You or an elderly loved one may have heard about PACE—the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly—and you have questions about what exactly it is and which services it provides. Does it offer more than Medicare? How about Medi-Cal? Is it merely a nursing home alternative?
The Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly—PACE—is designed to provide multiple layers of care outside of a hospital setting for the elderly with multiple chronic conditions.
While Medi-Cal provides a comprehensive range of medical care and treatment services, some recipients may require additional services to take care of their daily needs at home, and others may prefer to be cared for in an assisted living home rather than a nursing home.
Medi-Cal is California’s version of the federal Medicaid program, a partnership between states and the federal government.
You or a loved one is suffering from a disabling condition, and you’re receiving benefits from Medi-Cal and or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Both of these programs place severe limits on the number of assets you can have in your name – specifically, $2,000 for an individual.
If you have a loved one who is facing a disabling condition that will require the assistance of Medi-Cal and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for medical, housing, and food benefits, the qualifications are strict.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) and other state and federal agencies operate programs to provide benefits for those who become disabled. The SSA’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program sets income and asset limitations on those who apply for its benefits.
If you are disabled in California, you can qualify for benefits under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program of the Social Security system and at the same time qualify for medical care under Medi-Cal, but these programs have both income and asset limitations.
Dementia not only robs those suffering from it of their ability to lead a normal, productive life, but it also places a caregiving obligation on loved ones. If loved ones can’t care for their parents or others suffering from Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia because of their own work and family obligations, it can force them to make many difficult decisions.
A special report issued by the Alzheimer’s Association in March 2020 projected that by mid-century the number of Americans aged 65 and older who will suffer from dementia may grow to 13.8 million, up from 5.8 million today.
