My MIL in Virginia was in this boat for awhile. She lived off of social security and didn't have much by way of assets, but she still didn't qualify for any assistance that we could find. Eventually she had a crisis and was moved to a nursing home, and qualifying for Medicaid at that point was fairly straightforward (we put some of her money in a funeral trust and she private paid for a couple months at the nursing home to spend down the rest of her assets, and then applied for Medicaid when her bank account was under $2000).

So it could be the case that it is easier to qualify for Medicaid in VA than in MD as other posters have said, but that is only a factor if your mom needs bursing home care. We were not able to find a whole lot of help that was available in VA for seniors who are not yet at that point.

DC also has home and community based waivers, and does not have long waitlists like in MD.

When i inquired about the PACE program in my area, they said that my father could still use the service even if he didn't qualify for free services. Paying their price was a lot cheaper than a nursing home. Would it be possible to do the same with the PACE program in your area?

I spoke with an elderly care social worker a few years ago about my mom's situation. She told me that Virginia Medicaid is generally easier to get, and that if you meet the income requirements and lived in VA, you would likely get it. some states require that you are in the state for a certain number of years before applying which doesn't seem to the case in VA as long as you are a resident when you apply and continue to be a resident while on Medicaid.

I also looked at the PACE program and liked it. Unfortunately, my mom social security, is about $10K more than the cut off for Medicaid so Medicaid at this time is not feasible. I'm still struggling with what to do.

You might want to look at this Web site:

https://accessjca.org/

It's run by the Jewish Council for the Aging, but its services are available to everybody.

How old is she?

This answer depends on so many factors. Does she own a home? Is it paid off? Is she able to stay there/get around or could that be a possibility with some modifications like handrails, shower seat, etc. Can she dress, feed, cook for herself or does she require help? How is she cognitively? Can she still drive, read, etc?

Are there medical issues that are inhibiting her from being more independent that could be immediately addressed- obesity, cataracts, surgery, physical therapy, etc? Does she have other physical limitations that prevent her from being ambulatory? Could you purchase items that help with this or is she in some way physically incapacitated?

Is she on oxygen or CPAP or have other medical equipment that needs regular checks? Does she have family nearby? Does she have a spare room to possibly employ live-in assistance?

Does she have any retirement, savings, or life insurance she could draw from if needed? Could she downsize into a smaller home or more suburban location with neighbors that would check in on her?

Does she regularly attend a church- sometimes they can help in these situations. Does she have a medical power of attorney or medical proxy? What about wills or trusts?

Has she tried to obtain disability services? How long until she can draw social security and/or Medicaid- is social security disability an option? What additional resources would those be able to provide in your state?

What’s the current state of her living arrangement? Is it safe? What is it exactly that you’re looking for? Keeping her at home or moving her into assisted living, etc?

Any military/veterans background by chance?

I have a young friend that was totally disabled in a accident. There is 0 and I mean 0 assistance available for free, paid for by insurance, or the state or low cost. It's criminal really. They need to be sent to a group home for care if they qualify.

You can't even get an au pair for this kind of work.

Have you already tried the relevant MoCo services listed here?

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/HHS/ProgramIndex/SeniorServicesindex.html

Anonymous wrote:Mom is in Montgomery County and is fairly poor with some assets. Getting really frustrated trying to find any kind of help at all, and she can barely afford in-home care or assisted living. The county is basically offering no services and it’s so hard to navigate or get in touch with anyone.

Is is better in Virginia? What happens there to fairly poor seniors who don’t yet qualify for Medicaid but will within a year or two?

Typically they spend down their assets as private pay clients at a place that understands they will be transitioning to Medicaid. But that is for nursing home care, not assisted living.

In md, you only can get long term care nursing home. There are waivers but huge wait lists and it will probably never happen.

Mom is in Montgomery County and is fairly poor with some assets. Getting really frustrated trying to find any kind of help at all, and she can barely afford in-home care or assisted living. The county is basically offering no services and it’s so hard to navigate or get in touch with anyone.

Is is better in Virginia? What happens there to fairly poor seniors who don’t yet qualify for Medicaid but will within a year or two?