My Mom (81) needs some assistance but I have no idea how to start the process. Any advice?

Your post was a little vague, but I think you know that you need to lessen some of the assets, otherwise she will be drained in the end. Selling the house to put some of the money towards her assisted living fee, and other personal expenses would be a great idea. Also once you get all the finances in order then apply for Medicaid in your state. All the previous answers are great, and hope you & mom get all the help you need. I definitely recommend speaking to elder attorney. It sounds like you need some financial legal expertise. She is at a critical age, and will require more, and more medical attention, etc. So looking into all the options to make sure she is cared for is a commendable thing. Best wishes. Keep us posted on how your mom is doing, and if she has all the care & services you find she needs:)

Sherry: I simply SUGGESTED she start looking at AL's. What did you mean by "having AL?"

Did she say her mother had AL? I didn't get that. She could just have some memory problems. Fortunately for me my mother was mostly O.K. until 99 when she retired from her beauty shop in her home. She has been with me for the past 5 years and UTIs cause considerable mental problems for her. Maybe Mom should have a completer work up including thyroid, blood sugar levels, urinary tract, etc. before anything else happens.

Good answers sherry1anne!

Ignore the comment about her house, but you do have equity in the home, which you could use to finance an AL. Thing is, the money may run out if she outlives it.

Does mom own a home? Please give us more to work with here.

I agree with drooney. My mom is 88 and because she did not have assets qualified for medicaid immediately. Contact the local Agency on Aging. They will guide you through the process. Good Luck!! I didn't have a clue until I started to do my research after she fell and was told the hospital would not release her unless she was placed in a nursing facility.

Start visiting NH's and AL's and see what the wait time is to get a room for your mom. 81 is young, though.

Get a hold of the Primary care physician & ask her/him to call in a R.N. to make a home health care assessment. The PCP will have to write an order for this to be accomplished. MARE SURE IT IS A PSYCHIATRIC R.N. making the main assessment....

It sounds like you are jumping off the deep end. Why do you not have some assistance like visiting nurse service, meals on wheels, etc It sounds to me like you are killing an ant with a cannon ball. Drop back and regroup. Find out first what your mother has in the bank, second find out what community services are offered to the elderly for free, At least have a talk with her doctor about her health and her ability to live alone. Don't make life harder on yourself and your mother than it needs to be.

Contact your local Area Agency on Aging. Your Senior Center can put you in touch.
The Agency can assess needs, refer you to appropriate help etc. There is a sliding scale fee for services( very low cost usually)

I do not know what state you live in each state is different. But the first thing to do in to see an Elder Attorney. They can tell you how to title the different assets the best and explain other things to you. If you have a Griswold Home Care Company near you I would call them and see about home care. I am not sure if you know if you want someone everyday or 2 to 3 times a week now? If your Father or Mother was in the service even one day while our country was at war your Mother would qualify for home care possibly $ fr the VA. Most Assisted Living facilities have a Day Program. I have known a lot of people that have loved that part. Just check out the ones you might be interested in at several different times during the day and evening.

The most broad answer now for finding local care is to go to the new site aging.gov. From there you find your state and this will lead you to a list of local resources.

As was mentioned, every state is different with Medicaid. If your mom qualifies for Medicaid, depending on the state she will qualify for different services. In some states, this includes some in-home services and in some states it helps pay for assisted living. Other states allow very little. Medicaid is assistance for the poor so until such a time that her money is nearly gone, she'd have to pay out of pocket.

If your mom has few assets (I, too, am in the dark about the initials you used), you may want to start the process of applying for Medicaid now. Use the links for your state that you'll find under aging.gov. These links will include your Department of Aging Services as well as other resources.

Good luck with your search. Please update us. As was mentioned, if you provide more information the community can provide more advice.
Carol

Hi.My stepmom was just placed in a nursing home and the social worker told me it was very helpful that my dad (now deceased) had been in the Navy and seen active duty . I had no idea this was helpful in getting her placed and for some funding. Was very pleasantly surprised so please check this out...anyone who is looking for help with funding for loved one.

The Division of Aging and Adult Services offers a directory as a resource on aging programs, services and public benefits administered by the Department of Human Services, Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) and various federal agencies

You are Located: Alma, AR caring for your mother, living at home

Medically Needy Spend Down Medically Needy Spend Down is a Medicaid category that provides temporary coverage for individual’s medical expenses who would not normally qualify for Medicaid because of income. Apply at the local DHS county office. Visit www.arkansas.gov/dhs/dco/ for additional information.

cityofalma organizational website

Medicaid provides an array of programs for individuals in need of long - term services and supports (sometimes referred to as long - term care). Long - term Services and Supports (LTSS) is as sistance with daily activities — such as bathing, eating, dressing — for older people and persons with disabilities who cannot perform the activities themselves. LTSS have traditionally been provided in facilities like nursing homes. Today services are availab le in facilities as well as in the individual’s home and other community settings. The goal is for persons in need of LTSS to receive the services in the best possible setting for the individual. Individuals in need of LTSS and who qualify for a Medicaid program may receive the services:  At home through: oElderChoices o Alternatives for Adults with Physical Disabilities (AAPD) oPACE o Personal Care o IndependentChoices  In an Adult Family Home if enrolled in ElderChoices  In a Level II Assisted Living F acility  In a Nursing Facility

I say this gently. You do not give sufficient info for appropriate comment.
Among other things, it is necessary to know the extent of her disability/needs in much more specific terms, plus how much money does she have in the bank accounts, what is her monthly income from all sources in detail, Does she own more than one motor vehicle, what assets has she gifted going back five years and to whom, and other things. Once you have that info we and your county social services dept for Medicaid, and if you choose, a qualified elder care attorney, can offer advice.

Grace + Peace,

Bob

Good luck--you just entered into a world where you will have no assistance because the only thing Medicaid will pay for is a nursing home or adult daycare. Sitters are $20 an hour, and Medicaid does not pay for them. Unless you all can't care for her, check into assisted living--I don't know how much she makes a month with Social Security but you and your siblings may have to split her rent to cover all costs if she doesn't make enough.

I am in the exact same situation, and the options are not good, unless you have essentially unlimited money for AL. The problem is that there is a pretty large gray area where someone may not be able to live on their own, yet do not need nursing home care, where Medicaid might kick in after their money is exhausted. I say "might" kick in because this is where each state's Medicaid rules may differ. As far as I can tell, most people in this situation do end up with a family member taking them in, but if this is not possible, the options are not many.

I'm not sure what those initials mean either.

You say your mom needs "some assistance". The first thing, I think, is to figure out what sort of assistance and how much. You can call your local Area Agency on Aging, sometimes they will do an assessment of what an elder needs. They certainly should know what is available locally. Have you discussed this with her doctor? An assessment, ordered by her doctor, by an Occupational therapist (of her ability to do Activities of Daily Living (adls) and by a PT , to assess her mobility, could be useful.

Have you looked at Independent Living and Assisted Living Facilities? They will do an assessment of her skills to tell you if she meets their criteria.

You should start researching what the cost of these facilities is, and what home care costs, so that you can compare.

If mom is living on just her Social Security, month to month, you should get the Medicaid application process started. You don't "sign over " her house, but you allow them to recoup the cost of care when she passes. It differs from state to state.

What is MRA MCD bank account? I think you are asking how to finance a care facility for your Mom. You should check into applying for medicaid. Mom would have to spend her own money on care till her funds are almost depleted then medicaid would kick in. Depending on how long she is in care and how much is paid by medicaid, medicaid would seek reimbursement from her estate after she dies. Money from the sale of the house would then be paid back to medicaid.