You need to understand the difference in what MediCARE & MedicAID does.
By & large MediCARE is an entitlement program to pay for hospitalization and provider bills (physicians, PT's, OT's) that either come from the hospital stay or for in the office visits. MediCARE is in different parts, like part A, part B....& part D is all about drugs. Hospice is a MediCARE benefit and done based on physicians orders and has to be qualified initially and then on a regular basis (they have to have to be evaluated by MD's with less that 6 months to live for hospice). Medicare basically does not pay at all for the day to day care needs (that is what Medicaid does and usually in a NH setting). Medicare is a federal program so the rules tend to be all the same which is kinda good. The bad part is Medicare reinbursement tends to be low so many free-standing providers do not take Medicare.
MedicAID is a needs-based program (they basically have to be impoverished with about 2K in assets and 2K in monthly income - the exact amount is set by the state) that provides for day to care costs (the room & board fee) at NH but also does provide for a big range of services for those that still live at home. What MedicAID does depends on your state because Medicaid is managed or administered by each state under a general federal umbrella (and $$). Some states (like Minnesota, NY) have a wide range of social at home services under medicaid while other states,like most southern states, provide for much, much less.
CMS - Centers for Medicare and Medicaid is the clearinghouse for all Medicare and Medicaid. Google it and go through it - it's a good site and pretty clear to understand.My mom's state (TX) site (Texas DADS site) is OK but written so that it is not clearly understandable.
As an aside, 93 is pretty up there in age. My mom is in her 90's and basically did well on her own till 91 and then went into IL and now is in a NH. She is on Medicaid. For us, realistically, that was no way to provide for the 24/7 oversight and care that she would increasingly need plus the socialization and activities and services that a good NH does. There is no way at home she would have had occupational therapy down the hall 3X's a week; or arts & crafts every week or old movie night or fresh laundry every day. Bathing is a big issue when they are at home - my mom's NH has bathing done as a 2 or 3 person bathing team in a big shower room (think high school gym from the 1970's). My mom is now on hospice (hip break) so alot of her care is now via Medicare at the NH and she is now 4X a week bathing team. There is no way this could be done at home without basically a couple of people shutting down everything else to take for her. No way I or other family was ever going to do this - no apologies either. None of this is easy but your need to be a clear eyed realistic to what caregiving involved. Good luck and keep a sense of humor.
By & large MediCARE is an entitlement program to pay for hospitalization and provider bills (physicians, PT's, OT's) that either come from the hospital stay or for in the office visits. MediCARE is in different parts, like part A, part B....& part D is all about drugs. Hospice is a MediCARE benefit and done based on physicians orders and has to be qualified initially and then on a regular basis (they have to have to be evaluated by MD's with less that 6 months to live for hospice). Medicare basically does not pay at all for the day to day care needs (that is what Medicaid does and usually in a NH setting). Medicare is a federal program so the rules tend to be all the same which is kinda good. The bad part is Medicare reinbursement tends to be low so many free-standing providers do not take Medicare.
MedicAID is a needs-based program (they basically have to be impoverished with about 2K in assets and 2K in monthly income - the exact amount is set by the state) that provides for day to care costs (the room & board fee) at NH but also does provide for a big range of services for those that still live at home. What MedicAID does depends on your state because Medicaid is managed or administered by each state under a general federal umbrella (and $$). Some states (like Minnesota, NY) have a wide range of social at home services under medicaid while other states,like most southern states, provide for much, much less.
CMS - Centers for Medicare and Medicaid is the clearinghouse for all Medicare and Medicaid. Google it and go through it - it's a good site and pretty clear to understand.My mom's state (TX) site (Texas DADS site) is OK but written so that it is not clearly understandable.
As an aside, 93 is pretty up there in age. My mom is in her 90's and basically did well on her own till 91 and then went into IL and now is in a NH. She is on Medicaid. For us, realistically, that was no way to provide for the 24/7 oversight and care that she would increasingly need plus the socialization and activities and services that a good NH does. There is no way at home she would have had occupational therapy down the hall 3X's a week; or arts & crafts every week or old movie night or fresh laundry every day. Bathing is a big issue when they are at home - my mom's NH has bathing done as a 2 or 3 person bathing team in a big shower room (think high school gym from the 1970's). My mom is now on hospice (hip break) so alot of her care is now via Medicare at the NH and she is now 4X a week bathing team. There is no way this could be done at home without basically a couple of people shutting down everything else to take for her. No way I or other family was ever going to do this - no apologies either. None of this is easy but your need to be a clear eyed realistic to what caregiving involved. Good luck and keep a sense of humor.