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He lives in Connecticut with his wife who is 20 years his Junior. He is 85. We are not sure he will qualify for Medicaid and he is going to need full time care. Please, any suggestions welcomed!

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I can't speak to the benefits offered by a Medicare Advantage plan, however I can tell you that in general, Medicare pays for temporary home care after hospitalization if needed. Medicaid absolutely will pay for home health aides -- in New York that Medicaid program is now called Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) and also includes things like medical house calls, transportation to appointments, and skilled nursing as needed. They assess and determine the level of care and number of hours you need. I have been very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the service and the professional staffing (although the beureacracy can be a kind of labyrinthian). As per below, the benefits and details of the program vary by state. If he does not currently "qualify," you don't have too many options until his finances are sufficiently depleted. He could begin divesting his assets to his heirs, however there is something called "look back," which basically means you have to have been poor enough for at least a certain number of years. That said, I would highly recommend splurging for a professional elder care manager who can walk you through all this.
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JOJOsig: "Medicare will pay for a home health aide if the person needs skilled nursing," per Google.
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Reply to Llamalover47
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the key part of Medicare and Medicaid’s is med. that means both only pay for necessary medical care. If you need care for just living because you are old or have chronic conditions you need to find another way. They call this long term health insurance. Most people do not have it because it is very expensive. Your next choice is to be totally broke and homeless then the state will help cover the costs in a facility. There is a fine line between medical care and health care.
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Jdjn99 Aug 9, 2024
Medicaid does indeed pay for in home services as well as custodial care. Each state has different income and assets limit. At most, however, it’s intermittent
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I highly recommend Veterans with VA Medical also get a Medicare Advantage plan. They are already paying for Medicare that is taken from their Social Security checks! If they need Urgent Care, they won't need to make 4 calls for a VA appt.
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swmckeown76 Aug 9, 2024
Get a Medicare supplement instead. Medicare Advantage plans are inexpensive, but they come with many limitations: networks, referrals, co-pays, prior authorizations, and (usually) care restricted to a small geographic area except in emergencies.
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Sierramikewhisk Aug 11, 2024
Thank you ma’am!! I wish I had scrolled through the replies and saw this before I typed out my comment above 😂😂😂😂😂 it have saved me 30 minutes 😂😂😂😂 Oh well, good information is always worth repeating!!!

Thank you again for sharing this, I am hoping that it helps other people so that they don’t have to almost lose their minds trying to get help like I almost did!!
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Because he has a Spouse things may not be cut and dry. Assets will need to be split before you apply with an Elder Lawyer. If he is put in care, she becomes the Community Spouse. Medicaidvis based on income.

There is a post talking about some VA programs people may not be aware of.
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As you are asking the questions, it’s worth saying that it’s best to do this together with the wife who is 20 years younger. She probably didn’t expect this as part of marriage, and it’s difficult for her, but she is the ‘next of kin’. He may have skipped the POA, on the basis that she will take responsibility, but you may need to think whether this is best. When the ‘family’ isn’t together, it can all get very nasty very quickly.
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Reply to MargaretMcKen
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Check with your local social services. CT used to have some specific funding available to help families continue aging in place. I heard of it but my mom was in MA so I did not fully search. Unfortunatetly,CT has high nursing home costs. However if he is close to MA, consider looking across the border if he gets to that stage.
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Wow!! Thank you so much!!
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Reply to JOJOsig
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Medicare will cover short periods of care if a person is receiving skilled nursing at home. That means care provided by a registered or licensed nurse (infusions, wound care,...). Medicare will never provide 24-hour care or long-term care; not even if the patient is in hospice.

If he's a veteran, see the Geriatric Care page on VA.gov for home care options. If not, take the survey on benefits.gov to see what financial assistance may be available through Dad's state or county.

The spend-down (process for legally reducing assets) for Medicaid is horrific, but know that the house is NOT considered an asset while the wife lives in it. People who are not on Medicaid are encouraged by the State of CT to apply for their Home Care for Elders Program which seems to be a sort-of Medicaid program, one without all of the limitations of the standard*. Five qualifications:
~ You are 65 or older,
~ You are a Connecticut resident,
~ You meet the program’s functional criteria and/or
~ you are at risk of nursing home placement, and
~ You meet the program’s income and asset guidelines. (see www.ct.gov/dss for limits)

Call 1-800-445-5394, option 4 to make a referral to the program or apply at:
https://www.ascendami.com/CTHomeCareForElders/default/  
 * The above information is taken from a brochure downloaded from the CT.gov Department of Social Services/Health & Home Care
Home Care - Long Term Services and Supports/Community Options page

A financial planner friend once explained how life insurance policies can be used as loans. My eyes glazed over about a third of the way through that, but if Dad has life insurance, definitely consult a financial planner to see what's possible.

Best wishes in quickly getting the care your family needs.
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