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Lilyrose68 Asked November 2019

Mum doesn't have savings and is in a nursing home. Can they really take what little bit of money she gets to pay for her care?

CaregiverL Nov 2019
Yes absolutely..they will take shirt off her back too . See Elder Atty ...but she can & will get on Medicaid faster if she don’t have a lot of $$$ ...hugs 🤗

JoAnn29 Nov 2019
If Mom is on Medicaid for her care in LTC, and this is for the rest ofvher life, then yes any income she receives is used to offset her care. She will receive a PNA (personal needs account) with a small amt monthly that can be used to have her hair done. new clothes, lotion she likes etc.

If she has any bills, they will just go unpaid. Family is not responsible for paying them.
If a house is involved, if family wants to keep it up, thats up to them but don't look for reimbursement if its sold while Mom is living. Proceeds will need to go for her care.
I am just giving an overview. Medicaid depends on the individual situation. And their is criteria that has to be met when selling a house or car.

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anonymous972110 Nov 2019
Why shouldn’t she pay some for her care?
JoAnn29 Nov 2019
Some people are not aware how Medicaid works. They see debts and wonder why LOs money can't be used on the house that LO is allowed to keep. This is what this forum is for, information. I had no idea till I was on this forum.
igloo572 Nov 2019
Yes if she is on LTC Medicaid.

please please realize that if your mom has debts - like a mortgage, credit cards, life insurance premiums due, property costs as she still owns her home - she will not realistically ever have $ to pay on any debts. So family will need to pay her debts to keep whatever in force.
Whether doing this makes sense or is at all feasible is on DPOA & family to determine.

Family is often gobsmacked by the copay requirement of LTC Medicaid.
Geaton777 Nov 2019
Igloo, i'm not sure I agree with your statement about "family will need to pay her debts:. I think it depends on which ones are essential to continue payment? My inlaws had tens of thousands of cc debt (and nothing to show for it!) Their sons (PoAs) ignored those when both inlaws went into NH (at the same time). That debt went away as no one had the money to cover it and family shouldn't be responsible for it. Mortgage may be different, but I would say it depends on what is still owed on the home. My inlaws were upside-down on theirs and we all walked away from the house and let it go into foreclosure. The OP may benefit from a consult with an elder law attorney to sort things out if the mom isn't on Medicaid.
Geaton777 Nov 2019
Is your mom on Medicaid? Then, yes, the county takes it to cover the cost of her care. Is she in LTC? When you say pension, do you mean her social security? What expenses, other than the cost of the NH, does she have to worry about? My MIL is on Medicaid in LTC. The state of MN takes all but $90 every month of her SS check. She doesn't even spend that, as all her needs are covered. How else will the NH get paid to care for your mom? If your mom isn't on Medicaid, then I think that's a different question and answer.

BarbBrooklyn Nov 2019
Her pension is her "share of cost" for care at the Nursing Home. She will have a small allowance for incidentals.

I'm assuming that you are saying that Medicaid is paying the bulk of the cost of care?

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