Does Medicare pay for a caregiver or any part of a caregiver?

Sorry, Medicare will not cover caregiving costs. Nor will social security. If your mother were to need to go on Medicaid, she might be qualified for some money to pay for caregiving. Also if she is eligible for benefits through the VA, there may be some money there. Otherwise it is just personal pay arrangements.

So basically, the government doesn't help at all until your parent expends every last nickel of their own money. They will even "take the house" as I understand it, if it's paid for, to pay her bills. They will use her stocks if she has any, and they will drain her accounts dry, squeezing out every last asset. Then, when she is financially destitute, only THEN will she qualify for Medicaid, which will put her (as I understand it) in a standard/sub-standard assisted living or memory care. There is something very, very wrong with our entire system, that we are sending money overseas to help other countries but when it comes to our elderly who need help, bleed them dry first completely and only then will they be placed in a home (not anything like a resort, either...) That is my opinion on it.

The government will not take anything from the elderly directly for medicaid coverage. You just are not eligible for coverage if you have too many certain assets. Houses are exempt except when the MERP comes into play on the death of a recipient. I agree there is not enough affordable services for the elderly in this country, but the Medicaid Program is for poverty stricken individuals of any age. I would love to see less money going overseas and more spent on our citizens and social programs for seniors. If more affordable care was available, seniors wouldn't need to become impoverished for long term care.