nursing home has been trying to get my dad home until yesterday

[rickyagnew]

My Father had a stroke in 2012 and wasn't able to eat,speak or even go the bathroom by himself,and was using a diaper 24/7.. He's been in a nursing home for the past three years.he had Medicaid.

They've been working with us to get him home for several months now.We had a home care group involved and ready to transport him home at any time.we were supposed to be getting him home this coming weekend at the latest.he's 97 years old and has been very excited to return home for good..His primary doctor typed and signed a letter that he's well enough to make the transition to home normal life.

He now eats some during the day,he goes to the restroom by himself and uses his walker to walk everywhere..in fact he walks all over the nursing home rarely using his wheelchair..they've shown my mom and I how to feed him via boalus feedings 5 times daily.we were all prepared for him to come home for good this weekend.

Recently,his doctor said that my dad might be eating normally by mouth well enough by november that he might not need the tube..he might consider having it removed.my father and my mother and myself were all excited that he'd be home in couple days.yesterday we got a letter stating that medicaid has refused to renew my dad's policy claiming he makes too much money and refuses to cover him if he comes home.medicare won't insure him either.

the nursing home told my mother that it will cost her an out of pocket $16oo a month for us to bring him home whatever that means..we don't even know what that would cover..this has depressed my father tremendously.we feel that he won't live much longer in the home as he was wanting to come home and live his life the way it was normally as best he can.his mind is in total tact and was never effected by the stroke..memory and all is still in tact.

has anyone ever run into this kind of thing before and have any advice??we can't just leave him there,neither can we afford the $1600 a month to take care of him..we feel the system let us down horribally!! i mean two more days and he'd have been home and this crud happens!!

 

[AZ Jim]

It's no fun to be in that position. I have no solution to the problem. With Medicare funds being limited and the skyrocketing cost of medical care it is tough on anyone once alone a man of your fathers age. Medicaid being a welfare program it too has major constraints, in fact in some states it's virtually non existent. I wish I could do more than pity you, but alas, it is all I can offer. I doubt you'll find much help on a message board. Maybe your state legislator could look into it for you.

 

[NancyNGA]

In Texas isn't the income limit $2000/mo? Most states require you to start spending down your assets and then use income if it exceeds the limit, before Medicaid will kick in. It seems there ought to be some way to legally assign his income to pay some of the covered expenses so that Medicaid would cover any remaining cost. I don't know how that works in Texas. Maybe you need to see an elder care attorney.

 

[Butterfly]

Is it Medicaid that is giving you a hard time, or Medicare? Medicaid is means tested, but Medicare is not. Why won't Medicare insure him (Medicare is stuck with you when you turn 65, but there are things they don't cover, not people), or is it the long term care they won't pay for? Check into this carefully and be sure you are getting correct information. Usually insurance encourages the patient to come home rather than be in long term nursing home care. Something about this doesn't seem right -- I'd demand to know precisely who is saying what about coverage, and exactly what it means, what it covers and what it does not. Perhaps it is a long term care insurance policy that won't cover him when he comes home?

Do see an attorney that specializes in elders' issues. Most areas have a Senior Citizens' Law Office or something like it that will check into this kind of stuff for free. And they do a pretty good job, too. Don't try to wend your way through this confusing mess by yourself if you are not very familiar with how the various insurances work -- that's a prescription for failure.