Will Medicare help pay for home health care services?

Thank you for all your very good suggestions!
I talked to her Personal Assistant (PA) who has been by her side through all of this and she said "they" didn't want Mom to go the Medicare route as the things Mom would have to Not be able to do...and the things Mom doesn't want to think she can't do. Really hard to explain. As it is, the PT is staying full time except for a couple hours max. when she goes on grocery shopping duty.

Mom has good insurance and one of my brothers has taken the financial issues under his belt. The "turn the tub into a shower" person is coming today and was told "do not talk costs or mention handicapped/wheelchair". I strongly suggested the person replace the toilet with a higher one while working the plumbing in her bathroom.
Mom is adamant about not leaving her home. She is an author and is in the middle of a book and needs all of her materials at hand.
I'm guessing my brother is paying the PA for all this extra time although Mom has enough money to do it herself.
The rehab place had thought Mom would be there for a month but Mom was eager to get back home and left in less than 2 weeks.

Mom is now able to get out of the bed and make it to the bathroom and able to get back in bed unassisted. that's good and I'm very happy for her.
PT and OT continues. Tomorrow the PT will be a walk around the neighborhood. Sounds good to me!
Thank you for all the information.
I really appreciate it. As long as Mom believes she is improving and is continuing to actually improve...guess she will continue to have Andrea. What a God sent!

Bonnie

As a nurse, if she needs 24/7 care, then Medicare will pay for 80% of it IF a doctor orders it. Does she have other insurance? That will pay the rest, again, IF it is medically necessary, and a fractured hip does require a lot of rehab to get her walking. The caregiver agency submits the claim to Medicare with a prescription from the doctor. It is too optimistic to expect her at 90% based on her 94 yrs. because the reason she fractured a hip was most likely osteoporosis (brittle bones). It is wonderful her mental faculties are intact, and I would ask her what she would like to do. She could go to an assistive home situation where she would meet people, be fed and exercised. If she lives in a "fancy suburb" of D.C., then the home could be sold for the cost of the nursing facility. You can also call Medicare or check their website medicare.gov and see what they cover. A prescription from the doctor is your key. Good luck!

There are a number of good Home Health Care Agencies, that are even Joint Commission accredited, who offer live-in care (24/7) here in Florida for around 200.00 a day (+/-). Obviously, prices will vary based on location and care needs.

Another option- google Friendly Beds to check out a product designed for bed mobility and independent transfers. Around the clock care is very expensive and if the main problem is bed transfers those 24/7 costs may be able to be greatly reduced.

You should consult her doctor and see if there is a way to get this extra care covered temporarily while she is still under PT and OT. I'm not an expert so not sure if it can be done. If not, you will have to hire someone overnight until she is able to get out of bed on her own at night if she needs.
24/7 CNA care is very expensive (I just went thru that) and it is much cheaper if they can be in AL ($13K/mo vs. $4K/month). Your mom would have to agree to that. The in home care agency may also be able to find a "live in" caregiver that would be about $8K/mo which is cheaper than the hourly 24/7 rate. Just make sure you trust them and they are licensed and insured agency with checks and balances. Good luck.

Does your mom have any other insurance? My parents have a secondary insurance policy and when my dad needed home care the insurance picked up where medicare left off.

Not that I'm aware. not for in home care.Sounds like she may need placement in a home. I'm sure you don't want to think about that but it may the safest place for her.

Best of luck,

-SS