[Lindawc]

No, Medicare does not cover this. If your mother or father is a veteran that was in active duty they can apply for aid and attendance through the VA. This is a monthly stipend to help pay for the services you’re speaking of.

[Philipd411]

editbyme

[jarodrig]

Originally Posted by Philipd411

I can not bathe my mother, I can not dress my mother. Not asking for maid service. asking if medicare help provide in home care help for those who can not longer provide themselves that type of care. Sorry I was not clear enough

Same scenario with my mother when she moved in with my younger sister in Rochester, NY

As has been repeatedly stated, Medicare will take care of the medical aspect but you are responsible for everything else.

In our situation, we hired a private care giver who took care of helping her bathing her, dressing her , doing her laundry and cleaning, cooking, etc .

My sister was working full time and was not able to provide this level of care during the week .

So yes, the “extras” you’re looking for will be an out of pocket expense you or your mother.

[LuvNH]

We, my children and I, have been going through this for the past two years.

I am going to assume that you brought your Mother to Florida without first assessing what her needs would be. For instance, can she walk, does she use a cane, walker or wheelchair. Can she shower herself. Can she get up in the night to use the bathroom. Can she get in and out of bed on her own. You need to take her through the house and see if she needs grab bars for stability. She will certainly need bars in the bathroom. She may need additional bars in the bedroom and at various places throughout the house. If you and your wife go out can she be left alone in the house, can she get herself food and drink. Probably the most important, is ..... is she a fall risk.

We had no idea what we were getting into before this happened to us and yes we are going to end up paying for care. Nothing free in Florida except sunshine!

[nancyre]

I understand about crossing the lines between child and parent of the opposite sex. Medicare will cover health care needs, Dr can RX equipment needs such as a hospital bed. If she happens to be a veteran or the spouse of a veteran speak with the VA. But personal care needs are not covered unless it is temporary coming out of medical incident/procedure. Florida department of aging may have some information that can help. Tri-county caregiver resources also has lots of information. Medicaid is when all of her financial resources are gone. If she has financial resources the cost should be covered by her resources for exactly that reason. keep good financial records ( it is important for many reasons)

[Donnarae93]

Call the Department of Children + Family Service.. If she has NO assets then she can qualify for help in your home.

QUOTE=Philipd411;2296628]My mom just moved in with my wife and I. I was told by my sister that medicare will proved in home care including help with cleaning her room, washing her cloths, helping her wash and other things she is having trouble doing.

My sister said medicare did this for her father in law when he moved into her house.

I called her medicare and they said no. But they do provide up to 32 hours a week for medical care.

I know we can hire someone to provide these services but it comes out of her savings or we kids pay.

Does anyone know if such a program is real?

So far every home health care company I called said there is no such thing.[/QUOTE]

[DiandJay]

Originally Posted by Randall55

In some states, this is provided. I have never met anyone in Florida who was able to obtain this service. Each of them had to pay out of pocket. It was explained to me that there are far too many elderly in Florida. The insurance companies would go broke. I have seen many neighbors leave Florida and return home because many states provide their elderly with better care. In Pennsylvania, my brother has three or four medical staff visiting him each day. He was supplied a van with a motorized lift. And, his wife gets paid $18 an hour because she is his caregiver. Plans like this exist but not in Florida. (to the best of my knowledge) Call Shine. They may be able to help you.

I recently saw a commercial here in FL advertising the availably of assistance or payment for home care of a disabled or elderly family member. Wish I had taken notes as the subject has come up recently before this.

[PugMom]

Originally Posted by BoatRatKat

I recently went through all this recently. Sorry but no, Medicare does not provide for those services. With a Dr.'s approval they provide a few hours each week of physical and occupational therapy, that's it. For the services you're looking for you will have to pay out of pocket and that is approx. 35.00/hr and there is a minimum of 4 hours each visit and 3 visits each week. Do the math and it's 420.00 per week. There are several service agencies like Visiting Angels that provide these types of services but I can't vouch for any of them. Another option is Hospice which is free but your MIL will need to have a specific diagnosis to meet criteria. Good luck to you, I know it's a very difficult road to be on.

excellent post. yes, hospice is good, but do not do everything. that price is on the nose, unless the person has dementia, as my hubby did. i had to hire a specially trained dementia nurse @ $40 per hour, to deal with him during outbursts or periods of combativeness. i had to hire them for most of the week, sometimes overnight towards the end. i will ask you stay away from mainstream companies, they don't always have the best caregivers available. some can be lazy & i was worried a few times leaving him alone with them, not sure they'd be able to handle all his needs. i used AngelsAboveYou near the end, recommended by a doctor he had. they were so sweet & we had Danny the overnite nurse who was just perfect. if you are considering medicaid, get mom to transfer the title of your home to you, lest they may take it. i truly wish you the best of luck, it's not easy.

[eweissenbach]

My wife and I cared for my father with numerous health issues for the last three years of his life. I helped him get ready for bed, got him up, toileted, and dressed in the morning, and my wife fed him three meals and cared for him, including insulin shots and dressing sores. In order to give my wife time for herself, we advertised for and hired a local woman (retired LPN) for twenty dollars an hour (early 2000’s) three afternoons a week. My father had Medicare and Med Supplement plan F, which paid for all his professional medical care and hospice the last month of his life. My father’s social security covered his outside care and reimbursed my wife for her commitment. We found the experience very fulfilling and gave my dad a lot of happiness under the circumstances.

[Sanibel]

If her husband was a veteran you can get Aid and Attendance from them. Download the forms, fill out and mail. Could take some time but benefits are retroactive to the date they received the forms. From there you can hire someone to do the things you’re looking for.

[Irishfxm]

If your mother has long-term healthcare policy that could cover the services you require at home.

[Drakeswood]

Advice from a voice of experience:

First and foremost, do your research! There is no one stop shopping when caring for a loved one lovingly without robbing your assets and your emotional well being. Remember: if nothing else, what goes around comes around and the info might help those caring for you when that time comes! It behooves us to learn …


Florida Department of Elder Affairs has branches in most counties -check their website and phone. Maybe a visit to their office to create a relationship.

contact the elder law section of a nearby university law school. (Provide good information free)

If your lived one has such, Read her long term care insurance policy’s fine print-lots of info there is “disguised” and worth checking. Those companies usually know of programs to assist even if not included in coverage.

Each U.S.State has different services and most publish a free, annual softcover book on Senior Resources. It takes a lot of time to contact them all but often can be very helpful.

If hospice qualified, that is wonderful and covered by the free portion of Medicare (part A).

Medicaid has various loopholes on home ownership and financial assets and income.

senior “companion” programs, (free) available in most communities for a visit of a couple of hours per week just for friendship/mental stimulation of our elder - contributed to her quality of life.

Google these:
* Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative
* Community Care For the Elderly (CCE)
* Home Care for the Elderly (HCE)
* National Family Caregiver Support Program
* Respite for Elders Living in Everyday Families (RELIEF)
* Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care Program

[Drakeswood]

Elderaffairs.org (Florida Department of Elder Affairs)

[japinga]

Originally Posted by Philipd411

I can not bathe my mother, I can not dress my mother. Not asking for maid service. asking if medicare help provide in home care help for those who can not longer provide themselves that type of care. Sorry I was not clear enough

Check on Papapal through Medicare. You get like 75 hours a year for the kind if help you need. Also rides to appointments etc

[aldeana]

Regarding long term care options, rather than depending on one person's good or bad opinions, or on your neighbor's cousin's boyfriend's sister, it's best to get information from the horse's mouth. The Florida Department of Elder Affairs funnels state and federal funding to 11 area agencies on aging in Florida. The Area Agency on Aging for Marion, Lake, and Sumter counties is called Elder Options (area agencies have different names). Their website is agingresources.org. The helpline number is 800-262-2243. Elder Options provides information and referral services at no cost to the caller. They do not sell anything, nor do they get compensation for a referral. They also provide training for caregivers, Medicare orientation, etc. One of the goals is to provide elder care services in the least restrictive and lowest cost settings. Note that Medicare does NOT pay for long term nursing home care. It does pay for skilled nursing care at home or in a hospital or nursing facility, but skilled nursing is limited and has restrictions. Long term care is normally provided in a nursing home, an assisted living facility, or with an overlay of community services at home (whether the person lives alone or in a family setting). The Florida website provides information at State of Florida.com | Florida Seniors Guide.
The area agency can also inform you regarding Medicaid long term care services, a federal/state funded program of financial assistance to people below certain poverty and asset standards. Another source of information is in the website for the Florida Department of Elder Affairs mentioned above. There is also a screening program called CARES which screens patients regarding their need for long term care services. The following quote is from the Fl Department of Elder Affairs web site:
"Florida residents seeking Medicaid assistance for home and community-based services, or nursing homes, must meet both medical and financial eligibility requirements. The Comprehensive Assessment and Review for Long-Term Care Services (CARES) Program is responsible for determining medical eligibility (level of care) for home and community-based Medicaid waiver programs and Medicaid nursing home services."