How to get free in home care for seniors in Florida

Attorney Tom Olsen: Start by talking about a Medicaid waiver because most people are not aware of such a program, and that is this, is that mom and dad, they don't want to go into a nursing home, but they need some help. A lot of time their kids are coming over and spending multiple hours over helping mom and dad, but it gets to be overwhelming for the kids and so we have what's called a Medicaid waiver program where Medicaid will pay somebody or have them come to your house up to 30 hours a week.

Attorney Robert Hidock: Tom, so most people don't know about this kind of Medicaid. it's still under the same guise as institutional care Medicaid, same as a nursing home, so it still has that same income and asset limit, but what the difference is and why they call it a waiver, you're actually waving goodbye to a nursing home, agreeing to home healthcare that you can receive at your home, or at an assisted living facility, but unlike a nursing home, with that waiver, you have to receive a score.

They do an interview and you have to receive a score of a five. If you get a five, think of it Tom as a fast pass, you go to the front of the list, that means the most need, and then once you get to that top of the list, you then have to become Medicaid compliant. They will call you off of that list in one to two months and then you will be receiving home healthcare for about up to 30 hours a week.

Hopefully, that's enough to keep somebody home. Then likewise, if you need more care, you can move that waiver to an assisted living facility, and if you skill out of an assisted living facility, then you could be transferred to a skilled nursing facility, a nursing home. You don't have to reapply for Medicaid because you've already applied for it.

It is designed to keep somebody home who really doesn't need 24 hours a day care that just needs help during the extra day if like a son is taking care of a mother and they're burned out and they don't know how they can keep doing it, that 30 hours a week could be a lifesaver for that family.

Tom: What would they expect the person coming into their home, what kind of chores would that person do for the person?

Robert: They would do some light cleaning, they would do cooking, they would help that person bathe, get dressed if need be, help them with their medication, things like that.

Tom: That is such a great program and most people are not aware of it. The beauty of it is that you can apply for it. You don't even have to Medicaid. You don't have to qualify for Medicaid to apply for it.

Robert: Nope, not at all. In fact, it makes the process that much easier. It's only when they get called off the list that they have to get things ready for Medicaid. Until then, they can keep living their normal life.

Tom: Again, they're going to score you from a score of one to five, but this is the kind of thing where you might think, hey, mom and dad, today they're okay but maybe a year from now they might need this in-home care so let's apply now so they move up the list.

Robert: You can apply now, get them in the queue, and then they'll automatically do a reevaluation in a year, but let's say, God forbid, there's a medical event that happens in that meantime, they will automatically re-interview you so you can get that five.

Tom also, when you're going through that interview process, we can help coach somebody with the right things to say so they can obtain that score of a five because you don't-- like if I go to the doctor with my mom, she might not tell the doctor everything that's happening. When you do these interview questions, you have to answer it like it is that person's absolutely worst day.

Tom: Robert, I'm trying to remember, did we do a booklet on how to get free in-home care for seniors?

Robert: We did.

Tom: We actually have two booklets that are for this part of our group. One is How to Get Free in-Home Care for Seniors and the second booklet is How to Protect Your Life Savings From the Cost of a Nursing Home. Folks, if you want us to mail you those free booklets, contact the Olsen Law Group in Orlando anytime at 407-423-5561. If nobody picks up, just leave your name and mailing address. We'll get those mailed to you. You can order those booklets as well through our website, olsenlawgroup.com.

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