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Seniors that can only pay a small amount per hour per week.

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Homecare in sending an aide in daily, they don't pay for that. Intermittent care they do but then again, its not daily care. "In home" is usually done after a hospital/rehab stay. It is usually for PT/OT to get strength back. Maybe for wound care but not long term.

Medicaid has Community care but the person needs to pretty much have no assets. Only monthly income of SS and pension and there is a cap for that. Call your County Office Aging to see what resourses they may have.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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There can be some Medicare Home Care following a hospitalization if the doctor prescribes it as Medically Necessary. It is usually for a limited time and for specific purposes following the hospitalization, not long term.
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Reply to RedVanAnnie
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KBELLS Jul 7, 2024
Exactly right. For instance, my mum has just experienced a complete knee replacement. The doctor prescribed a third party firm to provide two services; 1. In home physical therapy (6 visits) and 2. In home Occupational therapy (6 visits).

Once these 12 visits are exhausted, the surgeon will reevaluate the final findings to assess if more care should be granted.
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Medicare is for medical insurance. It does not cover custodial care.
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Reply to MACinCT
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They don’t
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Reply to DebiOG
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https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/

Go to this site. Click on Home Health on the left hand column. Put in your zip code or city, state.
A list of home health agencies will appear with their ratings. Call a few of them and explain your loved ones circumstances. They will want to know your type insurance.
If it is after a hospital visit or surgery it will be covered by Part A which everyone who has Medicare is eligible for with a doctors order. NO CHARGE to the insured.

If care is for someone that is basically home bound, doesn’t drive or can’t get out easily and needs Less than 24 hr nursing (in other words doesn’t need to be in a Nursing Home due to need for a nurse 24 hrs per day) then they may qualify for “Intermittent“ care which is paid for by Part B of original Medicare. The 20% you normally need to pay for Part B is not charged.
You will need a doctors order. This, the doctor is key. It is important that you know the doctor appreciates the use of home health. If the primary doesn’t utilize home health, they may not appreciate the benefit. The benefit is to the patient. It is extra work for the doctor to sign the order etc. However, many home health’s will do the paperwork for the doctor, fax the care plan to them for signature. Oddly it was the better (more successful) doctors who fully supported home health for my LOs. a geriatric primary is a blessing if you can find one. I had one doctor who wanted aunt to come in every 3 months which defeats the purpose. I dropped him and found the geriatric primary.

Additionally the homebound person must allow the nurse who will come once a week to do something like sort their medication. They will do vitals, etc as a nurse would do on a doctors visit. They report to the primary doctor. If the patient needs therapy and/or a bathing aide, HH will arrange this.

This service is recertification every 6 weeks and is ongoing as long as the patient needs it and qualifies. This is minimal care but made a great deal of difference in their ability to live at home.

My mom and DH aunt had it for years. They lived alone and did not drive. Started when in 80s for Aunt with dementia. My mom started with them at 90, CHF. Both had mobility issues.

This service allows elders to live at home longer if that is their wish. It also gets them acclimated to having help that isn’t family and if you choose one that has a hospice, you can sometimes have the same care givers when that time comes and it eases transitions.

If your LO is on Medicaid, more services are available is my understanding.
Also, contact Area Agency on Aging for information on local services like Meals on Wheels.

Check with your local neighborhood websites. Sometimes you will see caregivers looking for employment there. Good luck with your search.
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Reply to 97yroldmom
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97yroldmom Jul 7, 2024
I may be confused about what you are looking for. Home Health is medical care. They do what a nurse woukd do in a doctors office. They follow a care plan. They don’t change diapers, clean or cook.

The aide will bath the patient, wash their hair, change their bed linens.

What Do you mean for home care? If it is to assist the elder with housework, cooking, cleaning, look for a housekeeper. That cab make a huge difference.

if it is “custodial care” then Medicare does not cover.
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They don’t. It is your job to find care usually through your primary care doctor or your insurance company ( not part an and b) all Medicare does is pay for it. It’s your job to find the care you need. Start with your doctors first they can make recommendations.
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Reply to Sample
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Dardors: Go to Medicare.gov. If you are looking for custodial care, it isn't covered by Medicare.
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Reply to Llamalover47
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Each state is different in how they apply the funding from Medicare, Medicaid or state sponsored funding.

You need to check with your state's Department of Elderly (if there is one) as well as the medical insurance for your loved one. Take a huge deep breath as you begin your conversation with either because they are inundated with calls and many of the callers are not pleasant.
Write out your concerns and questions before you speak to these organizations as well as asking your primary care for assistance. If your loved one has been recently hospitalized as the social worker for recommendations for low cost homecare.

You need to prepare yourself to be the ADVOCATE - no one is going to come to with what you need to know
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Reply to christinex2ri
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Depending on where you live, most Medicaid bases the out of pocket cost for you on your monthly income. They have a cutoff point, what ever the current cost for medical care is, monthly out of pocket, that normally is what you'll be paying for monthly for home services.
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