Need help with father (91) and care options. Any ideas?

Definitely a elder law attorney in dad's state. Medicaid rules vary from state to state.

Thanks so much for all your replies. It looks like I'll be scheduling an appointment with an elder care/medicaid attorney and see what our best options are going forward. I will bring up some of your suggestions with the lawyer.

Thanks again!

Is your dad a war veteran? If so, he likely qualifies for Aid & Attendance benefits from the Veterans Administration. Here in Colorado, they do not require a person to have practically no assets (like Medicaid does).......definitely check with an elder care atty in your area to discuss your options. Dad was a WWII vet and wound up getting approx $2300 a month (for he & my mom) when he was alive. Now that he's passed, the survivor benefits of $1209 are continuing on for my mother. This Aid & Attendance helps A LOT with the costs of the Assisted Living Facility (ALF) they were living in, and now mother is living in. Between A&A and SSI, you're spending down the savings account a lot slower. As others have said, an ALF says the resident can only be a 1 person assist..........if your dad requires 2 people to assist him, then he'd need a Skilled Nursing Facility instead. The ALFs I've dealt with will also not permit a resident to have a Hoyer lift, unfortunately. My late dad became a 2 person lift during the last few months of his life, and the only way the ALF would keep him is if he was on Hospice care; then they are permitted to keep the resident until death. That's what happened with dad.......we had him evaluated for Hospice, he qualified, so the ALF kept him and sent 2 people to assist him.

Bests of luck......this is a really tough situation for all concerned. Sending you a hug.

With Dads problems, I don't see an AL excepting him. He needs more care than they maybe able to give. Mom will be able to save some of their assets going the NH way.

As said, Medicaid realizes a community spouse has to live. Now this is just the short version...but the assets are split in half. Dads half will have to be spent down to at least 2k. This could be done by private pay in a NH and Medicaid taking over then. Every situation is different so like said, Mom needs to talk to a lawyer versed in Medicaid.

Mom will be able to keep her home.

Bob
Your mom needs to see a NAELA certified elder attorney to discuss Medicaid for your father.
I know you said that they have too many assets but the thing is, as a community spouse your mother would not be impoverished. She should not make these decisions without a consult with a knowledgeable experienced certified elder attorney. She is not the only person in this situation but it does take a knowledgable attorney that understands the rules for her state.