The COVID stimulus checks have put my mom's trust account over the limit for Medicaid, but not enough to pay for her nursing home. Advice?

This is emergency money and not counted as income for Medicaid eligibility. Your mother may use it to buy whatever she needs or wants, gifts for family too.

It should be exempt income - not countable. In the past, certain payments like this were excluded for a year or so and then counted if still available. Ask the social worker or atty who set up the trust account. It's possible you could buy her some bigger ticket items she could use in the facility - a better wheelchair, seat cushions, etc that she might need

The Michigan Fiduciary in my region sent a letter to Medicaid recipients suggesting they do no co-mingle stimulus and regular funds "to ease the burden" of Medicaid workers so services do not get disrupted over potential misunderstandings.

The Covid relief money is not counted as income, and is especially not counted as income for medicaid. So don't worry about this.

Hope this answers ur question

Will Stimulus Checks Affect My Medicaid Eligibility?

No. Under Medicaid rules, a stimulus payment is not counted as income. Therefore, receiving a 
stimulus payment does not change a resident’s monthly payment (often called a “patient pay amount” or 
“share of cost”). The resident pays the same monthly amount to the nursing facility and keeps the stimulus 
payment for their own use. 
In addition, the stimulus payment does not count as a Medicaid resource for 12 months. In other 
words, for the first year, the payment cannot cause you to have too much money.

Are There Restrictions on How I Can Spend the Stimulus Money?

In general, a resident can spend the stimulus money as they wish, including gifts and charitable 
contributions. This is the resident’s money to spend on their wants and needs.

A ROHO cushion for the chair would use up a fair chunk.
Has she already prepaid her funeral?

The terms of the Covid stimulus checks specify that Medicaid recipients have a year to spend down the money before it is counted as an asset, so you've got time. Recipients can use the money any way they want, including small gifts to family or friends, gift cards, services such as hairdressing or manicures, etc. My brother in law is in a nursing home and likes to order Chinese food to be delivered--which is now being allowed by his NH. We're in the same situation trying to figure out how to help him spend down. Pre-paying a year of Netflix is something he'd like and use. Some people maintain close ties to their church and are happy to have the wherewithal to make a donation. If your mom is not really in need of anything, or not anything major, is she the sort of person who liked donating to favorite causes or organizations? Is the cognizant enough that you could ask her?