A couple years ago my mother had to have one of her legs amputated due to her diabetes and I was at the time living in an upstairs apartment when I helped take care of her. She's been in 2 different nursing homes over the almost 2 years since her amputation, and I still feel like she needs to come home. My husband and I are in the process of buying a bigger, more accessible house and I've been trying over the past couple months to get more information on how much it would cost to care for my mother at home. She doesn't have any type of dementia and is very in-tune with reality. However, I am not a CNA or in the nursing field, so I don't feel like I can take care of her myself. I know I would need an in-home health aide to help with taking care of her personal things like going to the bathroom (since she is in a wheelchair) and bathing and things. However, I feel like I would be able to take care of cooking, housework, laundry and her medications. Can someone please help me find the right organization/people I need to contact in order to find out more information. My mother already has state Medicaid through the state of Illinois and she also receives SSI (disability income) every month, but that normally all goes to the nursing home where she is right now. Can anyone help? Thanks!
Hi there!
You should check out Caring.com's Local Section. There you can plug in your zip code and get contact information for agencies who can help you find resources and advice right in your area. You may want to make a call to your local Area Agency on Aging.
Hope that helps and good luck!!
You deserve a big pat on the back for wanting to care for Mom in your home. And you've demonstrated a good grasp of the areas of care that would be beneficial to have in place to make caring for her doable.
By all means, start with your local Area Agency on Aging. They are an expert resource for information and referral regarding the types of services you will need to care for Mom at home. They have the Family Caregiver Support Program, and they will also be knowledgeable about the community-based services that Medicaid will pay for. They are available to you free of charge!
Every state has different Medicaid rules, but you're one step ahead of the game if she's already got Medicaid. Call Medicaid and find out how you can transfer the type of Medicaid she gets to pay for the home health aide instead of the nursing home. It should not be too difficult. Good luck!
I have experienced this sort of thing with a few of my relatives and we were very pleased with help from COMFORT KEEPERS which has offices all over the country. Very skilled and helpful caregivers who were very personal and fit in with the circumstances very well. .
I know that when you bring your Mom home there might be services through a home health agency(local hospital) available to you at NO COST if medicaid approves her need for the care. They are usually only available for a set period of time. My father had a stroke and when he came home we initially used that service. When that ran out I used Home Instead Senior care which I love......
You should also find out through an aging service agency what the going rate is for providing services in your home(to Mom) in your community....that way IF you choose to pay yourself(if Mom has funds)you are keeping records that can be approved. Hope any of this helps....it is a big job and you do need help or it will overwhelm you. I liked providing meals, company, etc but was not as good at the personal needs part so that is what we paid out of pocket for.....have a great day and best of luck.......God Bless
As each state has different services available you could benefit from a one-stop-shop resource. Check with your local Area Agency on Aging and/or AARP office. They are great at tracking the most current and available assistance. You may also find help with your local hospital social services office. Hopefully the current nursing home has a social worker who could assist you.
You can call some medical home care services. Because your mother has medicaid a non-medical service wouldn't work. Sometime they are call skill agencies. If you mother is in a nursing home now the nursing home should be able to help you because these agencies market to them to become referral sources. You may not know who to trust when calling these agencies, but if you ask the nursing home which ones have they heard positive feedback from they will let you know. Also when looking make sure the agency is licensed, insured and bonded, have a good hiring process and have administrative oversight.
I too used Comfort Keepers when we were waiting for the 30 days to process my Mom's in home health services application which is a free service thru her home county. Problem was that the rates are VERY high. If you have lots of $ to spend its great. Mom needed someone with her every day and there was a minimum amt of time that they require, I think it was 4 hours/day, In any case we ended up spending $2800.00 in one month. For most of us this is unbelieveable and your Mom's SSI probably doesn't even come close to this. Also remember that if you remove your Mom from the nursing home and then she has to go back at some later date she may not get to go to that same nursing home, she will be sent wherever there is a bed available. Good luck.
Please make sure that it is medicaid that you were receiving - it sounds as if it may have been Medicare which is different. If she received Medicaid - she would no longer receive SS as that is absorbed by the government, subsidized by Medicaid and your mom is then given only $50 - $100 monthly for incidentals. Please take a look at both a few private agencies and any local government assistance before making your choice. Quality of care will come down to the actual caregiver that comes to your home so inquire about how agencies screen their caregivers. I am an eldercare advisor and help families for free ... our website is www.aplaceformom.com and we can narrow your local options for you to choose from so that you can then determine what is best for your mom. Best of luck - your dedication is inspirational!
www.makewayformom.com provides a wealth of information and resources when considering moving your older adult either in the home with you or vice versa.
In my state of Nebraska, i too had the pleasure of caring for my mom ,who had lost both her legs cardial vastiul in other words her constant 4 packs of cizs a day for which she said is all she had left that gave her pleasure,well ok so on with what came about ,The center for Indeptdent Living came to our home,and it allowed my mom to be cared by me for all of her care with me living with her and being paid to do it.N ow mind you it sure helped because i gave up my career and most of my life for 5yrs of what i call the best yrs they had ever had,but they came when we didnt even have enough to almost live.Anyway my mom got to die in our home which most people dont have that amazing thing happen before them and see 1st hand that death can be beautiful,we broughjt my mom out into the main room where she got be be the center of all that loved her and up to her last breath she was kissed by all and with that she went smiling,and i became so much more inside as her son and caregiver the feeling i had done what i call the best that she would have loved to know and feel as i know i do to this day,i hope you see that it can be so fullfilling when the time comes you well feel so much better about her life and yours ,i know you well,take it from me it is so great to be a part of death is not so much to feel the loss but joy of knowing she was and is loved and now her place amone the angels is your reward in knowing god bless you and your family
Hi I was reading what you wrote and had a question. My father recently went into the hospital for a procedure and had a massive stroke in recovery room. I am planning on bringing my dad home with me to take care of him once he is discharged from Long-Term Acute Care Facility he is at (he already lived with us even before his stroke for several years). My question is when you referred to Medicaid taking SS income do you mean if they are placed in a nursing home or will they take his income even if he is at our/his home receiving Waiver services from medicaid (in home skilled nursing)? The reason I ask this is we may need to use it for paying for services not covered by medicare/medicaid. I just cant see puting my father in a nursing home, he always told me he never would want to be put in one. We are in a process of trying to get him the medicaid waiver services so by time he is ready to leave whatever medicare won't cover medicaid can help out with. This is all new to me and i am just trying to get all the right info. Thank you in advance and God Bless.
Vanillatwin- It likely varies state to state. But here in Arizona, typically if you are residing at home you do NOT have a share of cost. When in a nursing facility, all your meals are provided, medical services, medications, etc so the state does charge a share of cost, basically like your rent for staying there. When not at the facility, Medicaid realizes you have other home expenses and thus need the SS income.
An exception to this would be if you have a high income. Then a person may have a share of cost due to the health plan/state even if they are residing at home.
Hope that helped and didn't confuse you more!
what a wonderful lady you are. there are not many people like you. I hope all is well. Felicia
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