Hi,
I understand that once a person is in a 'nursing home', paying with savings, and their savings eventually run out, then Medicaid (or Medi-Cal in Calif) will pay for the care.

Is 'memory care' technically the same as a 'nursing home'? My mother has Alzheimers, and we'll be moving her to a 'memory care' soon here in Calif, so I'd like to understand the semantics....

thanks

Welcome RRR. No need to post twice - we're here! I am not any help about California law and how it works, but we do have members who are from yur state who will step up to help you.

I think your question about "memory care" and a nursing home is a good one and should be directed to the folks where you will be moving your mom. You are wise to want to sort out the "lingo" and have it translated into plain english. It helps to prevent problems later on. Asking BEFORE is the best way to have no surprises after!

Generally, once a person exhausts their assets, medicaid kicks in and picks up what they cannot pay. Different states have different ways of administering medicaid, so it's best to consult with someone at Medi-Cal for the best answers or to visit their website. Both links below should answer many of your questions.

http://www.medi-cal.ca.gov/

http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi-cal/Pages/default.aspx

Hello rrr welcome in
The question about a NH versus Memory care, its mostly the same thing but with a higher level of supervision.
Some places just call it what it is, an Alzheimer's unit which is where it is gated off entirely so patients dont have access to outdoors because they are at risk of wandering off.
In these facilities there are Medical Social workers available to you to discuss these matters and get you on the right path.