Spend Down

Blog Posts

• Blog Post - My mother, who suffers from dementia and alcoholism, wants my sister and me to be her caregivers, so she keeps sending away the one we've hired.

  My sister and I hired a caregiver to come into our...

• Blog Post - A Grandchild Steps In to Help Her Family

  A young woman with both a big heart and streak of cynicism steps in to help her aging grandparents

• Blog Post - I took the brunt of my dad's nastiness my whole life. Now I am his caretaker and I resent it.

  My dad has been a handful all his life -- prone to...

• Blog Post - My sister's refusal to communicate with me about our father's care has brought back to mind years of mistreatment by her. What can I do?

  My sister is 14 years older than I am and has full...

• Blog Post - I feel guilty about it, but I can barely stand the sight of my mother, who wants to live with me. What do I owe her?

  My mother is only 61 years old, but she may as well be 90...

• Blog Post - I constantly feel guilty because no matter how much I do for my parents, I know it's never enough.

  My mom has advanced Alzheimer's and my dad is 92 and...

• Blog Post - The Case For Geriatric Care

  How -- and why -- to choose a geriatrician for your aging parents' care.

• Blog Post - My mother says she's lonely, and it's heartbreaking for me to hear her crying at night. What can I do to help her?

  My father died seven years ago, and for quite some...

Questions & Answers

• Question - Can my grandmother pay me directly with her Medicaid "spend down" for services I provide?

  Can my grandmother pay me for some of her caregiving costs to spend down for Medicaid? Yes, some caregiving costs apply to Medicaid spend down.

• Question - Can my mother "gift" money to her children during her Medicaid spend down period without being penalized?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - What do I do when Medicare is about to run out for my father?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert and a Community Member

• Question - How can I get my brother to help out more in caring for our mother?

  Ideas for how to handle sibling rivalries and misunderstandings between sibling caregivers.

• Question - What, if any, financial help can a person, at the age of 52, apply for when the SSDI, SSI, and Medicaid programs are unaccessable to a man who has been diagnosed as being disabled significantly?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - How can we keep from selling my mother's home to pay for her final expenses?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Is there any way to keep Medicaid from taking our mother's home if she goes into a nursing home?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - What do I need to apply for Medicaid for my mother, for whom I'm guardian?

  What do I need to do to apply for Medicaid for my parent? I've spent down her assets, but I'm not sure what else I need to do to apply for Medicaid.

• Question - How do I help my father decide which Medigap plan is right for him?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How can I get my mother, who has dementia, to calm down in her nursing home?

  How do you calm down someone with dementia in a nursing home? Is calming a dementia patient down even possible in an environment like a nursing home?

• Question - What if we suspect a trustee is mismanaging a trust?

  Family dynamics can make it hard to figure out whether a trust is being properly administered, or whether there is some type of illegal undue influence.

• Question - I don't think my 78-year-old mother has dementia, so why does she get sundown syndrome?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What's the best way to handle criticism about the Alzheimer's care I'm giving my mom?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert and a Community Member

• Question - What is the difference between assisted living and nursing home?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Can my father's house be taken to pay for long term care?

  A house transferred out of an elder's name can't be taken by Medicaid but might disqualify the elder from Medicaid nursing home coverage.

• Question - How do I make sure my mother's personal information travels with her?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Thank God I found a wesite like this! I am caring for...

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Is a Medicaid annuity a scam?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Is there an alternative to washing my father's private areas?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Will Medicaid or Medicare help pay for my mother's long-term care?

  Will Medicaid or Medicare help pay for my mother's long term care? Medicare will cover 100 days in a nursing home if certain qualifications are met.

• Question - How do I get my parent's doctor to give us complete and honest information?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert and a Community Member

• Question - How can I get my parent to eat without nagging?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert and a Community Member

• Question - How do I talk to my elderly father about dying?

  To get guidance about how to talk with a parent about dying, pay attention to what you learned about his or her comfort level during past conversations.

• Question - How can I prescreen assisted-living facilities so I don't have to tour every one?

  When you're looking for assisted living, how do you narrow down the choices? Here are tips for screening assisted living facilities ahead of time.

• Question - How do I resolve a family conflict so I can visit my mother?

  My sister lives with my mother, and is making it hard to visit Mom and make sure she is okay.

• Question - Since my parents own property in several states, how will their estate be administered?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Can we travel with parents with dementia?

  This question has been answered by two Community Members

• Question - Are hallucinations common in people with Alzheimer's?

  Are Alzheimer's hallucinations common? My parent who has Alzheimer's has been experiencing hallucinations. Yes, hallucinations are fairly common.

• Question - My grandmother will need to file for Medicaid soon due to...

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert and a Community Member

• Question - How can I direct my mother's medical care if others are named in her power of attorney?

  If people named to act in a power of attorney are not doing their job well, there may be steps you can take to right the wrongs.

Tips & Reflections

• Tip - Accept Help

  When family or friends offer help in caring for your...

News

• News - Medicare Drug Plan Fuels Health-Care Spending

  TUESDAY, Jan. 8 (HealthDay News) -- The new Medicare...

• News - Bush's Budget Proposal Would Cut Medicare Spending

  MONDAY, Feb. 4 (HealthDay News) -- President Bush's...

• News - U.S. Health Care Spending to Double by 2017, Report Predicts

  TUESDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Spending on health...

• News - 10 Million Baby Boomers Face Alzheimer's, Report Predicts

  TUESDAY, March 18 (HealthDay News) -- An estimated...

• News - Give and Be Happy

  THURSDAY, March 20 (HealthDay News) -- Money can buy...

• News - Doctors Can Help Lower Hospital Costs

  TUESDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) -- Giving doctors...

• News - Spending Doesn't Improve Patients' Perception of Care

  TUESDAY, May 27 (HealthDay News) -- Higher levels of...