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We need to find financial assistance for my mother. How do I do this?

A fellow caregiver asked...

I need to find financial assistance for my mother who needs to move to an assisted living home and has little income to pay for it. There are no family members who can help pay for this. Are there grants available or any assistance programs to help people in our situation?

Expert Answer

Joseph L. Matthews is a Caring.com Expert, an attorney, and the author of Long-Term Care: How to Plan & Pay for It and Social Security, Medicare, & Government Pensions: Get the Most Out of Your Retirement & Medical Benefits.
If your mother has low income and few assets, she may qualify for the Medicaid program. And in many states, though not all, Medicaid can pay some or all of the cost of residence in a participating assisted living facility. There are several variants in the way different state Medicaid programs cover assisted living:
  • Medicaid might pay the full cost of assisted living, or it might pay only an amount equal to what it would pay for home care.
  • Medicaid might pay for anyone who would qualify for home care, or it might cover assisted living only if the resident would otherwise need nursing home care.
  • Whatever coverage it provides only applies to a limited number of participating assisted living facilities.
 
To find out more about Medicaid assisted living coverage in your mother's state, you can look at the information provided in the  State Regulatory Review prepared by the National Center for Assisted Living . But this only gives you an introduction to the state's Medicaid coverage for assisted living. To get details of the state's coverage for assisted living, to learn more about whether your mother qualifies for the Medicaid program in the state where she lives, and to help her begin the application process, go online to any search engine and enter the word Medicaid and the name of your mother's state. This will take you to the web site for the state office that administer's Medicaid. Or, you can call the Eldercare Locator toll-free at 800-677-1116 and ask them for contact information for your mother's state Medicaid office.