My grandmother lives with my aunt (her daughter) and I. My grandmother isn’t a US citizen and her green card just expired. She has been struggling with severe dementia for a long time now. Her ability to move and take care of herself is gone. She can’t use the bathroom by herself and frequently falls when she is helped because she cannot support her own weight and holding her up is nearly impossible. We have had to bring the fire department in if another man isn’t around because we are unable to lift her when she falls. She has frequent diarrhea as well and often refuses to eat. She is often completely incontinent and frequently soils her clothing. It is a really bad situation but we do not know how to get help. We found one home care worker who helps out three times a week but it’s not enough. Her not being a citizen seems to rule out any nursing home option or additional help. I don’t know what to do or how to get help. It has become nearly impossible to even get her in and out of bed. Sometimes she simply refuses to get into bed or use the bathroom and it is often difficult just to change her in bed. In hindsight we should have sent her back to her home country where she could have gotten help before things got so bad, but now it would be impossible to get her on a plane. My aunt is completely emotionally burned out and my own health issues are making matters worse. It is truly a dire situation.
Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI)
CAPI is a 100 percent state-funded program designed to provide monthly cash benefits to aged, blind, and disabled non-citizens who are ineligible for Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) solely due to their immigration status. The Welfare Reform Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193) eliminated SSI/SSP eligibility for most non-citizens. As a result, most immigrants who were not receiving SSI/SSP in August 1996 are no longer eligible for SSI/SSP. The amount of CAPI benefits is equivalent to the amount of SSI/SSP benefits.
CAPI recipients may be eligible for Medi-Cal, CalFresh and In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), but they must file for each benefit separately. There is no automatic eligibility link between CAPI and these other programs.
Look into this in your area.
No one is going to arrest her, no one is going to deport her simply due to the extraordinary expenses of a frail elderly needing to be transported by ambulance, imo.
Instead, look into helps for her by searching online: help for non-U.S. citizen elderly
OR
U.S. dot gov. disabled elderly
"Your status as a legal permanent resident does not change if your green card expires. Although an expired green card does not mean that you lose your LPR status, you may encounter some problems: If you travel, you will have difficulty reentering the United States."
"USCIS Extends Validity of Expired Permanent Resident Cards from 12 Months to 24 Months for Renewals | USCIS.Oct 3, 2022"
What I read the biggest problem for Grandmom would be is if she went out of the US, she would not be allowed back in without an up to date card. After reading the below document, I don't think u need a lawyer, just get the card renewed.
https://citizenpath.com/expired-green-card-problems/
https://citizenpath.com/expired-green-card-problems/
Medicaid can be applied for and Grandma placed in Longterm care.
If she has a life threatening crisis she might get emergency Medicaid for that one event.