Our family decided to let the SS check go directly to the NH and they put the personal care allowance ($90 at that time in MN) in her trust fund. All we had to watch was that the amount in the NH account plus what she had in her checking account did not exceed $2000.
Her hair appointments (in the NH) were paid directly out of the fund. We took additional money out of that fund to cover a tip. If Mom went to an NH function that had a fee (such as bringing in fast food once a month), that came out of the fund. Once a month a van took residents to WalMart. One daughter got money out of the fund and met her there for shopping.
It was not at all difficult to get money from Mom's personal needs account.
For us, having the SS check sent directly to the NH was the most convenient option.
Yes. The remainder is often called the personal needs allowance.
Your mom's on Medicaid, right? If so, then you know she is required to pay almost all her monthly income to the NH as her co-pay or SOC (share of cost). Now she or her DPOA can decide whether to have her SS & other income direct deposit to the NH; OR the DPOA can have her SS and any other income go into her checking account and then the DPOA sends a check in for the SOC at the beginning of each month. NH cannot force mom to make the NH her payee.
So you -if your her DPOA- can make this choice. NH has to go along with it although they will tell you that it's easier, simpler….whatever.
Now whichever way is chosen, there will be a small personal needs allowance for her. If $ going to NH, they must set up a trust account at the NH that gets the PNA $. PNA varies by state, like for TX for my mom it was $ 60 but some states have it lower at $ 35 mo and some higher $ 115. Whatever it is, $ must go into the trust account if NH getting her SS and DPOA or other family (if approved by DPOA) can go and withdraw $ to buy things for mom. NH has to allow DPOA access to these funds.
If you keep the SS in mom's old checking account, then you control the PNA $ easier. I did it this way for my mom and just paid her NH each mo. I'd let the PNA build up so that when I went to visit her (I live in another state) I could go and do a bigger buy of clothing replacement, toiletries, etc. For us, it worked. Mom was in 2 NH and the first one was pissy about it but her second & better NH was totally ok about it.
Couple of things to watch out for is to NOT allow the PNA $ to build up as they cannot have more than 2K in assets. If KS does an annual renewal and asks for mom's most recent 2 or 3 months of bank statements, you need to make sure she ends every month under 2K. And if mom gets her SS later in the month and the NH SOC is due first 7 days, then there could be a late fee.
Also some NH charge for cable and phones (not covered by Medicaid) and they take $ out of the PNA each month for it. Mom does NOT have to have cable, phone, etc if family feels its better use of her $ to instead spend it in other ways. I know of a NH who had phone & cable "fee" $ 45 a mo. & the lady was on a monthly beauty shop appointment ($ 15). Her PNA was $ 60. So there was no PNA $ for family to ever have to spend to buy things for mom. The DPOA didn't even realize about the PNA $ 60 a mo till after his mom died when the NH returned by check the last 2 months hairdresser $ as his mom was too ill to get down to the beauty shop.
Now getting mom's SS switched back to her checking account (basically you as your the DPOA) may not be easy. If mom can go to SS and change it all back or do it on-line, it will be simple. But if mom isn't able to go & do anymore, then SS will likely need for you to become her "representative payee". SSA does not recognize DPOA. Yeah its frustrating. Google "rep payee", it's a bit cumbersome to do. Often family just don't want to deal with rep payee and let the NH just get the SS income. Its your call.
Our family decided to let the SS check go directly to the NH and they put the personal care allowance ($90 at that time in MN) in her trust fund. All we had to watch was that the amount in the NH account plus what she had in her checking account did not exceed $2000.
Her hair appointments (in the NH) were paid directly out of the fund. We took additional money out of that fund to cover a tip. If Mom went to an NH function that had a fee (such as bringing in fast food once a month), that came out of the fund. Once a month a van took residents to WalMart. One daughter got money out of the fund and met her there for shopping.
It was not at all difficult to get money from Mom's personal needs account.
For us, having the SS check sent directly to the NH was the most convenient option.
Your mom's on Medicaid, right? If so, then you know she is required to pay almost all her monthly income to the NH as her co-pay or SOC (share of cost).
Now she or her DPOA can decide whether to have her SS & other income direct deposit to the NH;
OR
the DPOA can have her SS and any other income go into her checking account and then the DPOA sends a check in for the SOC at the beginning of each month. NH cannot force mom to make the NH her payee.
So you -if your her DPOA- can make this choice. NH has to go along with it although they will tell you that it's easier, simpler….whatever.
Now whichever way is chosen, there will be a small personal needs allowance for her. If $ going to NH, they must set up a trust account at the NH that gets the PNA $. PNA varies by state, like for TX for my mom it was $ 60 but some states have it lower at $ 35 mo and some higher $ 115. Whatever it is, $ must go into the trust account if NH getting her SS and DPOA or other family (if approved by DPOA) can go and withdraw $ to buy things for mom. NH has to allow DPOA access to these funds.
If you keep the SS in mom's old checking account, then you control the PNA $ easier. I did it this way for my mom and just paid her NH each mo.
I'd let the PNA build up so that when I went to visit her (I live in another state) I could go and do a bigger buy of clothing replacement, toiletries, etc.
For us, it worked. Mom was in 2 NH and the first one was pissy about it but her second & better NH was totally ok about it.
Couple of things to watch out for is to NOT allow the PNA $ to build up as they cannot have more than 2K in assets. If KS does an annual renewal and asks for mom's most recent 2 or 3 months of bank statements, you need to make sure she ends every month under 2K. And if mom gets her SS later in the month and the NH SOC is due first 7 days, then there could be a late fee.
Also some NH charge for cable and phones (not covered by Medicaid) and they take $ out of the PNA each month for it. Mom does NOT have to have cable, phone, etc if family feels its better use of her $ to instead spend it in other ways. I know of a NH who had phone & cable "fee" $ 45 a mo. & the lady was on a monthly beauty shop appointment ($ 15). Her PNA was $ 60. So there was no PNA $ for family to ever have to spend to buy things for mom. The DPOA didn't even realize about the PNA $ 60 a mo till after his mom died when the NH returned by check the last 2 months hairdresser $ as his mom was too ill to get down to the beauty shop.
Now getting mom's SS switched back to her checking account (basically you as your the DPOA) may not be easy. If mom can go to SS and change it all back or do it on-line, it will be simple. But if mom isn't able to go & do anymore, then SS will likely need for you to become her "representative payee". SSA does not recognize DPOA. Yeah its frustrating. Google "rep payee", it's a bit cumbersome to do. Often family just don't want to deal with rep payee and let the NH just get the SS income. Its your call.