I live in Georgia. I have to go out of town at the end of May, and mom will go into an Alzheimer's Facility for Respite Care for 6 days. I have to do this again at the end of July for 10 days. I guess I will need the Dr. to write an order, but do I have to be careful with the wording? When I get the order, how do I submit it? The facility seems not to know this process.
If your mom is on basic Medicare - which almost everybody in the US can sign up for once they turn 65 - the program will pay for their hospitalization, doctor visits, other health professional costs (like physical therapists), prescriptions. Medicare will not cover any long term care facility cost unless they are coming out of a 3 or more day hospital stay and discharged to the facility for "rehab". Even then the "rehab" stay has limitations on the # of days fully covered (about 20 days) by Medicare.
You or your mom probably will have to do private pay for the stay and it likely will be co$tly. I'd bet that it will be the daily room & board private pay rate. You may want to approach this as a way to find a facility to transition mom to move to. Often a facility will work with you on cost as it is a way for them, you & mom to find out IF she is a good "fit". If you find you have to travel for work or whatever and realistically just cannot provide the 24/7 care that mom is now needing or being at the point of almost needing, you might as well start looking for places now.
http://www.medicare.gov/coverage/hospice-and-respite-care.html
I would contact your states Elder Services and ask them.