Free in-home care for seniors using the Medicaid waiver program

Attorney Tom Olsen: Robert, the other service we want to talk about is given to us. It's called How to get Free In-Home Care for Seniors so that if mom or dad have had that medical event and they've spent some time in the hospital, maybe they've spent some time in a rehab, of course, mom and dad want to go home. That's everybody's wish and desire is to be at home. Now they're going to need some help. They're not ready for a nursing home, but they just need some in-home help, and that's what we can do with the Medicaid Waiver Program.

Attorney Robert Hidock: Yes. The Waiver Program is one of the best programs. It allows somebody to stay at home, get home health care. They pretty much live their same life. They don't have to pay a facility. It's designed to keep somebody home longer. The beauty of it also, Tom, is that once you qualify for it, you're approved for Medicaid, and if somebody's condition worse or their level of care gets worse, it's just a transition over to a skilled nursing facility, if that should happen. You don't have to do a new application, it's just a form to transfer.

Tom: It's just some nice gentle easy steps to ease them into that situation.

Robert: Absolutely.

Tom: Now there may be some people out there listening and saying, "Tom, you know what? I'm going to do the right thing by my parents. I'm going to take care of my parents." I say, "God bless you." We run across people like that on a regular basis. As good as you are, even you need a break. Even you need time to yourself, to take care of your own family and take care of yourself. Great, take care of your parents as best as you can, but supplement it with this free in-home care that can be provided to you.

Robert: You know what? It's truly a win-win because God forbid that caregiver goes down, then you're really in a mess and there is no backup plan so the waiver is definitely the way to go. To provide that extra care, the caregiver has to stay healthy so they can provide the care that they want to care.

Tom: The free In-Home Care for Seniors, the Medicaid Waiver Program, when you apply for it and I'm your worker and a worker and associates can fill out that application for you, you're actually put on a waiting list so you don't get it right away.

Robert: Right. That's the thing. There's a Medicaid bed in a skilled nursing facility always waiting for someone. The waiver is a little bit longer process because it's government-funded. What it is, Tom, is, think of it as you're waving goodbye to a nursing home, you're not getting 24 hours of daycare. You're getting about up to 30 hours of care a week. Then there's a rating system where you're getting a one through a five. I always joke with my clients and like, "Think of it as a fast pass at Disney. If you get a five, you go to the front of the list." Then the greater the need that person has, the quicker they'll get called off of the list.

Then I always joke and say, "That's like coming, the price is right, come on down. Now you're ready for Medicaid and you're ready to get home health care." It's designed to keep somebody in their home longer so they can be with their family, so they can live the most normal life they can for that point in time.

Tom: Think in terms of the Medicaid Waiver Program, the free In-Home Care for Seniors, you need to be proactive about that. As soon as that you see mom or dad slowing down a little bit, need some help, it's time to apply for it knowing that he may not get it for a year.

Robert: It's a good idea to get the ball rolling. You sign up for the waiver. Then the perfect accompaniment to that is a Medicaid assessment because when their loved one gets called off the list, then at that point we have to actually get going with the Medicaid application.

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