Do you know for a fact that your mom's current AL accepts Medicaid? I'm not sure how it works in CA but in MN where I live not every facility accepts it. Your mom's probably does, but please make sure. My MIL is in a nice facility on Medicaid. It means she shares her room. She gets the same care as everyone else. I'm not sure how long approval will take in CA, but it takes at least 3 months here, so you should apply before her money runs out. Ask a social worker at the Dept of Health and Human Services office if you have questions that aren't answered on their website.
California’s medi-cal program is a whole different ball game. Can’t be compared to other states. It’s the department of social services that she would contact here too, not Health & human services-that’s a whole other entity here :) it doesn’t take 3 months to get approved for a medi-cal AL waiver. She doesn’t need to find a facility that takes medi-cal, she has to live in or be willing to live in a county that has the AL waiver. If mom is in the same county as OP, then she’s not in an eligible county but Sacramento is close enough and is an eligible county.
She can apply for a Medi-cal waiver to help offset the cost of AL, the waivers don’t cover the entire monthly cost so she’ll have to have enough income to offset the difference. Or she can go in to a nursing home, Medi-cal will pay for that if she qualifies. All her income minus $60 will go to the nursing home as her “share of cost”. She gets to keep $60 a month for personal needs.
not Health & human services-that’s a whole other entity here :)
it doesn’t take 3 months to get approved for a medi-cal AL waiver. She doesn’t need to find a facility that takes medi-cal, she has to live in or be willing to live in a county that has the AL waiver. If mom is in the same county as OP, then she’s not in an eligible county but Sacramento is close enough and is an eligible county.