She gets social security, and we don’t have a lot of money ourselves and are no longer able to be with her 24/7. We are in Maryland, and are scared of what we can do. Will her medicare do anything? Is it too late for something like long term care insurance? We have no idea where to start.
Thanks for any insight.
Speak to her doctor. Start the process of getting Medicaid ASAP. If it gets bad enough that she needs to be in a care home, Medicaid can pay for it. Ask the doctor about medication Aricept. It can help certain types of dementia, I have seen it be a miracle.
Do not let any doctor/nurse/facility give her any benzodiazepines such as lorazepam, klonopin, diazepam. They often do this to “help them rest” without realizing these work opposite for elderly patients. It can make them restless, irritated, and sometimes violent.