Assisted Living in Challenging Times -- Planning Is the Key

cmacp

about 2 years ago

One mos after this article was written, the American economy collapsed. Now so much has changed. Medicaid is cutting drastically what it will pay for and facilities are refusing to take new patient/residents on the lower Medicaid rates. My husband and I represent Americans who due to injury or disease, could not plan for an orderly transition to long term care/assisted living. When my 55 yr old husband had a traumatic brain injury 2 1/2 yrs ago, 1st I waited for him to come out of the coma and begin breathing on his own. Seven mos later, I brought him home. I thought we were on our way to living a modest scaled back, but do-able life together. After all, we still had each other and we had our home. Two mos ago, he was re-hospitalized with a stroke and dx'd with Dementia/Alzheimer's. I was told he is not well enough to live at home anymore, - but don't worry, 'apply for Medicaid Long Term Care'. The "rules" are changing even as his application is being processed. His facility is changing it's "business plan" to more profitable patients - acutely ill with respirators etc. They are no longer accepting new residents on Medicaid for it's Intermediate care wing. I have been told that Medicaid has stopped paying for Intermediate Long Term Care. So when his Medicare coverage runs out in 3 weeks, we have a problem. He has also been rejected by 2 alternate facilities I've visited this week. Up until this week, I was hopeful. Under the Medicaid LTC program, a couple can qualify under higher income levels. The spouse can keep the marital home and the ill spouses income. Up until this week, I thought my only problem was getting approved for the program. Now I find that even if approved, the facilities are quietly switching away from Medicaid re-embursement. What good is a Medicaid spousal protection program, if the home has to be sold anyway to pay for the care? And, at $3 - $5 thousand $ a mo, proceeds from our home will run out in a couple years.