TTMA low-income/senior housing

[bellatrixgotlost]

My mom currently lives with me & my dd.

I am currently trying to find appropriate housing for her as it is no longer manageable for her to stay here. I have a tri-level townhome and she is unsafe doing all of the stairs.

My mom receives a small amount of Social Security and cannot afford market rate apartments.

Anyone have any tips? Suggestions?

Every place I've contacted says there's a 1-3 year wait list.

[GhoatMonket]

Contact her doctor's office for resources for elderly.

But yeah, 1-3 years is pretty common. It's not like that population is going to up and move- either their health goes downhill where they need more care or they die. It's hard to predict timelines.

If you don't have it already, you might see if she qualifies for some home health services in the meantime.

[zoeylucy]

I’ll echo what GM says, bellatrixgotlost, and add maybe the local agency on Aging? They should also have resources. You could check facilities where your siblings live, if it’s away from you. Maybe the waits are shorter there?

[pbjam]

I would say to definitely put her on some wait-lists for places you like. Not sure your area, but here we work with a builder on these types of places and they will build more if they have a high enough demand. Sometimes that can be less time too.

We had a project that had a master plan in place to build 3 250 unit buildings with intentions of only doing 1 to start. The demand was so high that they ended up building the 2nd concurrently and rolled right into the third.

[leahcar]

An office on aging/senior center near you can definitely help point you toward some resources. Does she need assisted living/nursing home or just like a senior apartment? Resources and costs vary wildly between those three.

For assisted living- She will need to show that she needs help with "activities of daily living"/ADLs. I think you need help with 2 of them to qualify? If she- or a deceased spouse- is a veteran, the VA will help pay for this.

A nursing home- Medicaid will kick in AFTER you've depleted all but 2K of assets. There's also income requirements. Not all nursing homes take Medicaid. (VA benefits can still help here, but Medicaid, if you qualify, will cover more). Be warned that they will take pretty much all her income. I think it's $50 a month you get to keep for personal expenses? Families usually need to supplement for hair cuts, clothes, gifts, etc. Food and shelter will be fully covered. You will hear lots of opinions on nursing homes. If you know anyone who works in social services- ask them their opinion on places near you.

A senior apartment or independent living- costs and what is included vary a lot. This will be by far the cheapest option if you're paying OOP. If your mom needs help- and not just single story living- this is not for her though.

My mom had Parkinson's and then dementia. She lived with me for a few years. Then we got VA benefits (from my father) and she moved to assisted living. We had depleted all her assets and had to get Medicaid help for a nursing home when she was in hospice. She passed away early last year, but I'm glad to help if our experience helps you at all.

[McBenny]

Assisted living, nursing homes, and senior apartments all cost unless she qualifies for a nursing home due to medical issues. I would apply for her for section 8 or whatever it is called in your area. Basically, government housing. They do tend to have some in clusters for the elderly or disabled. Again, the waiting list is common for those.

[AmyG]

bellatrixgotlost, have you checked to see if she qualifies for medicaid based on just her income?
If so then she should check the state medicaid website and see what they have for nursing home or assisted living care assistance. She may need to see about talking with a medicaid or elder care social worker to help see if she not only qualifies for medicaid for the insurance part of it (in addition to medicare) but state housing assistance called by different names depending on where you live. AZ it is the Arizona Long Term Care Services (ALTCS).

And like said above, she will have to qualify based on her ability to do the ADL. She will also need to use up all her resources, and in our state they were allowed to keep $100 of income but assisted living got everything else (basically whole soc sec check oor any pension monthly payments).

It does vary by state quite a bit though as to how to access these kinds of assistance programs. Feds don't pay but state and or city may have other programs.

[origami]

I’ll echo section 8 and the like. The waitlists are long but sometimes they do lottery so being on a long waitlist is better than not. We’re currently hoping for a lottery slot for my MIL so I feel your pain.

[bsouls]

I would contact your office of aging for the County you live in. They can advise you on benefits & entitlements she might be eligible for and assist with applications. They should have a list of independent senior housing, as well.

In my County in NYS, we have subsidized housing where rent is base on income. There are waiting lists, but the length depends on the area.

[babybean]

I’d speak with your care provider and see if they have any advice or avenues you can pursue. I’d also apply for housing asap.

I know 1-3 years sounds undoable but the time will lapse whether you apply or not, so it’s best to get on the list. Public housing has a 8-15+ year waitlist depending on the city and unit size here.

[spicysalmonroll]

We can PM if you want, I believe you're about 30 min from me and that you're in the direction of my in-laws. They have a one bedroom apartment that's about $650 with everything included. They get very little social security (like no more than 1500 for 2 of them combined). I can try to give you the complex name/location.

[bellatrixgotlost]

Mar 27, 2024 8:57:18 GMT -6 spicysalmonroll said:

We can PM if you want, I believe you're about 30 min from me and that you're in the direction of my in-laws. They have a one bedroom apartment that's about $650 with everything included. They get very little social security (like no more than 1500 for 2 of them combined). I can try to give you the complex name/location.

Yes please, this sounds amazing.