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Dad has lived with me for the past 2.5 years. He is requiring more care than we can provide at this point and we are looking at nursing home placement. I would have to file for medicaid for him on his behalf. I am POA. We have some items in my home that have literally been destroyed by my dad that we would like to replace out of his money before we file for medicaid but want to make sure we are documenting it correctly to avoid a penalty when they do the look back. The items are the carpeting in his bedroom, a recliner chair, and a mattress. The carpeting he inadvertently spilled tube feeding on and it now has a large 18 inches diameter area in the very center of the floor that is hard as a rock. Have had it professionally cleaned to no avail. The carpet was new when he moved in. Due to incontinence issues and his dementia he has also managed to ruin a queen mattress and a recliner chair. So how can we get these items replaced and document it properly. You can not see the damage to the mattress and chair. It is a smell issue. And the spot on the carpet (it is a dark carpet) doesn't photograph well.

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I would be extremely cautious when using his money for what amounts to your own benefit, even if the damage was more or less his fault. When you are asking the Government for money, you are not holding "all the aces" so to speak. When I applied for Medicaid for my mom, I was cautioned over and over to make sure I spent her money on HER. The bulk of her funds used in "spend down" was used to self pay her nursing home costs until there was only $1200 left, and even that had to be used for her needs. Medicaid is very thorough before approving coverage. I would absolutely consult a lawyer, or if you already have a nursing home picked out for him, consult with their financial officer to make sure you dot all your i's and cross all your t's. In the long run, being approved for Medicaid may be more beneficial to your finances than replacing those items he inadvertently ruined.
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Almost as soon as Dad moved in with us, we saw he would generate enough expenses to need a plan for how to deal with them. Because of that and thanks to advice here, we worked with an elder care lawyer to set up a care agreement. We get paid a set sum per month for caring for him, feeding him, using way more water (he lets it run for 20 minutes at a time), driving him to appointments (literally time off from work for husband or me) and other ordinary expenses. Other things, such as his medications, having to special clean cushions because he pees on them, special equipment like toilet rails, or replacing the toilet paper holder he ripped out of the wall because he was using it to stand up from the toilet (it was never meant to handle a person's full weight) we keep the receipt for and his daughter, the POA, writes out a check. The lawyer assures us the agreement and records of receipts, etc., will satisfy Medicaid that his money was used only for him. And it is. He's actually costing us more than what he's paying, but at least he does pay for the damage he's causing. Keep the receipt for anything you buy and be prepared to justify that it is/was his expense.
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maybe home owners insurance would pay
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Believe it or not, call the local Medicaid Office and ask for advice.
I have a neighbor who had to spend all settlements before being able to get her disabled hubby onto medicaid and they gave her great advice of how to do it. Her hubby is paralyzed from a fall.
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An elder lawyer should be able to answer those questions easily...
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I would only replace things I would be willing to pay for out of pocket because the aid program may require you to pay it back. I'm thinking of the carpet and the mattress. Since you are POA, how about having the carpet place come out for just that room and put the bill in his name only. Then you pay out of *his* checkbook directly to the company.  You could certainly make a case for putting in nh-style vinyl flooring if you wanted ease of cleaning, and there are beautiful ones that look like hardwoods now.

Same with the mattress - only get what you would buy yourself, put the bill in *his* name, pay with *his* checkbook, and have it delivered to his name at your place. Put this new on in a plastic zip bag that's waterproof. These covers are at all the big box stores and are a cheap way to protect the mattress.

If the NHs in your area allow pts to bring their own bed, you can put a vinyl cover on the smelly matress and send it off with him. You would be made whole and dad would have his mattress too. 

Finally, the chair. Is that your chair that you want back without the smell)? If so, I'd handle this just like the mattress - order it in his name, pay for it with his money. Keep his stinky chair in his room and move it with him to a facility. Keep the new chair somewhere else, maybe the garage or upstairs where he does not go, until he moves out.

Nursing homes have smooth floors so they don't have damages like the carpet. For problems like the chair and mattress, they know what to expect and take precautions, and they are getting rent to cover their expenses. I have a feeling you had no idea what you were getting into! Keep all receipts for valid expenses of dad that he pays for as well as those you have paid.
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Had your Dad been giving you any money towards living with you? Agree with advice to seek professional advice. Most places go back 3 years to see where any pension or income has been spent.
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daughterwendy, I personally think this is normal wear and tear when you bring in an elder into your home that has certain medical issues. It comes with the territory. A nursing home wouldn't charge a patient for such "damage".
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Oh.....well...I hope you get some good suggestions, because, I would feel awkward about it. I suppose if you have photographs, receipts, professional estimates, etc. , but, I would be sure to get professional advice before doing it.
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I have a question and to add to this situation, as to his health care once he is on Medicaid =
I have heard that many places that care for seniors/people who are on
Medicaid do not want to accept Medicaid recipients because what they
get paid is not up to what they want, or accept ... there also is a Strategy in dealing with this issue ...
Good Luck with your situation, hope it all works out for you !!!!
s/ pete = Long Time Care Giver for my wife .....
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