As usual over these 4 years I come here for your experience. We’re in California, mom is 91 now. I took over as 24/7 caregiver 4 years ago & I hired caregivers to give me days off during the week. Covid hit & I let all caregivers go last March. I've got my own health conditions & mom has become more than I can physically or mentally do. To pay for the caregivers I took out a reverse mortgage. I’ll be seeing an elder care atty with Medicaid specialty to navigate that part. Wondering though how to actually place mom? Will I need her doctor to admit her or do I just call the homes I'm looking at? Should I wait until after lawyer appt to call around? She has dementia, so is it up to me to require a memory care? It’s very hard to do this during Covid but here 90% of care homes have received the vaccine & I'm not having luck getting it for her, wonder if they’ll require that too. I am POA both financial & medical & successor trustee.
Have you made any progress? Where in So. California Kaiser are you? Are you going to private pay, or can she qualify for Medicaid ?
I am new to forum mostly, but have read it everyday for years as it gives me comfort to hear other stories similar to mine. My mom Is So. Calif. Kaiser and I am trying to navigate similar situation and am finding out quite a bit the last 7 days. (Lots of questions I am going to have for forum also, and an update) but, I would love to pay it forward if I can.
As far as placing her, contact the senior services department in your mom's town, or contact APlaceforMom.com. That's who I used for my mother, and they found the exact perfect memory care for her. We're private pay, though, so I don't know if APlaceforMom.com works with Medicaid placements.
My brother found one of these agencies invaluable when he placed his ex-partner with the help of that man's fiduciary. He became so fond of the woman who took them around and could explain his partner's needs so well. For instance, he needed a locked facility, but not necessarily memory unit. He had a propensity for walking out for alcohol if not in locked unit, but was otherwise safe without memory care. So the places have such a variety of accommodations and costs.
Wishing you the very best of luck. Hope you will tell us what worked for you.
I would start calling around and find out what you will need for admission.
I believe that you will need a current TB test with negative results and possibly a covid vaccine. I just don't know if they are requiring that vaccine. I know that my dad could have a flu and pneumonia vaccine or not, his choice.
Make notes and ask lots of questions, if they are impatient with you it is a red flag for sure. Learn from every call what they need and then use that to get a list of questions for the attorney. Like what do you need to do legally to stop mom from leaving the facility.
Best of luck getting her the best care for her needs.
In order for my mother to move in, her doc just needed to fill out a form.
My mother needed MC because of dementia and because she had extreme terror of being alone.
Colleen