Re: seeking information

After reading a bit about TennCare, yes, I see the problem.

If the dementia gets worse, her father-in-law will probably be placed in a
nursing home . . . sometimes dementia takes a violent turn and her
mother-in-law might not be safe living with him. What a sad commentary on
how we take care of our elders. I wish I had a solution, but truly don't
see one (unless moving to a state that takes better care of their seniors
were an option).

CatLoverSu wrote:

My friend and her in-laws live about 30 minutes from me. TN Medicaid is
called "TennCare" and it doesn't cover the elderly anymore (it did until
about a year ago). The only income they have is their social security.
Both of her in-laws are self-sufficient, except that her father-in-law has
the beginning of dementia. They have never owned real estate.

See the problem?


"Phyllis Nilsson" <phyllisnilsson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:sP2dnT9akvyHjoHYnZ2dnUVZ_tidnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I don't know what state they live in, but my stepfather has a bit more
than
that in income for just one person and he qualifies for Medicaid (I
believe
here the limit is $1500 a month for one person, don't know what it would
be
for two). There is a program in most states that I believe is called a
Medicaid deferred program and I don't know why they call it that because
the person does get Medicaid assistance. This program even pays his
Medicare premium every month.

My stepfather was told he had to require personal care (help with
bathing,
dressing, shaving, that sort of thing) to be eligible. It was a blow to
his pride, but he'd been in a nursing home for 11 months and wanted out.
He signed the paperwork which included a reimbursement clause. When he
died, if there was money left over or any real estate, it would belong to
the state and they would sell the real estate (but not personal property)
to reimburse them for the cost of his care. My stepfather has no real
estate so that isn't a worry to him.

We have an Area Office on Aging that set this up for him. I don't know
what
it would be called in some other state, but if your friend checked with a
senior citizens center, they could tell him who to contact. I found my
stepfather an apartment in a senior housing complex (but this also works
if
one wants to stay home) and furnished it with only $500. Within three
weeks he was out of the nursing home, in the apartment, and has aides
that
come to visit him for two hours a day, four days a week. They help him
bathe, clean his apartment, do his laundry, cook his breakfast that day,
and run errands if he needs them to. There is a nearby pharmacy that
delivers his medication and what his insurance doesn't pay for, Medicaid
does, including physical and occupational therapy. He gets enough frozen
meals delivered to him three times a week to give him lunch and dinner
for seven days.

This was a godsend for us. My home is too small and we don't have enough
bedrooms to have him come live with us. In addition to his aids, I visit
him twice a week and have his power of attorney so I can get his money
for
him from the bank, since he doesn't drive anymore, and pay his bills. He
is a very happy camper. He goes to the senior center twice a week (their
van picks him up) and the complex where he lives provides van service to
a grocery store ($1 round trip) and to doctors' appointments ($6 round
trip) on the days I can't take him myself.

I hope your friend can contact a senior center in their area and find out
who to call to determine if this program is available in their state.
They
will get the help they need (although aides seem to come and go and new
ones appear periodically), the children can rest assured they are doing
the
best they can, and the parents can stay in their own home until the last
of
them dies when the home will go to Medicaid.

Since Medicaid is run by each state, what they call it and the
requirements
may be different, but it is worth looking into. If your friend just
explains the situation, and that his parents need care but don't have the
funds for it, someone will know what to do.

If they have more money in savings or annuities than would make them
eligible, there may be a spendown, but I'm not sure. I know when my
stepfather entered the nursing home there was and we prepaid his funeral,
got him new hearing aids, bought him what he needed for his room at the
nursing home, and bought him some new clothes (he's 84 and hadn't spent
much on clothes for years).

Your friend has my best wishes that his parents can be helped.

CatLoverSu wrote:

I'm asking for a friend. I'm hoping somebody here has some resources
that I missed.

Parents still alive in their 80s. Mother is relatively healthy, but
father
is in the early stages of dementia (mostly tends to forget to close
doors). They only have social security ($1450/month), plus about 25% of
that goes to pay medical bills. They don't qualify for Medicaid because
their social security is too high. However, they can longer afford to
live
on their own.

They have three adult children, all sons. One son is single and
stationed overseas. Another son is married with a teenager. His wife has
told him emphatically that his parents cannot live with them, plus they
really don't have any room. The third son and his wife (this is my
friend) live in a small apartment (about 900 sq ft). The parents don't
like his wife, and she doesn't like them. He visits his parents at least
twice a month, but the only time his wife sees them is during the
holidays, and the wife and parents always stress each other out
(sometimes that happens, no matter how hard you try). Plus, the father
is a heavy smoker and will NOT quit smoking, but my friend has a touch
of asthma, so she can't be around cigarette smoke.

The adult children have discussed assisted living for their parents, but
it's anywhere form $1500-3000 per month, depending upon what they get.
None of them can afford this, even if they combine their earnings.

If checked into different options but I can't find a solution to my
friend's problem. Are there ANY viable suggestions on this?

--
Toledo,Ohio


--
Toledo,Ohio

.

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