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Who are you caring for?
Which best describes their mobility?
How well are they maintaining their hygiene?
How are they managing their medications?
Does their living environment pose any safety concerns?
Fall risks, spoiled food, or other threats to wellbeing
Are they experiencing any memory loss?
Which best describes your loved one's social life?
Acknowledgment of Disclosures and Authorization
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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Mostly Independent
Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
Remember, this assessment is not a substitute for professional advice.
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I have approximately 4 months to initiate this process before my mother's assets are spent down with self-pay at SNF. My brother and I (we are both POAs) have an appointment with an Elder Law Attorney soon.
I used a certified elder attorney that I had been using for several years. Each persons situation is different. I felt it was money well spent. I did the recertification the second year with the help of a few phone calls with the attorneys office and faxed the info. I hope I can do the third year on my own. This forum had given me a lot of general advice and one member in particular helped but I still had situations the attorney was very helpful with. My application was for my DH aunt. She has no one but the two of us and I was stressed to the max handling a flood in her home. I had made some incorrect assumptions on what was income and what was insurance benefit and how to manage her company life insurance and her 401. She ended up having more monthly funds on an ongoing basis than if I had done it myself. Not sure it would ever break even on the attorney charges, she won’t live that long, but that money had to be spent down and this way she gets to keep a little more of her monthly income. I wanted to add that my attorney does use the online portal. I didn’t when I did the recert. I had 150 pages to fax. I could have taken it to the Medicaid office. I plan to next time as it’s very close to her N.H. Also the portals may be different state to state so there is that aspect. Good luck. It’s a lot of work.
I didn't have to do a 3rd year for my MIL (in MN). I've not had to do it since and she's been on it since 2016. Honestly, I'm not sure why she automatically qualifies every year, but it's a relief. Maybe because she's not made any taxable income because she didn't have to file? Not sure. We just get a letter telling us she has qualifed and to pick out her coverage.
Personally I would do both because if somehow something goes amiss it will be beyond a total PIA to deal with. And do the mailing certified mail from the USPS for under $10. Well worth the cost for the peace of mind.
Also as a suggestion to anyone reading this, when you are doing the initial application get a binder going and place all the original documents into it. Then over the next year put all updates on those documents into it + anything new…… Like their bank statements, the 90 day statements from the Nh on their personal needs account, their “awards letters” for the incoming year from SSA and other retirements. Anything that pays them a 1099, like a dividend paid on an old life insurance policy that actually pays then a dividend or their bank acct pays interest as all those should be submitted in the annual renewal as they are resources. If they keep their home or car, then the annual tax collector bill on those. As all these or the info from these get submitted in the renewal to determine their overall status and determine the copay for the next renewal period.
I've only applied for my MIL through snail mail back in 2016. Recently I created a portal access online so that I could make an address change for her. My perception is that the portal is limited in what it can do, but it you can do the entire application process digitally, I would do it that way. Once you apply you will get an answer in 3 months.
Given each State is different, IMHO I would ask both the elder care attorney as well as the business office director at the nursing home, which approach they would advise. The nursing home business office folks generally have lots of experience and knowledge about their State/Local Medical office and the staff who handle things for approving Medicaid "long term nursing home" coverage for their facility.
We -- upon the advice of both the attorney and nursing home business person -- when with an on-line application as it was more efficient and desired in our State and w/the local Medicaid staffers. The nursing home can also upload documents into your State portal for you, assuming your State (most do) have the on-line application option.
Doing things on-line also helps downstream as there are "redeterminations" that are done annually (more paperwork to file) AND if there are any changes in coverage; once can see such notices faster on-line. For example, the amount of funds your loved one may keep (not much, like $80-90) each month; will change in July (at least in our State) and then on Jan 1., your loved one's "cost of care contribution" will also change based on any increase in their Social Security and/or pension/retirement payments.
All to say, the first application to qualify is just the start of on-going paperwork, filings and notices AND so much easier to do this on-line if possible.
I recommend bringing your Medicaid documents directly to the office. They’ll scan them, provide a receipt listing submitted documents and the employee’s name, ensuring clarity and avoiding potential issues.
It is better and quicker to apply online. After an Elder Law Attorney, see a professional Medicaid planner, application hopefully started by now, since complicated rules vary for each state where recipients live.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
I did the recertification the second year with the help of a few phone calls with the attorneys office and faxed the info. I hope I can do the third year on my own.
This forum had given me a lot of general advice and one member in particular helped but I still had situations the attorney was very helpful with.
My application was for my DH aunt. She has no one but the two of us and I was stressed to the max handling a flood in her home. I had made some incorrect assumptions on what was income and what was insurance benefit and how to manage her company life insurance and her 401. She ended up having more monthly funds on an ongoing basis than if I had done it myself. Not sure it would ever break even on the attorney charges, she won’t live that long, but that money had to be spent down and this way she gets to keep a little more of her monthly income.
I wanted to add that my attorney does use the online portal. I didn’t when I did the recert. I had 150 pages to fax. I could have taken it to the Medicaid office. I plan to next time as it’s very close to her N.H.
Also the portals may be different state to state so there is that aspect.
Good luck. It’s a lot of work.
Also as a suggestion to anyone reading this, when you are doing the initial application get a binder going and place all the original documents into it. Then over the next year put all updates on those documents into it + anything new…… Like their bank statements, the 90 day statements from the Nh on their personal needs account, their “awards letters” for the incoming year from SSA and other retirements. Anything that pays them a 1099, like a dividend paid on an old life insurance policy that actually pays then a dividend or their bank acct pays interest as all those should be submitted in the annual renewal as they are resources. If they keep their home or car, then the annual tax collector bill on those. As all these or the info from these get submitted in the renewal to determine their overall status and determine the copay for the next renewal period.
We -- upon the advice of both the attorney and nursing home business person -- when with an on-line application as it was more efficient and desired in our State and w/the local Medicaid staffers. The nursing home can also upload documents into your State portal for you, assuming your State (most do) have the on-line application option.
Doing things on-line also helps downstream as there are "redeterminations" that are done annually (more paperwork to file) AND if there are any changes in coverage; once can see such notices faster on-line. For example, the amount of funds your loved one may keep (not much, like $80-90) each month; will change in July (at least in our State) and then on Jan 1., your loved one's "cost of care contribution" will also change based on any increase in their Social Security and/or pension/retirement payments.
All to say, the first application to qualify is just the start of on-going paperwork, filings and notices AND so much easier to do this on-line if possible.