Do I really have to call every assisted living facility in Washington to find out if they would accept my mom? Is there a service?

I used the "find care and housing" off this web site to locate assisted living for my mom that would work with the limited income she has of $750 per month. One person called me, we talked about mom's needs and income, and they called back with some recommendations. It was about an hour from where she lives now - but in a nice location. Now if i could ever get her to consider it........

Have you applied for Medicaid? You are not going to get Medicaid if mom still has assets, unless you are talking about a situation in which there is a community spouse or a disabled child living at home.

Mom's assets should be used to private pay for a facility that will accept Medicaid after some period of private pay.

As mentioned above, use the search feature in this site.

SaharaBlue, if you use Medicaid for Mom in Washington State, please note that that Medicaid does not cross State lines. Mom would need to apply and qualify for Medicaid in a neighboring State. You might want to check out the neighboring States to see if they have better programs, as each State is different.

The "Find Care and Housing" thing is on the right side of your page. I don't know if this shows up in all computer type devices. It does on a desk top computer.

I have also heard about "A place for Mom", I haven't use it so I don't know how they work.

Hello, thank you for responding. There is no source I can find that will provide a list by a state that tells me that if the facility accepts medicare as the ONLY source of payment without requiring a spend down and has openings. Yes that is the magic key. All three of these need to exist in order for me to find a spot. Yes I also know about adult family homes. I could take her to my house in a different state but my house has stairs, shower/tub confguration. I must work because I am supporting 3 humans and two pets. A place for mom at the mention of Medicare is hot to get you off the phone. This is what they don't tell you in the friend ads with Joan. They will not call every single Assisted Living facility in a state. They send emails to facilities that they have determined a potential match within a 50-mile radius of your zip code as a potential lead for a resident. Those sales people then call you. If you chose a place, then the rep gets a referral fee from the facility, the rep will call you to get updated info your profile to make sure they get paid. They don't call just once or twice. I was called about 65 times in a 3 month period.

No thank you. It wouldn't help anyway because there are very few if any open spaces which you need to call and find out. Since there's no bed you have to waitlist. Meanwhile, my mom's mental health and stability is not the best and is now asking me when is she getting out of rehab. Getting a list is really easy. Many many many sites have that info for free. Its got names, phone numbers and website URLs that spout off how awesome they are but not the detail you need to be informed.
I hope you take this in the tongue in cheek spirit I am posting. I really do thank you for your time, but the question remains. I'll keep calling.

Another option is to call a Adult Care Manager & pay to coordinate services.
Won’t your family member’s discharge planner help you find a local facility?
I am not sure your request is reasonable for anyone to do except you.
The rehab center will either discharge her home or to a Nursing home pending insurance authorization.
Medicare doesn’t pay for long term care. Medicaid funds nursing home for indigents.
AL is usually private pay.
Work with her dc planner but I don’t think they have the time nor resources to call all nursing homes in your state.

Shane is correct, Medicare does not pay for long term care, that is a Medicaid program. Many times when time for release from rehab family will refuse to take elder home as their increased care needs are more than can be provided at home. Then discharge planner/social worker has the job of finding appropriate placement in a facility that will accept Medicaid. The expedited way to permanent care under Medicaid.

Why do you keep mentioning Medicare? You're not understanding that MEDICARE does not pay for long term care.

Medicaid does. Have you applied? What are your mom's financial resources to pay for care?

If you call a facility and you mention MEDICARE paying for mom's care, they are going to get off the phone with you because your are clearly NOT understanding how this all works.

If Mom DOESN'T YET have Medicaid, you are looking for a MEDICAID PENDING bed, if that helps. 

Have you looked at  Paying for senior care dot com?

It seems to have a pretty comprehensive list.

Not all states have programs whereby Medicaid pays for AL.

That's where you have to start. And Medicaid is a state program. Does not cross state lines.

Sahara - you wrote “will accept Medicaid right away without a spend down”
That magical creature DOES NOT exist. Again DOES NOT EXIST!
If mom still has assets, they will need to be spent down on her care or her needs so that she is at Medicaids financial maximum (2k in non exempt assets for an individual & within whatever her state has as the maximum monthly income) before she would ever be eligible for LTC facility Medicaid.

She cannot - as an individual- have assets beyond that and be eligible for LTC Medicaid. Medicaid = Impoverished

Medicaid does NOT have to pay for AL.
Medicaid has required dedicated funding from the feds for skilled nursing care aka a NH. AL may or may not be paid by Medicaid as it’s done by a waiver program with the terms set by your state. WA state would determine what waivers & where. If they do, then AL because it’s via a waiver has lots less facilities interested in participating as waivers change, are time limited in funding, etc. (stuff that causes uncertainty). If an AL can fill beds easily with private pay residents there is no reason financially to ever have Medicaid waiver beds.

You may find if mom can qualify medically for skilled nursing care, it may be easier to get an open NH bed than an AL bed. But Medicaid spend down still is required. 

In my experience, the “Medicaid Pending” route might MIGHT be feasible if the NH determines that her Medicaid application appears in order and all documentation needed by the state are there and in a quick review by the NH that on the surface there appears to be no looming transfer penalty issues. For both my mom & mil, each of the  NHs took the Medicaid documentation stack and Medicaid application and bundled it along with their bill to the Medicaid caseworker assigned to the facility. The NH decided if a “Pending” was ok by them otherwise it would have been private pay with a signed contract. If Medicaid Pending, then each month, the mom’s monthly income less a $60 personal needs allowance each was paid to the NH as the required copay or SOC (share of cost) requirement for Medicaid. Being on Medicaid means basically their impoverished with only extra $ the monthly PNA. That’s it.

Why the hesitation or issue with your mom doing the spend down???
If she’s at the point in needing to live in a facility, to me, she is past the point of doing ANY creative financial planning with her $$. That ship has sailed.

Please please realize that if there’s anything amiss that could cause a transfer penalty for her Medicaid application, it will surface. If this is part of the hesitation in the spend down, schedule an appt with a WA state NAELA or CELA level elder law attorney ASAP to see how to best approach. Applying for Medicaid allows the state to get an all access pass to mom’s life and $ history. Any $$$  shifted about improperly will surface eventually.....
If this is what’s what, your choices are stark.... you private pay for her care, or you move her to your home, or have her become a ward of the state of WA with a state appointed guardian. If there’s financial improprieties, the guardian has to look into these and seek restitution if feasible.