Mother is 98 with dementia and is being cared for by children. Current sibling needs to install a chairlift in home. Is it ok to use mom's savings to pay if we need Medicaid in the future?
We just put in a chairlift on our basement stairs and it is the best investment we ever make. Both hubby and I can't manage to go up and down stairs without great difficulty due to breathlessness and weakness. We were told that it was difficult to get Medicare to pay for this as it is considered to be a home improvement like a walk in tub. Agree that if this is necessary for Mom to get upstairs to ber bedroom or the bathroom I don't think there would be a problem. It seems that anything that is needed for Mom's safety, even if others use iitis allowable.
Concerned18, correct me I am wrong, you want to use Mom's money to purchase a stairlift to be used for one of your siblings in their home? Thus, this stairlift isn't for Mom? I doubt that Medcaid would say that is ok, they would view it as "gifting" by your Mom.
As you already know, dementia never gets better, it only gets worse. One has to plan ahead as your Mom could live another couple of years. There may come a time where Mom needs more care than the family can personally give, thus be placed in a skilled nursing facility. Such facilities are expensive self-pay, or paid by Medicaid.
Your Mom might need to apply for Medicaid to help pay for the cost of her care. Medicaid would see the stairlift and deduct that cost from Mom's care... thus Mom or the family would need to make up the difference.
If the chairlift is for someone else who just happens to be living there and will be of no benefit to mother, not okay.
If the chairlift is needed for mother's primary caregiver, or someone who provides substantial amounts of care for her...???? Is this a reasonable adaptation as the ADA might view it??? Ring Medicaid and ask them, maybe.
We were told that it was difficult to get Medicare to pay for this as it is considered to be a home improvement like a walk in tub.
Agree that if this is necessary for Mom to get upstairs to ber bedroom or the bathroom I don't think there would be a problem. It seems that anything that is needed for Mom's safety, even if others use iitis allowable.
As you already know, dementia never gets better, it only gets worse. One has to plan ahead as your Mom could live another couple of years. There may come a time where Mom needs more care than the family can personally give, thus be placed in a skilled nursing facility. Such facilities are expensive self-pay, or paid by Medicaid.
Your Mom might need to apply for Medicaid to help pay for the cost of her care. Medicaid would see the stairlift and deduct that cost from Mom's care... thus Mom or the family would need to make up the difference.
If the chairlift is for someone else who just happens to be living there and will be of no benefit to mother, not okay.
If the chairlift is needed for mother's primary caregiver, or someone who provides substantial amounts of care for her...???? Is this a reasonable adaptation as the ADA might view it??? Ring Medicaid and ask them, maybe.