$ guidance 4 relative moving to nursing home

[shelbylovesmelby]

My mom is finally agreeing to a perm stay in a nursing home.

Now since she doesn't have private insurance......
how much $ is she allowed to have?
She's been in low-income senior housing for several yrs and I know they aren't allowed to have anymore than $2k in total assets (bank, life insurance, and vehicle) so there's not alot to liquidate.

What do I need to do w/ her bills? As I know they only let them have $45/mo & that's not going to cut it for her credit cards. I think someone way back said to just not leave a fwd address or write on it return to sender in nursing home?

When will they start taking every dime of her disablity check? Cause she needs to give a months notice before she turns over her apartment so she'll have to atleast pay Sept's rent & I'd like to keep whatever is left over aside so she has something. As every time I'm there.... your mom needs this & that & whatnot.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[Cashguy]

I'm sorry for your mom needing to be place in a nursing home. I too went through this with my dad. You answered her monthly allowance question. It's always a small amount. As far as cc are concerned... she is still responsible for the monthly payments. You might check in to any cc protection plans on her account in case she is ever unable to make the monthly payment. Read and consider its options carefully.
Nursing homes are not a income friendly place to stay especially if there is 24hr nursing care. Good idea on giving a vacate notice.. make sure she gets her deposits back if any.

[ithaca]

Talk to a lawyer.

[jodi]

I don't know the ins and outs here - I've never been in this situation. But I do work with developmentally disabled adults, and I can tell you their income limits. If a person gets Social Security, there is no income/asset limit (not an income based program). If they get SSI (Supplemental Security Income - income based program), they will have an asset limit of $2000. If they receive Medicaid, the asset limit is $4200 (or something close to that). I don't know the income limits for SSI and Medicaid, but there are some. There is no asset limit for receiving Medicare.
I would talk to the admissions office in the nursing home. They should have someone skilled at answering these questions (and the limits might vary from state to state - I'm not sure). As for the cc debt, I can't speak to that. Good luck.

[boefixepa]

When my granmother moved from being cared for from my mom's house into the nuring home (after a stroke) they credit cards, which had a nice balance, call the house asking for my grandmother. My mother told them she had had a stroke and was now in a nursing home and if they wanted their money they could come ask her for it...she wasn't very nice. However, the CC company just closed the account and wrote off the debt and didn't bother my mother anymore. To this day the way my mother handled it bothers me...because I know that she and my sibling who were around grandma at the time, had no problem letting grandma buy things for them...on her CC!!

Long story short, call the CC, tell them situation and ask them to write off the balance due. It will probably destroy her credit, but she no longer needs it really. The only other option is to take on the liability yourself and pay it, and that depends if you are in a situation to do that.