Mom’s Memory Care Housing Expense

Well as we age there comes a point in time where we can no longer care for ourselves and may need a little bit more help. About 15 months ago I made the decision to try to help my mother who suffers from dementia and psychosis by moving her into my home so I could help care for her, as her condition progresses. She failed to plan for the possibility that she would have the diagnosis of dementia like her mother and her mother’s mother. Medicare only covers 21 days if she is admitted to a hospital for 3 days but other than her mind even after 65 years of smoking she has no health issues, she doesn’t qualify for Medicaid until she is in the facility for 45 days so I would have to pay out of pocket. It’s sad to see her in this state from being a loving caring English teacher for over 40 years to this frail but feisty individual she has become needing constant supervision, guidance and cues on how to wash her body and get dressed to common sense things we take for granted like knowing that we are hungry or that we just ate. I work a full time job at a Military hospital and sadly I see neglected family members all the time. Mom is a wanderer so she is an elopement risk and her brain isn’t allowing her to separate the present from the past so things she used to do in her home she tries to do here but I can’t allow it like spraying for bugs I don’t have using lotion or mouthwash. I’m looking to place her in an Altzhimers Dementia memory care facility where she can be around other people her age, participate in activities geared towards people who suffer from dementia and get the support and supervision that her condition requires. I love my mom very much but in caring for her has my own physical and mental health at risk. I just want what’s best for her at the end of the day.