Ask Jennifer...
Jennifer Meagher RN is a Geriatric Care Manager and Registered Nurse. She had a 21 year nursing career at Genesee Hospital, she was the primary instructor for a local Home Health Aide training program and for the last 10 years, Jennifer has been a Geriatric Care Manager, and is owner of Senior Life, a Geriatric Care Manager firm. She is a member of Greater Rochester Area Partnership for the Elderly and is called upon by local attorneys as an expert in Geriatric cases.
Jennifer knows what you are going through. She was primary care giver for her own mother who suffered with Alzheimer’s for 12 long years.
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Ask Jennifer your geriatric care questions and she will respond and possibly post your answer here on www.WHEC.com. |
Dear Jennifer,
My father was at (name withheld) Assisted Living for four years. FOUR YEARS! They told us he would be able to stay even if his money ran out and they said he could stay even if he needed hospice. But when he needed hospice, they told us he had to get out! And by then, he was broke and on Medicaid. Then we found out the Medicaid wasn’t the right kind for a nursing home! He died before we could get him moved out. And I wasn’t there, because I was at a nursing home begging them to take him. I went to a lawyer, but he said I can’t do anything, because of the way the paperwork is worded from Assisted Living. I never thought anyone would lie about something like this. Please warn your readers.
Diane
Dear Diane,
My head just about exploded reading your note. I’ve seen others go through this, and I thank you for writing me about it. This sort of misrepresentation is unforgivable. Here’s the inside scoop on whether one really might “Age in Place” in Assisted Living. The New York State regulations create a boundary between Assisted Living and a Nursing Home; on the Assisted Living level, all residents must be able to stand up themselves, put their own food to their mouths, and perform toilet hygiene. Once an individual is on hospice, they quickly become bedbound, which is beyond the regulations. As for the medicaid issue: I addressed that last month, but as a quick review, Nursing Home Medicaid is called Long Term Medicaid and is different from the Community Medicaid your father was on in Assisted Living. These are the fine points that are often missed or not shared. And your story is why my team at Senior Life is committed to helping families bypass these problems.
And Diane? I am sorry you weren’t at your father’s side, but that one moment does not define your relationship with him. You had years and years for him to know you loved him. If he could talk to you, he would tell you he understands completely.
Warmly,
Jennifer
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Our Two Cents: MAY IS NATIONAL OLDER ADULTS MONTH
Author: Jennifer Meagher Thank you for getting this country through wartimes, particularly the World Wars. Thank you to the women who rolled up their sleeves to hold together family and country while the men were at war. Thank you for working so very hard and sacrificing so much to get us through the Great Depression. Thank you for pulling us through the civil rights movement to a day where a black man is President of the United States of America. Thank you for showing us how to take pride in hard work. Thank you for teaching us manners. I think we could use that lesson again. Thank you for being the glue in the family unit, even when it is spread far and wide. Thank you for maintaining strong values through all these many years. We could use that lesson again too. Thank you for remaining calm when the world is rushing past you towards technology. Thank you for everything. |