Nursing Home for younger person?

Hi, my friends mother has had a host of mental and physical problems. She's at the point where she needs permanent care. She's had everything from seizures and strokes to severe bladder trouble. Her mind is also starting to go. Her daughter is doing her best to take care of her but she really needs help. The patient is 58 years old and really needs to be in a nursing home. She is on medicaid, and will get medicare next month. Her zipcode is 60411 in Illinois. The problem is, from what I'm told, a lot of nursing homes don't take patients untill they are around 63. I'm wondering what can be done about this because she really needs to be in a home, she is in and out of the hospital a few times a month. Any information on homes that accept younger patients in the general area, and what the requirements are, etc, would be very much appreciated.

I'm a director of nursing at a relatively small nursing home in Kansas. We accept younger residents and have quite a few with MR/DD and psychiatric issues. The challenge for you, my friend, is finding a nursing home that specializes in it. A nursing home that offers a younger population (so she doesn't feel so detached from "the real world") and that is equipped to handle both her psych issues as well as her medical ones. In Kansas, we just have to have a signed order from a doctor to admit her into long term care. Best of luck and if you have any questions, feel free to get a hold of me!

the only way to know if she can be admitted is to ask.

Many younger people are in nursing homes if they cannot take care of themselves. She needs a social worker to address this, which she either has or will through the medicaid and medicare. Your friend should get aggressive about getting help for her mom in this regard. It's true some nursing homes only take older patients, but there will be a place for her, I am sure. If I can find more for you, I will come back here and amend my answer.

Nursing home is not always the best answer. There are services like home health care services that will bill medicaid to send people into the home to take care of them. There is a good one called concepts of independence that the daughter can hire home health aides to come into the home and provide care and medicaide will pay the people that come in. There is always private care that if she put an add in the paper for home health care needed she can hire care but to the family expence, but she could use this until she gets the other services I mentioned. I do this kind of work so if you need anything else email me.

I am almost 100% positive that they must allow her to enter or they can be sited for age discrimination. They don't have to take her however, if they can show that they can not meet her needs. Your friend needs to visit some of the homes and see what they have to offer rehab wise and what their staff to resident ratios are. Look to see how the staff interact with the residents. Is there a good relationship or do residents look afraid. If it is too quiet and nice ask yourself are people drugged. Residents should be out and about, clean and neat and enjoying themselves. There should be activities to pass the time happening. Check into the management company that runs the home and look at their surveys from the state and federal government. Keep in mind that only the problems are reported. Are they easy to fix problems, or are they resident care problems. etc...

Try asking the MD for a referral. Their opinion or recommendation tends to bend a lot of "rules" in a big hurry.

I work for a home care company and about 15% of the people we care for are not seniors!
If she decides to try the home care option, tell her to ask the social services department of her nearest hospital for a list of recommended companies. She should ask anyone that comes to work in her home if they are bonded-it's a special insurance that covers that person only if they have a clear background such as no criminal history. If she hires someone privately then she is required to pay taxes for them and also if they are injured in her home her home owners insurance will NOT cover it! They must carry their own workman's comp insurance.
Their are reputable nursing homes and assisted living environments that accept anyone over the age of 18. She will have to request a tour of any she might be interested and ask questions! How many patients to each nurse or nurses aid is important. If she is experiencing dementia or altzheimer's disease she should ask what kind of accomodations they have for these specific illnesses.
There are several near the 60411 zip code- google for nursing homes in that zip.

If you have more questions I will try to help. Please email at dizzkat@yahoo.com.

im not quite sure, but ill try to find out , until then ill keep her in prayer.

man up... i watch my dad die of cancer at age 53... i did not want to ship him off to a home cause it was the easy way out... nursing home are for people who don't have any one to or care for them.... your her son count back five and do whats right. don't ship her of to a home cause its easy spend time with her i wish i had more time with my dad 53 is to ........