Why are my aunt’s Social Security monthly benefits still automatically going into her bank account?

Well actually if she is still getting her SS $ direct deposit - even though she is currently a NH resident on LTC Medicaid- this could be a blessing in disguise. As it sounds like this NH is beyond a clusterF as to its management, I cannot image the billing hell she / you’d be wading through if you / her need for them to release a SSA representative payee status as she’s moving out of this NH and going back home / into her community. Just make sure she sets aside what $ amount her required income copay is as eventually it should need to be paid. It may surface if her state does an annual renewal with documentation review for LTC Medicaid as all that $ will red flag her eligibility

I have a question…. If she / you are thinking about her going onto PACE, have she/you looked at in detail how PACE is set up for where she is? We have a PACE center by us. I’m very much a fan of PACE but it’s not geared for everyone as how ours are run. One by us is essentially a M-F day center with everyone as a “dual” so on MediCARE & Medicaid for health insurance and also enrolled in community based Medicaid. Between all 3, costs for health care and day program costs are dealt with. Transportation is provided to/from the center as well and for the rare trips to hospital if needed. The # of days you go is dependent on your assessment and most get 3 days a week. The 1 by us is essentially a mini clinic and has seriously equipped vans (from State Dept of Health or from the hospital group this PACE is affiliated with) drop by on a regular basis for when certain screening/ procedures are needed. PACE is the hub. However, participant will need to be able to be on their own or have family there to deal with whatever oversight or care needed for nonPACE time. So if they are on M-W-F Pace then on their own all the other days & nights. On weekends - if deemed necessary- they might have a health provider do a in-home stop. But at no time will PACE ever provide for 24/7 oversight or care. To get 24/7 they need to be in a facility that is staffed for that.

Please, please pls before she moves out of current NH, look in detail as to just what this Pace does and if it’s at all feasible for her. If she needs others to be there to help her make it through her day, if she cannot do her own medication management, and she’s going to be alone she may not be a good fit for PACE.

Also look as to if there is a waiting list and what the list is drawing from. The PACE by us is run by Catholic Charities health facility administration group. Now CC also has a facilities group with market rate senior apts, income dependent apts, communal living places AND 202 housing. And church has senior groups within their parishes. All of these feed the waiting list for enrollment at PACE center, especially the 202 group. It’s hard for a random individual to get into this Pace, bc of this. There is a CC owned senior apt building by us, that on a regular basis has the PACE van picking up several residents regularly to whisk them over to the PACE for the day. If there’s an event, like Covid shut down or hurricane evacuation, the individual is kinda on their own to deal with it as the PACE will shut down. It’s not a NH that technically due to Medicare compliance has a legal requirement to provide for safe transfer to a comparable NH facility. Just in detail look into all this BEFORE she moves out.

Sounds like she’s still competent & cognitive but her aphasia keeps her from being able to communicate so she can seem incompetent, is this kinda happening? Its so hard to have the time or patience to understand one with aphasia (I have a dear with primary prog) as it takes forever to get a sentence out (my friend does excellent mime). You might want to have her look into 202 supportive housing program, that might be good fit. Good luck in your quest!

Unless the nursing home was made rep payee for your aunt's social security, her monthly check will continue to be deposited into her account as usual. I'm not sure how it works where the person does not have a POA and is herself incapacitated, but usually the NH bill would be paid by POA by writing a check from the account. Possibly some nursing homes arrange to have a direct debit from the account. The NH bill would reflect the person's share of cost, based on their income, with the $$ for the "personal needs allowance" excluded. Where are the nursing home bills going now? Your best bet is to check with them. And you are wise to leave the SS in the account, as the NH may indeed send a bill. once they realize they haven't been paid.

P.S. What is NAMI? (I think of it as the National Alliance on Mental Illness)

Thanks. This has been a nightmare because my aunt had a stroke with no POA named and she lost all documents in a flood right before her stroke. No husband no children. As her niece I have been doing the best I can but I fear that her change of status was not reported properly to Social Security. That money is not supposed to be there. I have not even been able to get her an online SSA account or an updated SS card or anything. Her home address and phone disappeared after she was flooded out of her apartment. No address change with SSA was probably made. She has aphasia and cannot speak so she can’t call SSA herself and can’t go physically to an office and no one at the nursing home will supply a notary because they assume she is not competent just because she can’t speak well. What a royal mess. Every time I think I’m closer to unraveling this more complications crop up.

Speak to the nursing home. You are likely correct that this should not be the case, but our guesses would only be a guess. Speak to administration.