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Plzhelp1 Asked December 2022

Grandmother isn’t a US Citizen and her green card just expired. Any advice?

My grandmother lives with my aunt (her daughter) and I. My grandmother isn’t a US citizen and her green card just expired. She has been struggling with severe dementia for a long time now. Her ability to move and take care of herself is gone. She can’t use the bathroom by herself and frequently falls when she is helped because she cannot support her own weight and holding her up is nearly impossible. We have had to bring the fire department in if another man isn’t around because we are unable to lift her when she falls. She has frequent diarrhea as well and often refuses to eat. She is often completely incontinent and frequently soils her clothing. It is a really bad situation but we do not know how to get help. We found one home care worker who helps out three times a week but it’s not enough. Her not being a citizen seems to rule out any nursing home option or additional help. I don’t know what to do or how to get help. It has become nearly impossible to even get her in and out of bed. Sometimes she simply refuses to get into bed or use the bathroom and it is often difficult just to change her in bed. In hindsight we should have sent her back to her home country where she could have gotten help before things got so bad, but now it would be impossible to get her on a plane. My aunt is completely emotionally burned out and my own health issues are making matters worse. It is truly a dire situation.

Sendhelp Dec 2022
In California:
Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI)
CAPI is a 100 percent state-funded program designed to provide monthly cash benefits to aged, blind, and disabled non-citizens who are ineligible for Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) solely due to their immigration status. The Welfare Reform Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193) eliminated SSI/SSP eligibility for most non-citizens. As a result, most immigrants who were not receiving SSI/SSP in August 1996 are no longer eligible for SSI/SSP. The amount of CAPI benefits is equivalent to the amount of SSI/SSP benefits.
CAPI recipients may be eligible for Medi-Cal, CalFresh and In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), but they must file for each benefit separately. There is no automatic eligibility link between CAPI and these other programs.

Look into this in your area.

No one is going to arrest her, no one is going to deport her simply due to the extraordinary expenses of a frail elderly needing to be transported by ambulance, imo.

Instead, look into helps for her by searching online: help for non-U.S. citizen elderly
OR
U.S. dot gov. disabled elderly

JoAnn29 Dec 2022
I found this

"Your status as a legal permanent resident does not change if your green card expires. Although an expired green card does not mean that you lose your LPR status, you may encounter some problems: If you travel, you will have difficulty reentering the United States."

"USCIS Extends Validity of Expired Permanent Resident Cards from 12 Months to 24 Months for Renewals | USCIS.Oct 3, 2022"

What I read the biggest problem for Grandmom would be is if she went out of the US, she would not be allowed back in without an up to date card. After reading the below document, I don't think u need a lawyer, just get the card renewed.

https://citizenpath.com/expired-green-card-problems/
Plzhelp1 Dec 2022
Thanks so much for this! We went ahead and applied for Medicaid for her and will face the green card issue if it doesn’t go through. They mention biometrics and having to appear which would be pretty much impossible so we will seek Medicaid and if we have to go the green card route hopefully someone can grant her an exception to the usual requirements

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CTTN55 Dec 2022
Someone should get moving on the Green Card issue.

https://citizenpath.com/expired-green-card-problems/

JoAnn29 Dec 2022
Why was her green card allowed to elapse? Think maybe someone needs to find out how to get it reinstated. If she has had her green card over 5 years she is entitled to some US benefits but she may need that card to get them.

Medicaid can be applied for and Grandma placed in Longterm care.
Plzhelp1 Dec 2022
She does not have the cognitive ability to get a new one, but as someone else mentioned an immigration lawyer might be a place to start.
Geaton777 Dec 2022
Whether she is eligible for Medicaid depends on the rules for the state in which she resides. I think you need to talk to an immigration lawyer, and explain that her dementia prevented her from dealing with her green card issue. See what legal guidance you get from that discussion. From there you maybe should talk to a social worker for her county of residence. Surely your Grandmother isn't the first immigrant to be in this situation. Flying her back home probably requires a current passport and her being able to "behave" physically and verbally during the duration of the flight.

Bridget66 Dec 2022
Would it be possible for a family member to fly back to her home country with her?
If she has a life threatening crisis she might get emergency Medicaid for that one event.

gladimhere Dec 2022
Call the Area Agency on Aging to see if there are available resources for her. Is there a club or group of church of others of her nationality?

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