My girlfriend is disabled, she has no family. If I died, how could she be put into a nursing home?

hi again. thank you all for the advice and info above. that is some really fantastic advice. youll helped to ease my mind and be able to start making a solid plan. ps , yes my girlfriend is on social security disability with medicare and medicaid. i even just found a dentist that accepts medicaid for adults here in pinellas county .

To really help your girlfriend, you and her if she is able, should create a plan now. YES...she should be eligible for some gov't assistance to get her into an assisted living situation should it be necessary. And, if she is disabled now, do you have power of attorney or any legal papers giving you permission to be part of her health care and other decisions? If not, and if she is mentally clear, I would recommend a consultation with an elder care attorney to set these things up now, since there are no family members to step in and help her. Not having these papers done could be why you have not gotten much help from calls to agencies...it could be HIPPA rules...about privacy and without the health care power of attorney and such, they are not really permitted to talk to you, unless your girlfriend gets on the phone herself and tells them she wants them to do so. Another thing that could be done now, before it's needed, is to go together and tour some care homes or assisted living facilities and see what she thinks of them. IF you then had several that she liked and would be eligible to move into, you would be ahead of the game if it became necessary for her to move. IF she were to be Medicaid certified, you would need to be looking at places that accept Medicaid for payment. It can be quite complicated, and that is why I mention consulting with an eldercare attorney to get paperwork in order and advice. Someone recommended a geriatric case manager too....another excellent choice to look into. Yes, you must pay privately for these consultations....but the info you gain and time you save, are well worth a few hundred dollars in my opinion. I have POA for my Mom...had it for my Dad but he recently passed away. Their elder care attorney, who had done their trust and wills and other legal papers, was, and IS such a resource to me re: all the applications for Medicaid and how to know what agency to go to first and what the right 'buzz words' are to use, when asking for assistance.... I don't know how I could have done it all without them!

With that income, I would think that she is on Medicaid for medical coverage. Is she on Medicare medical coverage or is she actually, technically disabled and on Medicaid or Medicare? It can be confusing. My cousin was disabled due to arthritis and received Medicare medical coverage and a social security check monthly, even though she was not yet 62 years old. After her dementia diagnosis, she then qualified for Medicaid too.

How does she pay out of pocket medial costs with that income? Medicaid medical coverage would cover all out of pocket costs. I agree with advice above about applying her for that coverage and any other benefits, if she doesn't already have it. Also, if she is technically disabled, she may qualify for even more benefits with your state or county.

Thank you so much for your help....

hi and thank you so much for helping me. i"ve never heard of a geriatric manager. i looked it up, sounds like they will definitely be able to provide me with some answers on places near me that could help her . thank you very very much !

Look into enrolling her in Medicaid. A department of social services worker may be able to help. Also, look into assisted living communities that can accommodate her on a sliding scale basis. Also, a local geriatric care manager may be able to provide you with options. They are privately paid, but a consult should be reasonable.

hi, thank you so much for helping me. i will call them this week and find out how they can help her in case something happened to me. i"ve been calling other agencies for a month now and no one can give me an answer or try to make an emergency plan. thank you for your kindness . i feel a little better aleady. god bless . ,kelly

Undoubtedly your girlfriend would be eligible for Medicaid. You might arrange for a discussion between them and your girlfriend so her mind AND yours is relieved. Provided she has the right contacts and utilizes the helpful resources society has in place, your girlfriend will be fine.