Hypothetically, my Mom is in a nursing home but she has no assets nor income so if I, or anyone, gives her money will this get her kicked off of the Medicaid paid nursing home residency.
Your mom being supported by Medicaid doesn't prevent her from receiving gifts from you and while I totally understand that what you want to accomplish is to help her feel as independent and "normal" as possible what you are effectively doing is "gifting" her some things she can't buy herself. So as long as you aren't taking over financial support I can't see why this would interfere with Medicaid. You can purchase her a fancy wheelchair if you want or give her a prepaid MasterCard to purchase special items. You might check with your her state Medicaid office just to see if there is a limit of some sort but you aren't adding to her income you are doing special things for your mom like feeding her a steak dinner or buying her a fancy new coat and part of doing that for her is allowing her to feel like she's picking out the coat and treating the family to lobster.
Why do you want to give her money? There is nowhere for her to spend it beyond her cable bill, haircuts, and such (all of which can be drawn from a resident account).
It's not a good idea to leave cash laying around in a nursing home.
I know someone who gave their their mom $50 a week (for what, I don't know) and it kept disappearing. Mom was accusing the staff and other residents. Turns out, Mom was tossing it into the hamper. It was a large nursing home and the residents' laundry was intermingled. So, the cash would have just turned up loose in the dryer. They figured it out because, one time, it stayed in her pocket through washing and drying and her daughter found it there because she happened to be visiting when the laundry was being delivered. No more cash for mom after that.
When Mom needed items (or I just wanted her to have them) like clothes, shoes, decorations, favorite foods and teas etc I just bought them and gave them to her. Or we would pick something out of a catalogue together and I’d give it to her. No need to give her money to do it herself. No big deal. And I still do all this for her NH roommate. If she wants to give monetary gifts, why give her the money to do it, just put your money in an envelope and sign her name.
Ditto to mstrbill's questions. Does your mom's facility have a resident trust? Any excess SS funds that build up in her bank account can be put in a resident trust (up to a point) for your mom to use inside the facility for things like haircare, salon services, giftshop, etc. That's what we do for my MIL.
I agree. There is no need for her to have any money in a NH. A Personal needs account (PNA) has been set up with maybe (depends on the state) $50 or more for any personal things she may need. Like her hair done, new shoes, etc. The PNB is considered in the spend down. If Mom has exactly thec2k (or what ur state allows) a PNB will take it over so it needs to be spent. I think u can add to the PNA if the amount is not enough for her needs. But, do not put money into her banking account. This will be questioned by Medicaid.
Why would you want to give money to your Mom? Medicaid pays for all her needs in Long term care. If you want to buy her something that she could use in the home I would think that would be fine, but what could she possibly need money for?
To upgrade her quality of life. It is one thing to have your "needs" met. It is something else to feel like you can "live". A big part of that sense of living is to be able to get things that you like or have liked in the past. Occasionally a new dress or underwear or getting hair done (at a cut above what is done at the NH facility). Buying a gift or two for your grandkids birthdays.
There is a lot of difference just in knowing that you can do these things if you want, regardless of whether you actually do them or not. Also, sometimes the Medicaid process takes so long to work through that by the time it provides something you may need, like a wheel chair, walker, etc. the need may have already passed. The internal structure of these nursing homes is such that you can't rush the system no matter who you are so feeling capable of fulfilling one's needs is about knowing you have the means if necessary. Otherwise, how is it any different than being in a prison?
As long and you aren't signing up for her to be supported by you financially, I don't see why there would be a problem.
It's not a good idea to leave cash laying around in a nursing home.
I know someone who gave their their mom $50 a week (for what, I don't know) and it kept disappearing. Mom was accusing the staff and other residents. Turns out, Mom was tossing it into the hamper. It was a large nursing home and the residents' laundry was intermingled. So, the cash would have just turned up loose in the dryer. They figured it out because, one time, it stayed in her pocket through washing and drying and her daughter found it there because she happened to be visiting when the laundry was being delivered. No more cash for mom after that.
There is a lot of difference just in knowing that you can do these things if you want, regardless of whether you actually do them or not. Also, sometimes the Medicaid process takes so long to work through that by the time it provides something you may need, like a wheel chair, walker, etc. the need may have already passed. The internal structure of these nursing homes is such that you can't rush the system no matter who you are so feeling capable of fulfilling one's needs is about knowing you have the means if necessary. Otherwise, how is it any different than being in a prison?