Starting to put together records for Medicaid when needed. Mom is in Stage 5 Alzheimer's living with family. Can cigarettes be an expense?
Cigarettes are Mom's hobby so I don't see her managing without them in a nursing home. Could they be considered a legitimate expense or would they just give her a patch?
Hey igloo, smokers are a determined lot eh? The "patio" they smoke on has a giant fan - they were using it this week despite the heat down here - our temps on the coast are better than a lot of the state and the nursing home is right on a bay of the gulf- so there is always a breeze. Crazy is a possibility, we can't rule it out! 😄
Once - really? My mom's NH in TX is completely non-smoking & her IL was also. Although being outside smoking this week would be loco. 104 in TX yesterday
Katy - the spend-down can be for anything for herself, her property or her care. So cig's are OK but you need to find out what the facility will allow as you don't want to get stuck with expensive cartons when you could have spent the money on dental care (which is not covered by Medicaid). On retrospect for my mom, I should have gotten her a lot more clothes and shoes. Like lots more and just stored them in big ziplock's. The washer & dryer at the NH are super high heat (and need to be) but they made short work of my mom's once nice wardrobe. Stuff goes MIA no matter how things are labeled and then they leave stuff and don't remember when or where (I've been robbed!!! scenario). My mom loves those hideous SAS shoes and would loose a pair or two per year; had I known I would have bought a dz pair in the spend-down. Also if she is the type that likes to wear "dusters" buy them by the dozen as they are thin and wear out fast.
If she doesn't have a prepaid funeral & burial consider spending down on those. Good luck.
Here in Texas they have to go outside. The facility I volunteer for has nurses and aides taking turns monitoring the smoke breaks. (The workers are smokers also that have volunteered for this duty)
I'm not sure what the paperwork is like for Medicaid, but I know that for taxes, they would be considered an expense in determining support. The category would probably be entertainment.
I'm curious too! What happens to smokers in a NH? They would have to go outside to smoke here in Massachusetts.
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Katy - the spend-down can be for anything for herself, her property or her care. So cig's are OK but you need to find out what the facility will allow as you don't want to get stuck with expensive cartons when you could have spent the money on dental care (which is not covered by Medicaid). On retrospect for my mom, I should have gotten her a lot more clothes and shoes. Like lots more and just stored them in big ziplock's. The washer & dryer at the NH are super high heat (and need to be) but they made short work of my mom's once nice wardrobe. Stuff goes MIA no matter how things are labeled and then they leave stuff and don't remember when or where (I've been robbed!!! scenario). My mom loves those hideous SAS shoes and would loose a pair or two per year; had I known I would have bought a dz pair in the spend-down. Also if she is the type that likes to wear "dusters" buy them by the dozen as they are thin and wear out fast.
If she doesn't have a prepaid funeral & burial consider spending down on those.
Good luck.
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I'm curious too! What happens to smokers in a NH? They would have to go outside to smoke here in Massachusetts.