JOAN’S BLOG –TUE/ WED, JUNE 5/6, 2012 – HOW TO FIND CAREGIVING SERVICES WHEN YOU HAVE NO MONEY TO PAY FOR THEM

It seems as if it happened overnight. In some cases it did. In other cases, the transition is slow. Whatever the timeline, one day you find yourself with an aching back, sleep deprived, exhausted, stressed, and burned out, trying to shower, dry, and dress your spouse. Some of you may find yourself on the floor, trying to lift him/her when they have fallen. You are exhausted from working 3 shifts every day, 7 days a week – toileting, feeding, dressing, changing incontinence supplies, as well as cooking, cleaning, shopping, doing laundry, and lifting a wheelchair in and out of the car while driving to doctor appointments.

Time to call in the troops for help. Unfortunately, help costs money – lots of it, and if you do not have Long Term Care Insurance, or plenty of savings and investments, you may feel you are destined to die from caregiving on your own.

PLEASE remember my motto – “Sooner Rather Than Later”. The time to research and call for help is BEFORE you are slumped in a heap on the floor from exhaustion. I started this process almost a year ago, long before I needed Day Care and in home services. It took 6 months for Sid’s name to come to the top of the list for Day Care. He is now on every list possible, but the waiting lists are long. It could take another 6 months before I get in-home help, and I need it NOW. Imagine if I had waited until now to get on the lists.

Because the system of services is so complex and different in every state, I cannot give you specifics. What I can and will do is explain what agencies to contact for assistance. (You can always wade through Google for the information, but if you are like me, you have neither the time nor the patience for that. ) At the end of the blog, I will provide you with a link to an easy site to navigate for your State’s information.

Nothing can be done for you until your spouse is assessed by an agency that provides care. To get that process started, call:

#1. Social Worker – If you do not already have one, call your LOCAL Alzheimer’s Association and make an appointment to see one IN PERSON. These are the people who know the system, services available, and who to call to get your spouse assessed.

#2. State Department of Elder Affairs – Tell them what you need, and they will refer you to the appropriate agencies. See #3 below.

#3. Council on Aging – Call your LOCAL chapter, explain what you need, and ask for a case manager and assessment. Taking this local route may be more efficient than navigating through the Department of Elder Affairs.

#4. Veteran’s Administration – From what I have been told by friends who are eligible for these services, they work very slowly and are mired in red tape, so starting at least a year in advance is not unreasonable. For those who qualify, there are monthly pensions, Day Care funding, in home help, respite services, Assisted Living and Nursing home funding.

#5. Hospice – I am not talking about imminent death. Depending upon the state in which you live, Hospice services may be available for those with Alzheimer’s Disease because it is a terminal illness. If you feel your spouse’s needs are too difficult for you to manage, ask your doctor to write a script for a Hospice evaluation, and call your local chapter. A nurse will come to the house and make a determination of need for services. I have such an appointment scheduled for this Thursday, so I will have more information for you after Sid’s evaluation.

Once your spouse has been assessed and their needs determined, you will be put on every service list for which he/she qualifies.

For the state of Florida, that includes:

Medicaid – Full service medical, including placement

Medicaid Waiver- pays for Day Care, respite, in-home personal care – The funds are on a FREEZE – no known date for the thaw.

Medicaid Diversion – pays for Day Care, personal care, respite, incontinence supplies, wanderer alarm system – List is long, but names are being called each month.

Alzheimer Dementia Initiative – pays for Day Care

For services in your state, CLICK HERE.

If anyone has information to add to this blog, please post it on the MESSAGE BOARDS: Joan’s Blog – Getting Funding for Services.

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©Copyright 2012 Joan Gershman
The Alzheimer Spouse LLC
2012 All Rights Reserved

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