My parents need an assisted living apartment in a senior retirement community, but they are on Medicaid and family can’t help. Now what?

Not sure where you live, but I’m in Florida and got my mom on the LTC Medicaid waiver. It’s used to help seniors age in place at home or to help with the cost of assisted living. The plan my mom is on will cover $1,400 of the cost of the ALF she’ll be moving into. I had to call around to find facilities that accept Medicaid and then toured the ones that do. I found one that I think she’s going to be very happy in.

Assisted living facilties generally do not take Medicaid. If your parents are vulnerable and not safe alone, what you need to do is contact your state's elder protective services or your local Agency on Aging. Get a social worker involved. The social worker will evaluate them and assist them in finding placement if necessary. If they can qualify medically for a nursing home, that is where they will end up, covered by LTC Medicaid. If they are unsafe at home, the state social worker needs to know. Also, You are under no obligation to care for them if you are unable to.

By being on Medicaid do you mean for health or are your parents getting some in home care. Health and income care are two different types of Medicaid with different criteria. Then there's Medicaid for Nursing home care. Because you have one of the 3 does not mean your entitled to the others. Now, if you have in home Medicaid health comes with it. If your in a NH with Medicaid offsetting the care cost, you get Medicaid health.

Sorry to say that Medicaid does not pay for Assisted Livings or Memory Care. In my State Medicaid may if you have at least paid privately for 2 years. Then its if the AL takes Medicaid and if they do, they only except a certain percentage of Medicaid residents. My Moms had 39 rooms and only allowed 14% Medicaid recipients. Thats about 6 people.

You say nothing about the age of your parents and their health problems. If they need 24/7 care you may have to look for Longterm care that Medicaid would pay for. You need to have their PCP evaluate them because he needs to sign they need 24/7 care.

If your parents have been sheltered for 25 years, don't expect them to suddenly become social. After 25 yrs they have probably lost the ability to socialize. The only thing you can expect is that they are cared for.