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They want to be assured they will get paid. I applied her for medicaid last August. Before that, we had a PRI done which concluded that she should be in a SNF. I submitted applications to 4 different NH's & she was put on waiting lists for all. She has dementia, has a serious balance problem, can only walk short distances with a walker, can no longer manage taking her medications correctly, & cannot take care of herself. Now she is getting more forgetful, most of the time can't follow a conversation, & isn't eating nutritious food. She is currently living in an over 55 apartment complex, not assisted living or any kind of help. The medicaid caseworker now tells me they can't approve her for NH medicaid unless she is currently in a NH, they tell me she should apply for community medicaid. The NH director of admissions tells me they can't admit her without medicaid 1st being approved. I feel like a ping pong ball getting bounced back & forth. She is falling through the cracks because nobody will go a little extra to steer me in the right direction. She needs to be in the care of a NH but, at the NH director of admissions urging, I told the medicaid caseworker to go ahead & change the application to community medicaid. I don't feel comfortable with that because she can't do so many things for herself. Since the NH won't work with medicaid pending, how can I get her admitted without waiting for something to happen to her? She is willing & ready to go, she knows she needs to be there.

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or they went to the local county poorhouse
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Apply for Community Medicaid, with in 30 days you will have an answer.
If you have current statements of her assets and property it may take less time.
She can begin to get services in home and then move to a facility.
Try your local area Agency on Aging and ask for help.
Good Luck
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"I do not want to pay additional taxes to cover medicaid for someone else if they are only getting it because a clever attorney has hid their assets" makes perfect sense. However, most people would prefer to pay a smart lawyer than to pay a million for care as the person on this site chose to do. I don't mind paying extra taxes so hungry children get food stamps and decent school lunches, but I do mind when the wealthy exploit tax loopholes designed by and for them by legislators they bribed (excuse me, I meant lobbied). Our laws are corrupt because they are all made by the ruling class rather than we the people, and that is why I do not have that much respect for our corrupt laws. Will I break the law and risk jail time? Of course not, but I will use my vote to fight corrupt laws. What happened to old people before social security, Medicaid, Medicare? Their families had to take care of them....and if they had horrible children, they were SOL.
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If NH is such a bad state, get the hell out of there. Sounds like Florida law is much better. No nursing home can EVER take homestead property. Lizdevine is a moron. Nursing homes are the worst and Medicaid is always the last resort. People who have money should NOT put their parents in a NH. They should pay for private care. Nurses are willing to negotiate their fees....they don't have to charge $410/day. If you live with your parent and work full time, the most care you need is 8-6, 5 days a week and you can do the rest yourself. Or you can hire care 7 days a week. Just don't use an agency which will not only overcharge you but send a CNA or HHA with very little training. The agencies charge more for CNAs than I pay for a private RN. I know that some people have no assets and must use Medicaid. I advise people to use it ONLY if they have no assets, not to be a troll, but because I watched how they treated my dad for 2 years in a nursing home and it was horrific. I researched all the other nursing homes in my area and all had awful reviews. Nobody ever got enough attention with 1 nurse for 12 patients. I admit that I am arrogant, that I know nothing about NH law since I live in FL, and that I think rich people who are putting their parents in homes because they are too busy to help them manage the private care they hire are making a mistake. I understand federal law.
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Megan: Private pays adds up at rapid speed! My mom's NH room's going rate was $410/day.
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Socrates, the person asking for help clearly states that her mom is in an over 55 apartment complex, why did you start babbling on about property liens? You are doing it to be a troll... telling people they are terrible for using NH services? Not everyone was born with a silver spoon up their bucket. You know NOTHING about nursing home LAWS, state or federal or NH admissions, or care about elderly people as you stated, you would NEVER put your mom in a home and you can afford to keep mom at home...your own words. Where is your compassion? Still feeling superior?
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It may be protected while you're alive but to necessarily after. It does vary from person to person and remember an attorney will only address your situation not everyone's
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According to our Florida based elder attorney, homestead is protected from Medicaid. Other assets have a 5 year look back period, but really consult an elder attorney for up to date info
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Can you pay privately at first and spend down to 2 grand? She will then qualify for medicaid. For now go to the Agency on Aging and ask to speak to a SW there. They should be able to steer you kin the right direction.
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almost a million dollars?! wow
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"All people on this site care about is not paying taxes to support other people's parents who end up in a nursing home" ........that's bs.

I for one have had a parent and now a wife in memory care. Although I do not have a "legal background" I have almost 10 years of learning by doing and I am pretty sure many other here are the same.True there are many many differences in the rules of Medicaid from state to state but you do not realize that until you ask. We all come from different perspectives but I do not mind paying taxes to help cover medicaid.....but I do not want to pay additional taxes to cover medicaid for someone else if they are only getting it because a clever attorney has hid their assets. I am sure Florida has its own problems as well. For instance why should medicaid and taxpayers pay when there is still considerable value in a "homestead" for the children to split later? Believe me when I say my family has spent almost $1,000,000.00 for care over the last 10 years without collecting one dime in government money while at the same time listening to families literally bragging about how their attorney "fixed" this or that so they got medicaid. The system is not fair regardless of which side of the fence you are own but it may well be because there are just to many way rules and loopholes instead of not enough tax money.......and way to many lawyers.
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New Hampshire is in transition to comply with CMS. Public comments may be submitted until midnight on Saturday, March 5, 2016. Comments may be submitted by email to HCBCtransitionplan@dhhs.state.nh.us or by regular mail to Deborah Fournier, NH Department of Health and Human Services, 129 Pleasant Street, Brown Building, Concord, NH 03301-3857.
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Socrates, do you know what the limit of hours is for at-home care is in the state of NH? I am still waiting for any info but my mother was approved for medicaid and got her card in the mail. Since she is full care, I am hoping for many house, I am burning out after 8 years. I was told from a friend who has some experience, tell them you need 10 hours a day and will appeal it if they deny her. Any suggestions appreciated.
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Just to give the correct information here:
In 1993, the U.S. Congress passed The Estate Recovery Act which demands that each state seeks repayment for Medicaid benefits from certain people and for certain services

People over the age of 55 who have received Medicaid payments in a specific time period

Payments for nursing homes and nursing care facilities, home and community-based services, related services at hospitals, and prescription drugs.

Most people's assets are is in their houses. Now this targeted groups will find that money is sought on death

While some states do have s homestead exemption or personal residence waiver your state amy still seek financial recovery after you die. In some states the house might be safe as long as your husband or wife is still alive.

Either way they will still come after the money
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I do not give misleading incorrect advice. All state laws are different. All the people on this site are giving out incorrect advice because they have no legal background. I am not doing it to amuse myself at all. I am trying to figure out if anyone out there on this site that is supposed to be about caring is going to tell me that I need mental health counseling to deal with my rage. There is nothing amusing about having panic attacks and I never give out advice that I know is incorrect. I'm smarter than you are...but also mentally ill. Isn't that obvious yet? So where is your compassion for the mentally ill, the disabled, the elderly? All people on this site care about is not paying taxes to support other people's parents who end up in a nursing home.
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Socrates, your advice is deliberately incorrect and misleading. You do this deliberately for your own amusement.
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Dear pamstegma -- I am amazed at the difference between NY law and FL law. Now I understand why so many people from NY buy property in FL. In FL, the nursing home cannot take the home if it is homestead property unless there are liens on it. The children can sell the home when the parent dies and split the money or probate the will to get it sold. Every state has different laws. It is important to keep that in mind when giving advice on this forum.
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I live in NY. NY doesn't call them waiver programs, but that is what they are. NY provides good coverage, but if you are on Medicaid, you must convert to managed care. NY also recovers costs well beyond probate, including life estates.
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Reverseroles, it wasn't a waiver program. I'm not sure we have waivers in NY. In fact, I'm not sure what a waiver is. This was community medicaid. Meaning, you qualify for medicaid, but still live in your community. In NY, legislation was just passed that requires everyone on medicaid to choose a "Medicaid managed care" provider, like visiting nurse service, centerlight, guildnet, etc. A person from one of those managed care places came out to do an eval for services. Whatever that nurse recommends is what the person gets. For dementia, it's too dangerous for the person to be left alone to walk out the door, so the decision was made to provide 24/7 care. Some managed care companies are more generous than others. If you can, make your mom look really bad at the eval. i hate to say this, but if you do things that make her display the confused behavior more, she'll get more hours. It may be a terrible thing to say or do, but all this RN get's is a snapshot to make a long-term decision. Someone from the company gave me that advice. good luck.
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debdaughter-yes. My mother's medicaid managed care sent an RN to evaluate what her care needs were. The person wrote that she has dementia and that it was not safe for her to be left alone. They provided 24/7 care. That could have been because she actually lived alone. Had I lived with her, it may have been different.
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Hello, we experienced a similar situation when my spouse was being released from a hospital and currently has some dementia. This is what was discovered. Each NH has reserved X number of beds to accept "Medicaid Pending" residents. You may have to call/visit several nursing homes until you find one who will except her until her NH medicaid is approved. It may not be one that is near you or your preferred facility. But she will eventually be accepted by one. Once placed in a "NH" and after her medicaid is approved, then move her to a facility that you're comfortable with and nearest you. Sometimes you're faced with whom ever will except your "Medicaid Pending" loved one. Be sure to make frequent visits to your loved one as much as possible, whether the facility is located around the corner from you or across town. Good luck in locating a caring facility to accept your loved one. Don't give up.
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IMHO, hiring an attorney is a waste of money. The BOM at the NH of your choice should be able to give you the correct forms to complete, especially since the implication is that your mom is pretty broke, to be brutally frank. Even if you hire and attorney, YOU, as nok or DPOA, will be doing all the legwork such as getting any and all bank statements, getting any prepaid funeral arrangements, getting any life insurance policies, getting proof of her monthly income....YOU will be doing all the work and then the attorney takes the paperwork that YOU collected and fills out the form. Seriously.
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MediCARE will only pay (100% for 20 days, then 80% day 21-100, dependent on care level) if and only if Mom was in the hospital as INPATIENT/admitted for three days. If she was only in the hospital for a day or two, MEDICARE will not pay a cent. You will have to rely on State Medicaid. I thought your mom was still at home aka community, which renders Medicare irrelevant at this particular time. You must get her enrolled in state Medicaid. I used to do this stuff for a living so I know of what I speak. Step one is to get my Mom into the nursing home on Medicaid. Once she is admitted to the nursing home there are other Medicare / Medicaid nuances for a future discussion. Again I would follow up with Medicaid and find out why she is not being accepted. Therein lies the question.
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Christine, was that a home base medicaid waiver plan? My Mom just got accepted and I wonder how many hours she can get.
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Lizdevine offers excellent advice. It is important to determine why the Medicaid hold up. Then, I could determine whether or not she needs an elder care attorney or a paralegal to call and get them to work faster by politely nagging. It is always better to keep dementia patients at home if it is possible to do so. Medicaid should be the last resort. All she will have is $72.80 per month. That will not cover her needs -- medicine, snacks, kleenex (not provided by nursing homes), perhaps a hair cut. If Mom is poor and has no assets, Medicaid is the answer. If Mom has assets, use the assets to hire people to take care of Mom and do some of the work yourself. Whatever the problem, love (and money) are always the answer.
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Christine, they paid for 24/7? wow
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You were told the right thing. My mom went into nursing home with community Medicaid. Once you're actually there, they convert it to institutional medicaid. Community medicaid paid for my mom to have 24/7 home care before she went into a nursing home.
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get with an Elder Attorney asap. Than goodness I heard of that "on here" and we got one when working with my dad's issues. of course he fell, went to ER, was told "by me" that he couldn't go home because my mother could no longer care for him properly, he stayed in hospital 3 days and was placed into NH, he paid privately for one or 2 months but then qualified for Medicaid. While Medicaid was pending, the NH could NOT put him out. they knew they were going to get paid, but it takes them about 9 or 10 months to get things in gear. and working with an Elder attorney was SOOO helpful to our family.
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Sorry I meant to say why won't Medicare pay for the first 100 days.
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Why won't Medicaid pay for the first 100 days or until Medicaid kicks in? We put my MIL in a nursing home and Medicare paid then we sold her home and used this money until we got her assests down to 2k or less then she was approved for Medicaid. The process as I remember it took a few months to get all the paperwork filled out then about a month later she was approved. Yes an Elder Care Attorney is a blessing. I would definitely consult with one. We did and found it very helpful.
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