ALF for low income

[mvm2]

I wish there were nice ALFs for low income people. My husband's grandma is living in a subsidized housing right now but she is getting to the point where we are starting to feel she should not be living by herself. In less then 6 months she has fallen 3 times, and sometimes she is making unsafe decisions, like not feeling good and not wanting to bother anyone drives herself to the hospital. Mind you she has a medical alert that she did use the three times she fell so not sure why she did not use it when she was not feeling good. My husband said if she does anything like that again we are going to have to take her car away from her. The problem though is that I feel she is not ready for a nursing home either, and what nursing homes she would qualify for I don't think I would send my cat to go live at. Either Family can not take her in or will not take her in. Long Story... Situations like this make you feel traped and not having a good answer as to what to do.

[SallyTheCamel]

Wouls she qualify for Medicaid? Then she could be safe in a H.

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

What about a home health aide? May be more affordable than ALF or LTC right now. If there is a time of day with more issues, such as day you can consider adult day care (sometimes there are state or county subsidies that make it more affordable) or if issues more common at night, a night CHHA. Just some thoughts. Contact the state or county office of aging or seniors to see if there are any programs that she may qualify for at her income and health status level.

[mvm2]

she does have medicaid or medicare not sure which one or for all I know she has both if that is posible but is there limits to where she can go then? There are some very nice retirment homes around us but my mother in law said she does not qualify for them and the ones she can qualify for she is scared to put her mother in. She claims that if she has to share a room with someone else her mother would go insaine. But she is not able to take care of her at her house because my mother in law has her own set of health issues. Maybe being she is on medicare a HHA might be an option depending I guess on how much it would cost her out of pocket. She is on such a fixed income that we help her sometimes towards the end of the month otherwise she hardly has food in her fridge.

Thank you both for your responses I think I will have to do some research to see what we can come up with.

[amoLucia]

If she's over 65 y/o, it is prob that she has Medicare, which is a federal sponsored insurance program. It helps to defray costs for hospitalization, doctor visits, and short term skilled NH/rehab nsg in-house stays. It's just INSURANCE.

Medicaid is a federal/state program that provides different services to folk with healthcare needs but who are technically, POOR. Medicaid pays to live in the NH.

It sounds like Grandmom might qualify for Medicaid if she isn't already on it and you just don't know about it. She is already in subsidized housing and you are providing some financial assistance. You need to check it out if she is ALREADY qualified for Medicaid.

If she is on Medicaid already, she is eligible and entitled to some helpful services that can help to keep her safer where she is. Food stamps, some home assistive adaptive equip and transportation assist are some services covered under some 'caid programs. A case manager could become involved to provide oversight.

You need to check it out as JustBeachyNurse explains. I don't know how savvy or involved your MIL is in Gran's care, but you and hubby might want to take a more active role just to insure that Gran's being followed closely.

Good luck and TY for caring.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Local elder services can also help. There may be some options that you didn't even realize existed.

Also, your local visiting nurses could become involved--and at least go and visit to assess skilled need.

The first thing I would do is have Gram checked out by her MD. If she is falling, that could be the reasoning--and should be, as you don't know how many times she has fallen. Then ask that she be assessed for more support at home.

Good luck, and include your MIL with the decision making process. Now may be time for a "family meeting" to discuss you and your husband taking a more active role in Gram's situation.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Find a medical social worker to find out all your options. This is what they do.

[mvm2]

thank you all for your help. It means a lot to me. :) I think the family will be having a meeting soon to decide what we are going to do, and all you info and advise will be most helpful

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Around here there are quite a few assisted living facilities that take MassHealth which is our state's Medicaid. The ones I've toured are beautiful. Since it is less costly to have people in assisted livings rather than nursing homes, you'd think there would be more options available.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Assisted living sounds like the perfect solution for the OP's grandmother. She is far too functional to be appropriate for ICF (long-term care unit) and if she is on Medicaid, she should be able to find an ALF that will accept her as a resident. It's not always easy, but many facilities will accept a certain percentage of Medicaid residents. One place I worked at had 50% MCD residents!

Medicare does not pay for assisted living or LTC. It pays only for skilled care after a qualifying hospitalization. This is a fact which often confuses people. ALF/RCF/LTC homes have to be paid for out of private funds, long-term care insurance, or MCD.