Family member in iowa caring for both elderly parents at home has questions.

Specialties Home Health

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Specializes in geriatrics, management, home care nurse.

My fiance is currently taking care of both of his disabled parents at home. Father with Inclusion Body Myositis and mother with diabetes and end stage kidney disease. What does fiance have to do to be paid for taking care of parents at home and does the money that he would get for caring for them have to be paid back to the state after his parents die??? Please give as much information as possible re: what is criteria for family members to be paid by the state and / or how one goes about signing up for t19 etc...All information given is much appreciated.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I live in IL so what I'm quoting is from IL. I would suggest that he contact his parents primary care provider and/or the dialysis center's social worker. The social worker at dialysis will probably be infinitely more helpful. In IL, there is currently a 2 year wait for this program as our state is broke. However, Iowa may be faring better.

Another option is if Iowa has an alternative-to-nursing home placement program. IL did have a program but unfortunately it is no longer funded.

Would start with dialysis center social worker - they are usually very up to date on what options are available.

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Specializes in geriatrics, management, home care nurse.

Thank you for your response traumarus, my fiance informed me from info. that he read that if he indeed did get paid for taking care of his parents that after their death the state would take his parents home and or the money he made while taking care of his parents would have to be paid back??? Does this sound right? Thanks again to all that reply, he's at his wits end but doesn't want to put them in a ltcf.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

It depends on if they are on Medicaid or not. The money he earned from taking care of his parents shouldn't need to be paid back unless it was some kind of loan arrangement - at least I would think so.

He really needs to get some help for Iowa-specific programs. I gather Mom is on dialysis? The social worker at the unit should be very helpful.

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There are/may/could possibly be some VA benefits that would help pay the cg also, if they were Vets. Otherwise the only way he could be paid in our state (NC) is if they had Medicaid and could qualify for some Community Alternative Placement (CAPS) services. The CAPS and the Personal Care Services (PCS) money is running dry in our state and it's a huge waiting list to get those services now.

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