How to get free in home care for seniors

Chris: Tell the listeners a little bit about how one, that they can even get free care for seniors in their home.

Robert: It's funny because I just had a call off air about someone's 93-year-old mother and how can she stay in home. Medicaid has a branch that we always talk about is institutional care. Everybody thinks it's a nursing home, skilled nursing, but we also have what's called Medicaid Long Term Care waiver. What you're doing is you are waiving the nursing home and agreeing to home health care. However, it's not 24 hours a day. It's about 30 or 35 hours a week of care for someone at home because we know most people want to stay at home.

Chris: Exactly.

Robert: They don't want to go to a nursing home. A lot of people are afraid of that for obvious reasons but the waiver is a happy medium if you're not to the point where you need like 200 hours of care a week. Medicaid's Long Term Care waiver is perfect. However, you have to be very diligent with it. With a nursing home, there are a lot of availability. There's always a bed. With Medicaid's Long Term Care waiver, there's a waitlist. In our world, if someone says a waitlist, that's what they're referring to because the government only allows a certain amount of spots.

What they do is they will rate a person, one to five. They need to score a five and we would help them score a five if they came to us. Once they get the five, I like to call that a fast pass at Disney. The five gets them to the front of the list. At that point, you don't even have to be Medicaid compliant. You're just in line. Then what will happen, that spot will come out in about 45 days or so. Then it's like, come on down, the price is right. They will then send the person to their home, do another evaluation to determine how many hours they get. Then from that point on, there'll be getting home health care.

It's just not limited to taking blood pressure and giving pills. They'll do a little light cooking, a little light cleaning. It's really designed to keep someone in the home. Then the great part about it and that's a point where we actually have to get Medicaid compliant but the great part is that once they already are on the waiver, and let's say their condition doesn't last as long as they had hoped and they need to go to a facility.

Chris: It doesn't improve.

Robert: They're already Medicaid compliant and then it's just a transfer and we have nothing else left to do.

Chris: Robert, thank you so much for that very important information. To all you listeners out there, what Robert was just sharing with you something very important for people to realize that is available to them if they are in a situation where they know their health may be declining. They are in their home and they're trying to figure out what their options are, you can give attorney Robert Hydak a call here at Olsen Law Group but and/or Robert we offer free booklets, correct? That will get people started as well.

Robert: It gives them the basis to get the information that they need. Then my card is also attached to it. They can give me a call. We can talk about it, have a consult and help get them in the right program because a lot of times, Chrissy, if you're very proactive, maybe it's someone's parent or spouse. They don't need it yet but maybe they see them on the decline. Our point of view is, let's get them on that waitlist so that when the time comes, the timing is perfect. They can get called off the list and get the help when they need it.

Chris: I love it. Step one, education. We are all about education, which is why we do this radio show, in addition to why we offer free booklets and of course free workshops, but You could call 407-423-5561 anytime even if you have to leave a message because it's over the weekend. You can leave your first and last name and your mailing address. We will get that out to you. We will be happy to again start you on the road to understanding what you need to do to be able to help you and/or your loved ones. Thank you, Robert.

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