Home care through Medical/Medicare?

OneBlueMoon,

Wondering if you understand that the benefit (known as IHSS) is a benefit of
Medicaid insurance.

Also known as Medi-Medi in California.

JoAnn,
I was wondering about that on-line individual how she could provide care for her mom and Aunt? Would you know?
My mom has not been to any hospitals(thank god🙏), but bc of her alzhiemer condition could she be a candidate for the care through Medicareand or Medi-Cal(Medicaid?

To access IHSS in Orange County:
As a result of the COVID-19 virus, we are taking extra precautions for the protection of our clients and staff and have temporarily closed our IHSS office to the public; however, we are continuing to accept applications.
 It is highly recommended that seniors 65 and older utilize home isolation and follow the directions of your local health authority. 
To apply for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS): In Orange County......
 
Call: 714-825-3000 during business hours (Monday – Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm)
Fax: Fax completed applications to 714-825-3001
Mail: Mail completed applications to P.O. Box 22006, Santa Ana, CA 92702
In-person drop off: A secured drop box is available to drop off completed applications outside the front doors of the IHSS office.
            You can print out IHSS applications from the following links:

Go to their website. OCgov.com
https://www.ssa.ocgov.com/elder/ihss/apply

Other Social Services can be found on websites, such as:
L.A. and Orange County Persian Communities

Medi-Medi is an old term in California, for having the combination Medicare and Medi-Cal program for low income seniors and disabled. Using the right terminology is always helpful. I could be wrong.

For example, a non-english speaking client may not have "Medicare", but instead have an income through SSI (not SSA), and have Medi-Cal benefits which may include in home supportive services benefits.

NOTE: Anyone can qualify to be your IHHS person and be paid by the State of California. (A one-day orientation and training qualifies you). Thus, this is THE real answer to caregiver's questions "Can I be paid to care for my Mom".

My husband was once paid minimum wage for a small amount of hours to care for his Mom after her stroke. Hours were according to her needs assessment. It was not helpful to obtain hours for her when she kept saying she did not need that much help. She is a U.S. citizen and had both Medicare and Medi-Cal. Or, to use the terms I am more familiar with, Medi-Medi.

We have had neighbors whose Mother only spoke Farsi, (not a U.S. citizen), but here legally. The daughter was also on Medi-Cal. Access to the Farsi Community was readily available, however, access was not obtained by asking for a Farsi staff member. For example, there may be someone on staff who speaks Farsi and English, but they do not identify themselves as providing interpreter services to the agency they work for, for many reasons.

Hard to explain, but persons who find similarities find each other. The OP may know others who speak Farsi. Once I asked a Medi-Cal question of a person whose Mother only spoke Farsi. Her answer was: "I do not know anything about Medi-Cal". Years later, I discover that her Mother was always on Medi-Cal, and in addition received even housing in an assisted living apartment. So, I am guessing the answer was: none of my business.

Benefits available to all peoples in California are not offered on a menu, but instead, one needs to ask and apply for the specific program needed. This is the reason some need a member of their community as an advocate to point the way. Services and benefits are out there.

.

Even with Medi-Medi your mom may not be able to get full-time in-home help paid for by both programs, even combined. If there are any organizations, religious entities or clubs in the Iranian community where she lives, you may want to see if you can find a Farsi-speaking college student to help, since they won't require the same high hourly rate. If you do this, you should definitely do some training with them on your mother's cognitive condition and behaviors, how to best engage her and what reactions to expect.

Call 211, and ask to speak to someone who speaks Farsi. Do this even though you speak English, because you are trying to network the helpful Farsi community. Then ask for help making an application for IHHS.

Go to a senior center/Area Agency on Aging and ask for Supportive Services. A home evaluation (usually by a social worker), will send a translator speaking Farsi. This is for home help.

Find an attorney online, and get a free consult regarding services and benefits offered to Medi-Cal and Medicare = (Medi-Medi). 1) They speak Farsi
2) They say so on their website.

Call your mother's case worker for Medi-Cal benefits, and apply for IHSS =
In Home Supportive Services. They will send out a social worker to evaluate your Mom for IHHS. Required by law to translate in Farsi. The case worker can be found on the letters sent to you by Medi-Cal.

Lost my answer and must start over.

Do you speak Farsi also?   I think it might be quite a challenge to find a home with staff who speak Farsi, unless you're in an area of others of Iranian background.    I did some online research (although I don't know what area you live in) and found some links that might help:

1.    "Farsi speakers in the United States can be found in large U.S. cities.  One of the largest communities of Farsi speakers is located in Los Angeles.  More than 300,000 Farsi speakers live in an area in Central Los Angeles, sometimes referred to as “Tehrangeles”.  (See “Tehrangeles: How Iranians Made Part of LA their Own”  https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19751370 )"

https://pglsinc.com/the-persian-language-focus-on-farsi/?nowprocket=1

2.    Might be a "long shot" but perhaps some of these notables know of sources that could help, including other communities with Farsi speaking people:

"Many American citizens of Iranian descent have made significant contributions to the American society.   Their accomplishments abound in education, science, medicine, music, and the arts. For a complete list of notable Iranian Americans, see Wikipedia article “List of Iranian Americans” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Iranian_Americans )"

3.    Are there any religious institutions (mosques?) in your area where Farsi might be spoken?   I'd try them, as well as any ethnic groups where Farsi would be the primary language.

4.     While not specifically oriented toward any language, I found this site to be somewhat helpful:  Piedmont Global Language Solutions:

https://pglsinc.com/the-persian-language-focus-on-farsi/?nowprocket=1

You might want to contact them for in turn additional contacts to locate other Farsi speaking individuals.

5.  Are there any Iranian ethnic and/or social groups in your area?  

Honestly, though, unless you're in a community of others with similar ethnic background, I think it will be difficult to find someone fluent in Farsi in blended communities, but it's worth a try.

I would look primarily though for those kinds of ethnic groups, especially if you're in an ethnically diverse community.

I wish you success, and hope that you let us know if you find someone, and how you located that person.

Just want to clarify that Medi-Medi is when someone is on both Medi-Cal (Medicaid in California) and Medicare, correct? I've not heard that term before and thinking others have not, either.

If she has Medicaid they have "in home" care if she fits their income requirements. Call her caseworker and ask about it.

Medicare usually only pays for "in home" care if released from a Hospital or Rehab and its temporary. A member did say under "intermitant" in the on-line info concerning Medicare homecare you can get help on a more regular basis. She did it with her Mom and Aunt.