Saturday, April 7, 2012

VA: Initiative Places Medicaid Recipients Back Home

When Linda Archie moved into a Virginia Beach nursing home five years ago, she thought her days of being independent were over.

Archie, 71, is paralyzed on one side of her body because of brain aneurysms. She had to get used to sharing a room, eating and sleeping according to schedule, and putting up with the assumption that "I wasn't right up here," she said, tapping her head.

That's where they were wrong.

In 2009, someone showed up at her bedside with a question: Did she want to move out?

She did.

"I felt like I had my life back," said Archie, who's been living in an apartment for the past two years.

It's a question required by the government to be asked of nursing home residents at least four times a year, and it's bolstered by a federal initiative called "Money Follows the Person" that helps people on Medicaid move out of long-term care facilities.

Medicaid, the joint state-federal insurance for low-income families and the disabled, has come under intense pressure to control spiraling costs.

Full Article and Source:
Initiative Places Medicaid Recipients Back Home

4 comments:

Thelma said...

That is good news. If all the states did the same, they could save the taxpayers a lot of money -and save the people from death by drugging.

Norma said...

If only Gary Harvey lived in Virginia!

Anonymous said...

They should check out how ALF's in Florida are bilking Medicare too!

Anonymous said...

In the Cook Count Probate Court (Chicago), wards' funds are placed in to OBRA Special Needs Pooled Trusts, and are removed from assisted living apartments and placed into Medicaid nursing homes.

The estates are subsequently divvied up amongst the guardian, GAL, and attorneys, while the state pays for the care of the ward.

Something is drastically wrong with his picture, and should be investigated.

Check out NASGA's Soapbox article on the home page!