I operate a homecare agency and was a caregiver for 25 years prior to that. I'm going to just tell you plainly and truthfully here.
Unless there is a LTC insurance policy with homecare coverage or the person in question is already on Medicaid, you aren't going to get CNA, homemaker/companion, or sitter service for free. That isn't going to happen unless it's done by volunteers.
You refer to the person as "your patient". Are you a caregiver and this is your client? If yes, then you would know that your work hours with this client are few.
If the people are as poor as you claim they are, the patient can qualify for Medicaid and Medicaid has different programs for homecare and facility care. It will not be free if these people own property and have things like pensions, social security, savings accounts, retirement accounts, investments, etc... Medicaid is not unreasonable though. If there is a dependent spouse they make allowances for that. The dependent spouse also gets to remain in the home and they are not forced to sell. Should they need care at some point or they pay away (the dependent spouse) there will be no inheritance. Medicaid will collect what they are owed.
I hope I have helped to answer some of your questions.
thank you for adding the information that other care is needed. Hospice can provide Volunteers that can sit with a person. They can not do any "hands on" care but their help can be a time saver. Again talk to the Social Worker and see what suggestions they may have. If this person is a Veteran or the Widow of a Veteran the VA may also have some options.
First I must comment on the fact that your profile says that the person you're caring for is 122. Surely that is incorrect right? And if it's not, well no wonder they need hospice. Hospice care in the home or facility is covered 100% under ones Medicare. They will cover any needed equipment, supplies and medications, plus have a nurse come once a week to start and aides to bathe them twice a week. And all of that is covered 100% again under their Medicare. You will not have to pay for any part of that, so call hospice today and get the ball rolling on getting this person the care they require.
Thanks for this reply, and I don't believe I worded my question correctly, as hospice is covered under Medicare, but it's additional in-home care that we're looking to get and have no way to pay for. Any thoughts on getting a private duty aide in the home with no funds?
Grandma is correct that Hospice should be able to help if help there is.
Reason I say that is that I recently helped a friend to her peaceful end in the latter 2 months of last year. She was diagnosed with stage IV cancer and such severe metastases that she chose to go home on Hospice without treatment. She needed 24/7 care and had no family, no friends who lived closeby to her. What she had basically was a friend who used to be her neighbor and a few of us who had worked with her and felt still close to her. She had about 100,000 total in savings and a retirement account, and her home. Everyone scrambled to get two gals she knew, basically not caregivers for 12 hour shifts at 20.00 an hour. Along with ordering food for herself and the caregivers, the money hemorrhaged out over the two months she lived. And I don't know anyone else who ever managed to get caregivers under 35.00/hr.
It's a problem. Hospices used to give more care and now it seems down to 2-3 baths, a call from clergy, a call from a social worker and a bottle of morphine, in this day and age where their mission has been bought up by Hedgefunds and changed for profit.
I am going to wish you great good luck. The thing to tell hospice is that you want home care for your loved one, but she/he has no funds. If their social worker is up to the job that is the only hope I have.
I hope others have better, more hopeful suggestions for you.
Thank you so much for replying, I don't believe I worded my question correctly, as we do have Medicare and that is what is paying for hospice, however, we're attempting to find in-home care help and have no way to pay for the times hospice is not present.
9 Answers
Helpful Newest
First Oldest
First
I'm going to just tell you plainly and truthfully here.
Unless there is a LTC insurance policy with homecare coverage or the person in question is already on Medicaid, you aren't going to get CNA, homemaker/companion, or sitter service for free.
That isn't going to happen unless it's done by volunteers.
You refer to the person as "your patient". Are you a caregiver and this is your client? If yes, then you would know that your work hours with this client are few.
If the people are as poor as you claim they are, the patient can qualify for Medicaid and Medicaid has different programs for homecare and facility care.
It will not be free if these people own property and have things like pensions, social security, savings accounts, retirement accounts, investments, etc...
Medicaid is not unreasonable though. If there is a dependent spouse they make allowances for that. The dependent spouse also gets to remain in the home and they are not forced to sell. Should they need care at some point or they pay away (the dependent spouse) there will be no inheritance. Medicaid will collect what they are owed.
I hope I have helped to answer some of your questions.
ADVERTISEMENT
Hospice can provide Volunteers that can sit with a person. They can not do any "hands on" care but their help can be a time saver.
Again talk to the Social Worker and see what suggestions they may have.
If this person is a Veteran or the Widow of a Veteran the VA may also have some options.
Hospice care in the home or facility is covered 100% under ones Medicare. They will cover any needed equipment, supplies and medications, plus have a nurse come once a week to start and aides to bathe them twice a week. And all of that is covered 100% again under their Medicare.
You will not have to pay for any part of that, so call hospice today and get the ball rolling on getting this person the care they require.
It's in-home care that we don't have a way to pay for and are trying to get.
Thanks!
Reason I say that is that I recently helped a friend to her peaceful end in the latter 2 months of last year. She was diagnosed with stage IV cancer and such severe metastases that she chose to go home on Hospice without treatment.
She needed 24/7 care and had no family, no friends who lived closeby to her. What she had basically was a friend who used to be her neighbor and a few of us who had worked with her and felt still close to her. She had about 100,000 total in savings and a retirement account, and her home.
Everyone scrambled to get two gals she knew, basically not caregivers for 12 hour shifts at 20.00 an hour. Along with ordering food for herself and the caregivers, the money hemorrhaged out over the two months she lived. And I don't know anyone else who ever managed to get caregivers under 35.00/hr.
It's a problem. Hospices used to give more care and now it seems down to 2-3 baths, a call from clergy, a call from a social worker and a bottle of morphine, in this day and age where their mission has been bought up by Hedgefunds and changed for profit.
I am going to wish you great good luck. The thing to tell hospice is that you want home care for your loved one, but she/he has no funds. If their social worker is up to the job that is the only hope I have.
I hope others have better, more hopeful suggestions for you.
I am sure that there are ways that they can help.
I am curious if there are no funds why is the person not eligible for Medicaid?
Thank you so much for replying, I don't believe I worded my question correctly, as we do have Medicare and that is what is paying for hospice, however, we're attempting to find in-home care help and have no way to pay for the times hospice is not present.
Thanks