My mom's trust fund at her nursing home is missing money. Any advice?

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E

EBeach Asked January 2019

My mom's trust fund at her nursing home is missing money. Any advice?

My mom has a trust fund that is setup through the nursing home. She is supposed to receive $50/mo for an allowance from social security. I know from August of 2018 to now she has only taken out some money for one haircut. That's it. Yet she only has $100 in it. When I speak to the business person about this she gets very impatient and rude in explaining things that just doesn't make sense to me. It's like she talks in circles about where my mom's money is. I called the front desk and asked if there is anyone at all who can help me besides her, they said no... How can I figure out where this money is? I can't talk to the business woman, she is too short and rude for me to deal with. I left a message for the ombudsman but they don't always call back.

Financial Planning Skilled Nursing Facility

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score 0 · Answer 1

They really don't allow attaching to a post. Are there a couple of lines you can just type in that you don't understand? The only other option is to go thru email. I'd be glad to look at it.

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score 0 · Answer 2

I have never heard of a facility combining the facility charge account with the personal needs account. Ugh. That could make this more confusing since perhaps the monthly charge has increased without a corresponding Medicaid payment increase, which has depleated the bottom line? Moms is kept completely separate, her $50 surplus is used for her cable TV and hairdresser, and I get a statement every 3 months with every withdrawal. This statement is required for me to submit yearly with her Medicaid reapproval process.

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Rocket, they aren't suppose to. The account is to be kept separate. Her Mom is on Medicaid so they shouldn't be deducting anything other than what Mom authorizes, like the haircut.

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score 0 · Answer 3

Anyone know how I can post a picture of an invoice I have from November to the beginning of January?

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score 2 · Answer 4

You r entitled to see receipts. Also, Mom needs to sign for any money's she takes out. Does your Mom understand how she can go about getting money out of her account?

Let the Ombudsman investigate. It maybe found that the NH is deducting services they are not allowed to do.

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score 1 · Answer 5

EB, if you continue to have this issue, you should ask to meet with the facility administrator. The business office person does NOT run the place; she reports to someone. You want to speak to the person who is her rating officer, if it comes to that.

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score 1 · Answer 6

Was typing while you answered Barb.

The only things that should be things for her personally. Like, her haircut. Spending money for personal things like sodas and snacks out of the vending machines. If you buy her something you show a receipt and you get reimbursed. This fund cannot be used for things the NH should be providing. I would question the "medical" stuff.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/PS99/rpt%5Colr%5Chtm/99-R-0025.htm

Is Mom private pay? If so maybe they had a foot doctor see her or a dentist and deducted the cost. If on Medicaid, that is a no no. Like Barb asked, can you just type a couple of things they deducted for.

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Medcaid pays for her nursing home care. She doesn’t take any money out except for haircut and she’s only done that once since August. We pay someone else from home health to wash her hair because she doesn’t care for the beautician at the nursing home. My mom is cognitively aware and we talk multiple times a day so I know she doesn't just go and spend the money. I’ll have to speak with someone above her to see if they can explain it to me!

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score 2 · Answer 7

You are entitled to a statement every so often, it maybe every qtr or 6 months. It will show what expenses have been taken out. With my Mom they had a chinese takeout night so I had to sign, as her POA, that it was OK to deduct her dinner.

Someone who acts like this business person, something is wrong. She is covering something up. There is no reason she could not have printed off a statement to show you what deductions were made and explained them. Look up Social Security Personal Needs account on the internet. It will tell you what can't be deducted.

There is someone over this person. Call and talk to the administrator and explain what you said here. He should help you.

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score 1 · Answer 8

Maybe you can post the statement here (blocking out any identifying info, of course).

What is the current balance in the account?

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I found a statement of the beginning of the month but am not sure how to post it.

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score 1 · Answer 9

EB, I'm going to suggest that since the business office person is the one who needs to explain this to you and you find her un-understandable, you find a friend you can take along to listen, with a pad and pen. Perhaps the two of you can make sense of it.

What I suspect is that there is some "standard charge" for some service at the NH, like cable to telephone service that is coming out of mom's account each month. Have you asked for a printed statement?

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Good idea. It will be difficult in my situation (3 young kids and only my hubby to go with me) but I need to do that and make it work. These statements make no sense to me. I have a business degree and have worked in billing, but not medical so maybe that's why... There aren't any standard charges. She even told me my mom can take out $50/mo cash if she wants... But if she never took it out, where is it is my question.

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My mom's trust fund at her nursing home is missing money. Any advice?

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