HEARING - U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging

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Senator HEINZ. So it is both a physical and emotional strain on
you.
Mrs. FISH. Yes, yes.
Senator HEINZ. If you could afford it-and we recognize you
cannot-would you under any circumstances place your mother in
a nursing home?
Mrs. FISH. Well, she was not eligible to go to the nursing home
without us footing the whole bill.
Senator HEINZ. I understand that. I am just asking, though, if
you had the money--
Mrs. FISH. I would not want to. We are trying to hold out for 100,
which is 3 more years, and she probably will make it.
Senator HEINZ. So given a choice, you would still rather keep
your mother at home.
Mrs. FISH. With help, yes, yes.
Senator HEINZ. Rather than have her in a nursing home?
Mrs. FISH. Definitely, yes. Foreign people are a little funny that
way, with their families.
Senator HEINZ. Do you know why your mother has not become
eligible for Medicaid?
Mrs. FISH. Because as I quoted before, she has the $4,000 and
then her burial expenses, which are intact and not to be touched.
Senator HEINZ. Have you ever been tempted to try and do something
about that?
-Mrs-.FIs-H.-Do you-rhean, getting ridof her rnoney?
Senator HEINZ. Yes.
Mrs. FIsH. Well, it would not take long by keeping a nurse's aide,
which is $800 a month; $800 from $4,000 per month, it would use it
up in a few months.
Senator HEINZ. It would take about 5 months, right?
Mrs. FISH. Right, right.
Senator HEINZ. Why have you elected not to do that?
Mrs. FISH. Not to do what?
Senator HEINZ. To spend the money on a nurse's aide.
Mrs. FISH. Well, I think it is the idea of going on Medicaid-perhaps.
I do not know what all is involved with that. I did not check
any further. As soon as they saw her record, they sent a letter of
dismissal that she was not eligible at all for Medicaid.
Senator HEINZ. But you did not feel that you wanted to pursue
that any further?
Mrs. FISH. No, no.
Senator HF.INZ. Why? If I told you that there is this program
called Medicaid; that it is run and paid for partly by the States,
partly by the Federal Government, and under certain circumstances,
it will take care of your costs if you do not have any
money-why would you shy away from learning more about it?
Mrs. FISH. What would happen if this little lady would die, would
pass away? Who would pay the burial charges? That is another
question I am asking. They wanted all that money to be rid of for
her to go on Medicaid.
Senator HEINZ. So you were nervous about what would happen to
your mother if she passed away and she was on Medicaid?
Mrs. FISH. Yes, or if something happened to me-I would not
know what would happen to her.