NHs charge daily when paying privately but not sure if that works that way when on Medicaid. I would say its like paying rent, once you pay for the month, you get no refunds.

I received all money that went into her Personal Needs Acct once I showed a short certificate as Executor. The PNA and assets allowed (2000 my State allows) became part of my Moms estate. Don't allow anyone to say that it goes to Medicaid, it doesn't.

In addition to the answers given also consider when her room was usable again.
She passed on the 15th were ALL of her belongings out of the room on that day? If the room would not have been ready for another resident until the 20th they may say that you would owe until that day.

Was there a contract? Maybe check that first.

I believe that NHs get paid by the day, rather than by the month, the way ALs do.
Yes, ask the business office for a refund of the difference if mom's room was cleaned out immediately after her death (my mom died at 3.30 pm; we had all of her stuff disposed of by 5pm.)

I'm so sorry for your loss.