Does social security help with assisted living?

Question

Does social security help with assisted living?

Follow

Share

A friend of mine is in an assisted living home in Indiana that accepts her Medicaid Waiver. The facility takes her entire SS check and the family pays for the difference, which is several 100 dollars per month out of pocket and the family is unsure how much longer they can pay this extra amount to keep her in her assisted living home. One of the residents told my friend that she can ask for Social Security to help pay the difference so that she can stay put if/when the family cannot pay anymore. Does anyone know about this Social Security provision?

Assisted Living Government Benefits Paying for Care

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.

22 Answers

Most
Helpful Newest
First Oldest
First

As someone already mentioned, Social Security has nothing to do with long term care payment. It is a set amount based on wages earned during employment. Talking to an elder law attorney is the best way to get accurate advice. Also, talking to the case manager who handles the Medicaid waiver might be helpful. Don't try to deal with this alone or rely on others' advice. I did, and it was a mess until I got professional assistance. It can make all the difference.

Helpful Answer (5)

Report

Correct, SS does not pay for LTC directly. I was asking about a supplement that she could apply for that would be a supplement to her SS that could be used to pay for her LTC at the AL. I realize that SS does not directly pay a facility for their services. It would come to her and then she can use the supplement to pay for her AL.

(0)

Report

If Medicaid is paying for her care, then the AL has to except what is paid to them. Her SS is her contribution. Family should not be paying out of pocket unless its to help keep her in a single room. Medicaid does not pay for single rooms. Maybe the option would be, she needs to double up. They need to talk to the Administrator. She is only allowed so much SS which is based on her's or her husband's earnings. Maybe Medicaid could pay more?

Helpful Answer (4)

Report

She is not in a nursing home. She is in an assisted living. All the apartments are single. There are no shared rooms. They take her entire SS check and family is paying the difference between what the Waiver pays, her SS contribution and what the room rents for. Hope that helps. I know her family has spoken to the administrator and in order for her stay, they have to pay the difference. Hence, our interest in finding out if SS would increase her monthly check to cover the extra expense. Thank you!

(0)

Report

See 4 more replies

It is up to the facility whether or not they will accept MediCAID or not if it is applied for. The family, unless quite wealthy, should not in my humble opinion be tapping into their own savings which they need for their kid's education, their own recreation if retired, and their OWN aging care. I think this is always a mistake.

If mother has lived so long that her resources are gone, and SS isn't enough for her care, then she spends down all her assets and applies for Medicaid. See an Elder Law Attorney and give them a list of assets and options.

Helpful Answer (3)

Report

As I stated, she already has the Medicaid Waiver and is in a facility that accepts it. I am hoping to find out what (if any) provision there is that Social Security would increase her check to cover the Assisted Living rent. If anyone knows, I would like to know the name of that provision.

(1)

Report

See 3 more replies

No. Social Security will not pay AL or any other care facility. There may be some state programs and grants that can help with it though. Speak to the administrator at the AL. They can help put you in touch if there are such programs in your state.

She may have to be moved to somewhere more affordable. Too bad. Social Security isn't paying for that.

Helpful Answer (3)

Report

SS payment is based solely on what the person worked their whole life for and paid into the trust fund. Medicaid is run at the state level, if she's on Medicaid already speak with either the facility or a representative of Medicaid to make up the difference.
This is where limitations on her assets comes into play.

Helpful Answer (3)

Report

The family should leave their mother where she is and pony up the difference. PERIOD! She likely made many sacrifices for her children. Certainly between them they can afford a few hundred $ a month. Tell them to get extra part time job. Don't put her in a worse place.

Helpful Answer (3)

Report

If it's waver In Ohio, you get on waiver and they take everything but 50 bucks. And it's in the Ohio revised code. State law you're out of luck like me. I've contacted my national congressional senate representative Brown. And Landsman (aide Jason) and they told me I'm out of Luck you just gotta suffer and it's like a camp in a war. In the facilities There's no appeals. You'll succeed the first couple of times complaining. Then they won't pay attention to you. It's a racket. Mine went to chapter 11 and the owner had one in Dayton, Ohio, Florida and Tennesse they ripped you off. And the government's empowering enabling them. There's no hope that's why people used to keep us at home until we died. Because this kind of thing will happen. Their turnover is worst than fast food places. Different people each week. In fact, the assignments are each shift has a different nurse and nurses aid, and they rotate, and they act like road runners. Cause they want to be detached. They don't want to be attached to you and they're trained and. Tutorialized like that I never knew about this kind of stuff until they threw me in it because of my LAFEDEMIA. There's a senior's committee in Congress in the senate that just started. I communicated with them and every other regulatory agency. And staff laugh and joke constantly because they can't deal. And they don't pay attention to you. Wonder why this country is in the shape its in. . And you know the message going on in DC. And they laugh and joke constantly. Because they can't deal with the bed. Ridden, people that they have to change a couple of times a day. And they let those poor people just lay there and suffer. Don't see any visitors come in to see em. It's a crime. It's crime against humanity against Americans domestic crime.

Helpful Answer (2)

Report

I imagine you are talking about SSI, which is supplemental income for the poor. I am assuming her social security benefit is small and she has no assets. There are requirements one must meet, make an appointment for her with Social Security to find out what the application process is.

Helpful Answer (2)

Report

As has been said, Social security will not increase payments because you want to stay in a certain locale. It's my understanding the HUD may make payments for the rental in some ALs (rental only, not services). Have your friend's family check out : https://www.hud.gov/ and search for the offices under Indiana. They can then check the website or give them a call to get more info and specifics.

Helpful Answer (2)

Report

I finally called SS and was told if the SS check is less than $943 then the person can apply for SS Supplement and if they qualify they would receive additional funds on top of their regular SS check. Family is going to explore this. If this works out then the additional monies will pay for the additional rent and not out of the family's pocket (they are getting tapped out and she needs to stay in the AL facility). Hoping for the best.

(0)

Report

Finally found the ultimate answer...first of all wanted to clarify to all that while Medicaid does not pay for AL, the Medicaid Waiver does. I keep getting replies that AL is not a covered benefit within the Medicaid system---and it is.

And 2nd......after asking the Medicaid Waiver department if there were any additional resources to help pay the difference between SS/Medicaid Waiver and the rent the AL was/is charging......we found out from FSSA that the AL facility IS NOT ALLOWED TO ASK FOR MORE RENT and....they ALSO MUST LEAVE THE RESIDENT WITH APPROX. $50 IN SPENDING MONEY. Therefore, FSSA and the Department of Disability/Aging is going after this AL facility and the facility will have to give back all the additional rent money to the families for overcharging. In addition, the AL facility was not allowed to charge for their COMMUNITY FEE and DEPOSIT from a person with a Medicaid Waiver. So, the family will be getting back all those fees as well!!! They will probably be receiving back over $10,000 in rent and fees. I should say too the investigation by the department is going to be anonymous. However, the resident is being moved to a nursing home as her health is deteriorating.

Helpful Answer (2)

Report

The amounts differ by state. Here in MN my MIL on Medicaid in a LTC facility is left with about $120 per month. The waiver programs also probably vary by state, since Medicaid (even though a federal program) is contolled by each state individually.

Did your friend have a private room? In MN Medicaid only covers a shared room (in LTC) to my knowledge.

Does social security help with assisted living?

22 Answers

Recent Questions

Popular Questions

Related Questions