I met with the business office rep from Mom’s SNF today and signed a plan to mostly or completely reimburse them with Mom’s income (which is the same as Mark’s take-home accountant salary that supports six of us WITH all our real and side jobs) - if Mom hangs on until summer - something about applying my current payments to the earlier past due. Honestly, the acronyms and payment schedule went over my head but I trust these people. They welcomed Mom from day one despite the bleak financial situation as I mentioned more than once and Rex has provided phenomenal care. Nonetheless I feel guilty for giving all the available money to a facility that had no interest in us once it was gone (Brookdale) so I promised to contact Pat’s attorney in Durham.
He responded immediately and confirmed that not only is my county the worst and appeals go unanswered, other clients of his have gone a YEAR to get to the point where we are. I let him know Mom is way better off than she’d be elsewhere, but I would love to fully reimburse her current caretakers. He’s going to forward our thread to a colleague, but forewarned appeals are contentious and unproductive.
Let him know that I have enough on my plate saying goodbye to my mom for the zillionth time on slow play and close up, her lawyer completely empathized. Told him the main reason for sharing is to raise awareness for the contribution to elder abuse. If Wake County, North Carolina (I’m calling us out) doesn’t provide adequate care for dementia patients, people will be forced to provide inadequate care in their homes. I used an example of locking granddad in the basement or his room, but I know based on Pat’s wandering when she was mobile this is real - not fiction.
Bottom line: Pat is good. Other Wake County residents... not so much, and this has me extremely concerned.