Check with your state's department of elderly services, ask her primary care for information, join a caregiver group, ask your human resources department for information about Employee Assistance programs for caregivers Most of these agencies will require a home visit to do an intake and review your needs. Be honest about your mom's financial resources, health and dependency issues.
there are more resources available but you need to ask, research and investigate. When an intake person comes for the assessment visit please have all documents ready: SS award letter current year, bank accounts, medical history including medication list, who are her PCP, specialists: cardiologist, gastro, dentist, eye doctor, foot doctor, and other doctors; if she receives massage therapy, PT/OT/Speech therapy, etc; why do you need assistance with her care ( be honest as to how caregiving is impacting you and your family, your work life, your social life, your personal health, etc)
If your father was a Veteran, you can apply for Aide and Attendance. There must be an Honorable Discharge during wartime. The VA office has someone to help you with this application. It is for spouses of Veterans. Or you can apply for Medicaid home care, if your mother qualifies. See an elder law attorney if necessary. Medicaid home care doesn’t have as long a look back as nursing home care. Some home care agencies will also help with this, if they are Medicaid certified. Good luck with this…hugs 🤗
Thank you so much for this link. I am here in Illinois and before I went to the Illinois information site, I was looking over the Pay for Senior Care site in general. It has a wealth of wonderful information and I have been reading all about Elder Care Technology | Tools to Help Aging in Place.
Yes the VA will pay for Aid & Attendance if all the planets are aligned, honorable discharge, low income, limit on assets in the bank. Etc.. Not much $1300 month.
What you are referring to is the VA Aid and Attendance. There are services provided by a VA Caregivers program. I receive 28 hours a week caregiver benefits. It is based on need not income.
If your mother is the widow of a war-time veteran, she maybe eligible for VA Aid & Attendance. It's a pain in the neck to apply, and I hired a third party to handle it for me, but was able to get enough to pay for sitters to relieve me for 15-20 hours each week. It's not 24/7, but it helps.
Also, you may want to check on her Social Security benefits. If she is a widow and was married for over 10 years, she is eligible to receive Social Security survivor benefits based on her husband's benefit amount if it's more than what she is receiving from her benefit amount. She can't get both, but can get the larger of the two.
If you live in California (other states may offer this as well) you and your mother may qualify if she can be enrolled in In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS). California pays me to take care of my boyfriend who has dementia. The pay rate is only $19.05 per hour but it's something. To qualify for IHSS in California the person needs to be on Medi-cal (state insurance for low income).
It will be hard finding care that you can't pay for. Mom should not be living on her own. Dementia is too unpredictable. Maybe you will need to consider placement.
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Most of these agencies will require a home visit to do an intake and review your needs. Be honest about your mom's financial resources, health and dependency issues.
there are more resources available but you need to ask, research and investigate.
When an intake person comes for the assessment visit please have all documents ready: SS award letter current year, bank accounts, medical history including medication list, who are her PCP, specialists: cardiologist, gastro, dentist, eye doctor, foot doctor, and other doctors; if she receives massage therapy, PT/OT/Speech therapy, etc; why do you need assistance with her care ( be honest as to how caregiving is impacting you and your family, your work life, your social life, your personal health, etc)
Good luck with this…hugs 🤗
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https://www.payingforseniorcare.com/california
Find one in your state if you are not in California.
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Gena / Touch Matters
Thank you so much for this link. I am here in Illinois and before I went to the Illinois information site, I was looking over the Pay for Senior Care site in general. It has a wealth of wonderful information and I have been reading all about Elder Care Technology | Tools to Help Aging in Place.
Thanks again.
Steve
Also, you may want to check on her Social Security benefits. If she is a widow and was married for over 10 years, she is eligible to receive Social Security survivor benefits based on her husband's benefit amount if it's more than what she is receiving from her benefit amount. She can't get both, but can get the larger of the two.
Her options are:
1) Pay out-of-pocket for the additional homecare she needs that isn't getting paid by insurance.
2) Move her into your home with you and you stay with her 24/7 and homecare will take over when you go to your job.
3) Get her placed in a memory care facility. I'm sure she's on Medicaid and they pay for long-term care.
She's not getting 24 hour homecare for free though.
California pays me to take care of my boyfriend who has dementia. The pay rate is only $19.05 per hour but it's something.
To qualify for IHSS in California the person needs to be on Medi-cal (state insurance for low income).
Does your mom have any property that you can sell? Does she own a home to sell for additional income?
I tried to get some for my mother through my father's veteran coverage from the Navy. He served during war time too. They don't pay for spouses.