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As a love one’s health changes, some of the most difficult decisions for caregivers involve residential care transitions. Families are often surprised when elderly loved ones end up on wait lists after applying for residence in long-term care facilities. What do families need to know about the effect wait lists have on nursing home admissions? Are wait lists used by other long-term care facilities like assisted living centers?
No matter what, it’s always best to know what’s available long before elderly loved ones start to need help. Remember, the earlier you start planning and the earlier you involve us in the process, the more options you will have, and the more affordable those options will be. When an application is requested, the nursing home must send you an application and dated receipt within two days. At this time, the nursing home will place your loved one’s name on the dated list of applicants. This list only shows that your loved one has requested an application and that it has been mailed to you.
Wait Lists in Other Long-Term Care Settings
I hear from people in more populated areas than my community and they often have to travel quite far. But even in my own community, we sometimes have to choose a home that isn't our first choice. In this Elder Law Minute, Wes Coulson, Illinois and Missouri Elder Law attorney, discusses Medicaid eligibility and the planning opportunities available if the nursing home you are interested in has a waiting list for a Medicaid bed. At a time in life where many things feel outside your control, joining several waitlists offers invaluable peace of mind. The unfortunate reality is that many aging seniors remain stuck in inadequate or even dangerous living situations while waiting for nursing home beds.
Patient's rights rules can make it very hard, too--since even those who cannot think straight, still have rights--finding a way thru everything is really tough. One of the easier ways to get an elder moved out of your home, if there is trouble getting that done with them at home, is to leave them in the hospital, and make the hosp. find a place for the elder. Do your best to avoid signing any paper that says the patient is responsible to pay whatever insurance fails to pay. No facility can legally "throw a patient out in the street", because that would be "patient abandonment". You also consent to receive calls and texts, which may be autodialed, from us and our customer communities.
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There are many more variables, each representing a series of questions that, if answered incorrectly, could bankrupt the elder, impoverish dependents and expose the family to unnecessary financial liability. When you go to the facility and tell them that your dad needs to be admitted now, they’ll ask when he went on the wait list. If you were proactive and completed admission paperwork as soon as you knew he would eventually be transitioning to the independent living apartment, the facility would most likely have the assisted living room ready when he needed it. If a person rises to the top of the wait list but doesn’t need nursing home care, what happens? In Connecticut, the person retains his or her position at the top of the wait list instead of being sent to the back of the line as is common in other states. The nursing home will go down the list, offering a bed to each person until it’s finally taken.
According to a CDC National Survey of Residential Care Facilities survey, 29% of senior housing communities currently have admissions waiting lists. And as the aging population continues to grow, demand for housing will grow in accordance. My mom was in IL and moved from IL to a NH without hospitalization or rehab facility or being in AL prior, what worked for us was for her to become a patient of the medical director of a NH. Also it cannot hurt to contact the NH who have your mom on a list every other day just to see where she is on their list.
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We have found that these managed care policies are great until you get sick. Some have large co pays starting after day 14 and it goes up after day 20. Many nursing home workers have quit due to requirements to be vaxed. In July, we were second in the nation for the fewest people working in nursing homes that are vaccinated. Nationally, as of Oct.10, 70.6% of nursing home workers are vaccinated.
That doesn’t automatically mean the wait will be longer, it may in fact speed up. IF the facility converts the patient to the "for observation" category part way thru the stay, the facility is then responsible for the leftover bills. Or have families believe there is no other choice but to accept the elder into their home. AND, it may be a facility that is less than decently ranked in quality of care.
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But then something happens—he’s diagnosed with a chronic illness—and now, instead of needing an independent living apartment, he needs to be in the assisted living portion of the facility. Many families don’t realize that the use of wait lists isn’t just limited to nursing homes. Many types of senior residences rely on them to manage demand. That’s why it’s very important for family caregivers to be proactive and complete admissions paperwork early, often months before the transition will take place. In all Connecticut nursing homes, once people are on the wait list, they stay there.
In addition to legalized discrimination against those covered by Medicaid, there are many exceptions to the first-come, first served requirement. But very excellent RNs, at work right now, hail from diploma programs, little known community colleges in “the sticks” and work right alongside those from the most “notable” schools. When you get a job on a nursing floor in a hospital, no one cares where you studied undergraduate nursing. They DO care that you are a licensed RN, can work as part of a team, support your fellow nurses, provide skilled and caring bedside care, and contribute to the overall success of your practice. School wait lists that have any foundation in “notoriety” or popularity are not necessarily any better—they have most likely become very excellent public relations pumps. When it comes to finding a long-term care facility for a loved one, wait lists are just one factor in an increasingly complicated equation.
First, they have to meet the financial requirements for eligibility, that’s something we can help with through planning. The second requirement is that they have to be in what’s known as a Medicaid bed. Now, that term doesn’t have anything to do with the quality of care, it’s a financial term that simply means that the facility will accept Medicaid as a form of payment for somebody occupying that bed.
Schedule a tour at a few skilled nursing facilities that have a strong reputation in your community for providing high quality care. When you find a few facilities you like, be sure to inquire about the waiting lists at each and ask if someone can help you through the process for joining the waitlist. Joining a wait list in no way requires you to accept an opening if it’s offered, but it does put the power of choice in your hands. And while knowing when it’s time to make the change to a nursing home can be difficult, the opening of a space can also be a valuable time to check in with your aging loved one’s care needs.
However if you do this , you may find that mom is moved to a NH in another area or even another county who is desperate to fill their beds w/revenue. The material of this web site is provided for informational purposes only. AgingCare.com does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment; or legal, or financial or any other professional services advice. To increase your chances of finding an open bed at a preferred facility, join multiple waitlists and consider taking a tour. A dear friend lives in assisted living in a very upscale facility in Dallas.
If an elder doesn’t yet need nursing home care, admissions personnel will typically ask families to call when the elder is ready. When an opening occurs, it goes to the person at the front of the line who is ready for that level of care. My father stayed in one after his stroke for about 6 weeks . Because there are always people waiting, the patients are evaluated not just on how much or whether they have improved, but their potential for further improvement. But I know it's hard on patient and family when being in a facility was good and it's time to go... While the need for skilled nursing care for your aging loved one may seem far-off now, joining at least three waitlists is an easy yet effective way to plan ahead if and when your loved one’s care needs change.
Keep in mind that the nursing facility must inform you of your loved one’s place on the wait list whenever you ask for the information. Seek out your preferred facilities now and inquire about placement on their waiting lists to ensure your loved one will be able to receive care in a facility you trust. Applying for a waitlist sooner, rather than later, helps individuals and families avoid sacrificing quality care because of an immediate need. Completing admission paperwork well before a loved one might actually transition to that care setting is especially vital in long-term care facilities that offer several levels of care. Let’s say you put your dad’s name in for an independent living apartment.
All evidence suggests that this situation will worsen before it gets better. S Medicaid reimbursement for one year for each violation of the waiting list law. Initial violations result in a 0.25% reduction and subsequent violations a 1% reduction (CGS § 19a-533). If you feel your waiting list is potentially too long and you feel concerned for the lack of other options, we at Care Sourcer can find you other care home options. IF that happens, you can put the person back on waiting list for a facility you prefer, and be prepared to wait. AgingCare.com connects families who are caring for aging parents, spouses, or other elderly loved ones with the information and support they need to make informed caregiving decisions.
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