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Are they experiencing any memory loss?
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Acknowledgment of Disclosures and Authorization
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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Mostly Independent
Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
Remember, this assessment is not a substitute for professional advice.
Share a few details and we will match you to trusted home care in your area:
My mom, sister & myself have various bank and financial accounts. Even tho my accounta contain only my earnings, I added my sis & mom to my accounts in the event of an emergency. My mom& sis have done the same with their accounts. It is now time to place Mom in a SNF that accepts Medicaid when personal funds are depleted.We plan to give the nursing home only the financial info that contain my mom's money. Can they take money from accounts that have her name but none of her actual income? Sis & I are worried.
"Yes, Medicaid potentially can count those accounts — even if the money is “really yours”—because of how Medicaid looks at ownership. But it depends on details.
1. Medicaid doesn’t go by “who earned it”—they go by legal access When your mom’s name is on a bank account (especially a joint account), Medicaid usually assumes she has full access to 100% of that money.
That means the account can be treated as her asset, even if:
- all deposits came from you - you consider it “your money” - it was only set up “for emergencies”
2. Medicaid doesn’t “take” money—but they require it to be spent down The nursing home or Medicaid itself doesn’t directly seize funds from your account. Instead Medicaid will say: “These are available resources”.
Your mom must spend down her assets to qualify.
If those joint accounts push her over the limit (typically ~$2,000 in assets), she may be denied eligibility. So the practical effect can feel the same.
3. You can try to prove the money isn’t hers—but it’s not automatic. You may be able to argue that the funds are not your mom’s if you can clearly document:
- The account was funded only by you. - Your mom never used or controlled the funds. - You can provide bank statements tracing deposits.
But the burden of proof is on you. States vary in how strict they are. Some states presume equal ownership (e.g., 1/2 or 1/3) rather than 100%, but you still have to prove your share.
4. Big risk: transfers and the 5-year lookback. If you now:
- Remove your mom from accounts, or - Move money out of joint accounts
Medicaid could treat that as a transfer of assets, which can trigger a penalty period (a delay in eligibility).
5. What you should do:
Talk to a Medicaid/elder law attorney before changing anything (often a 1-hour consult is enough to save you from a major issue). Look for someone familiar with your Mom's state's Medicaid rules, or check:
- Her state's Elder Justice Center - National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys"
Hmm that is a good question. When you are reporting Mom's financial info to Medicaid during the application process, just provide them with her accounts and her assets and her income. They will be able to cross-check with IRS and Social Security records and will know what her income is. You do not have to reveal that her name is on any accounts of yours or your sister's, as long as you have not co-mingled funds. However, considering the circumstances, perhaps now is a good time to remove your mother's name from your account. It's not likely she will be paying bills on your behalf or need to access your funds.
Are your mother and sister only signers on your accounts? Or Joint owners? This would also be a good time to sit down and talk with a banker and make sure your sister is a signer on the account, but not actually an owner.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
1. Medicaid doesn’t go by “who earned it”—they go by legal access
When your mom’s name is on a bank account (especially a joint account), Medicaid usually assumes she has full access to 100% of that money.
That means the account can be treated as her asset, even if:
- all deposits came from you
- you consider it “your money”
- it was only set up “for emergencies”
2. Medicaid doesn’t “take” money—but they require it to be spent down
The nursing home or Medicaid itself doesn’t directly seize funds from your account. Instead Medicaid will say: “These are available resources”.
Your mom must spend down her assets to qualify.
If those joint accounts push her over the limit (typically ~$2,000 in assets), she may be denied eligibility. So the practical effect can feel the same.
3. You can try to prove the money isn’t hers—but it’s not automatic. You may be able to argue that the funds are not your mom’s if you can clearly document:
- The account was funded only by you.
- Your mom never used or controlled the funds.
- You can provide bank statements tracing deposits.
But the burden of proof is on you. States vary in how strict they are. Some states presume equal ownership (e.g., 1/2 or 1/3) rather than 100%, but you still have to prove your share.
4. Big risk: transfers and the 5-year lookback. If you now:
- Remove your mom from accounts, or
- Move money out of joint accounts
Medicaid could treat that as a transfer of assets, which can trigger a penalty period (a delay in eligibility).
5. What you should do:
Talk to a Medicaid/elder law attorney before changing anything (often a 1-hour consult is enough to save you from a major issue). Look for someone familiar with your Mom's state's Medicaid rules, or check:
- Her state's Elder Justice Center
- National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys"
Information courtesy of ChatGPT5.3
When you are reporting Mom's financial info to Medicaid during the application process, just provide them with her accounts and her assets and her income.
They will be able to cross-check with IRS and Social Security records and will know what her income is. You do not have to reveal that her name is on any accounts of yours or your sister's, as long as you have not co-mingled funds. However, considering the circumstances, perhaps now is a good time to remove your mother's name from your account. It's not likely she will be paying bills on your behalf or need to access your funds.
Are your mother and sister only signers on your accounts? Or Joint owners?
This would also be a good time to sit down and talk with a banker and make sure your sister is a signer on the account, but not actually an owner.