Our father, Joe who is 89 years old, has Dementia and lives in an Assisted Living home. He moved in there four years ago with my mother who has since passed away. They were married for 62 years and like many people who lose their spouse, life can be difficult. Until now, they had saved up enough money and had a long-term care insurance policy. Between my mother’s medical issues that also required nursing care, all the money saved is about to run out.
We are working to get my father on Medicaid which will pay for care in a long-term nursing home. However, the process is long and can take many months. Unfortunately, the State requires that you are down to your last $2000 before eligible for Medicaid assistance. This leaves many people without funds for the monthly expense of long-term care which costs as much as $11,000 per month.
The assisted living home he lives in is wonderful and they have applied to accept Medicaid payments but have no timetable exactly when it will be approved, but is getting close. Up until now, my father’s savings have covered his expenses of $6500/mo. He will run out of his personal savings by the end of January 2025. The thought of having to put him in a nursing home is devastating as he has adapted well in assisted living and he has made many friends. He is happy and that is what is most important. We feel that with his dementia, he will cease to thrive if transferred to a nursing home. To put it bluntly, he most likely would not live much longer if this happened.
Our father is a happy-go-lucky man. He served in the U.S. Army and had an incredible 45-year career as a custom cabinet maker. The furniture he built was the real thing, not particle board cabinets that you put together yourself while cussing and screaming at the directions. He was a member of community civic organizations including the American Red Cross where he was a volunteer driver transporting blood to area hospitals. He also raised money for cancer research and was a Boy Scout leader when his son was a kid.
Our goal is to raise 18,000 which will be enough for the next three months to keep him in assisted living. By that time, they should have their approval for Medicaid of which he can qualify and be able to remain there. He is a good man who has helped many people in the community and I hope others can help pay it forward to help him. We do not have the income to be able to help fund his expenses. However, we faithfully take him out every Saturday and Sunday to enjoy some activity, festival, waterfront, music, lunch or dinner. Any assistance is sincerely appreciated!