What else can my mom do?

[BabyMine]

My mom (59) is currently working at a part time job that doesn't pay that much. She was a realtor up until a year ago when she found a job at a church daycare. She worked there for 9 months until she was layed off. The she found a full time position at a hotel but was layed off again. Both layoff were due to downsizing.

She couldn't get unemployment from the first job becasue the daycare was a part of the church. She tried from the second job but becasue she wasn't there that long she doesn't have enough points.(?) She must send her resume out 7+ times a day and also visits places.

She applied for food stamps and recieved 2 months worth but then they stopped. She applied again but hasn't recieved then yet. She was told she doesn't qualify for medicaid becasue she doesn't have any children.

A couple years ago she had knee surgery and now she is dealing with bad arthritis. She can't go to the Dr. becasue she doesn't have the money.

We are the only family that has been helping her out but unfortunately it is getting harder and harder for us to do so.

Is there anything that we haven't tried that she may qualify for? I always thought Medicaid was for people that were below the poverty line. I don't know what to do becasue now it looks as though our economy will take another hit.

[Smillow]

My advice to her would be to think of a service that she could provide and start her own business. I think only children & pregnant women are able to get medicaid unless there is some major illness.
Good luck to her!

[kijip]

Medicaid eligibility varies by state. Here, families with dependent children (including pregnant women) far below the poverty line and disabled adults are eligible with SChip and something called basic health for low and moderate income families and single adults.

My father took a buyout to retire early- about age 61. He was subsequently not able to find work anywhere. He went without health care until he was old enough to apply for Medicare. As he has MS and a history of heart issues, this was nerve racking to say the least. Before anyone says he should have bought insurance- it was not available. Note the preexisting condition of MS.

Places that offer health insurance that I can think of are Starbucks and Costco.

Is there an office of Senior Citizens or a Senior Services group in your area? Sometimes they have job placement assistance.

Has she looked into senior housing through HUD or the local housing authority? Is there a relative, such as you, that she could stay with? Multi-generational living can be hard, but it can also be rewarding. I think that as the economy stands, it will be become increasingly common for older adults without work to be living with their children.

I am sorry things are so hard for her right now. It's very frustrating to look for work in your 50s and 60s, my friends that age at all professional levels tell me it gets harder to find work, especially when the hiring manager is younger. Age discrimination is prevalent but as with most hiring discrimination, nearly impossible to prove. While I know that certainly the economy is a big factor, it's indisputable that older job seekers get brushed off more than younger ones.

[crl]

If her knee is bad enough, she might qualify for disability through Social Security. And Medicaid varies a bit state to state but it is income based, not just for children/pregnant women (although it is often easier for them to qualify as the income requirements are often relaxed for them). She certainly could reapply; if her income/assets have changed, she might be eligible now.

I wish her luck,
Catherine

[jent]

Places that offer health insurance that I can think of are Starbucks and Costco.

Also Home Depot is pretty good for health insurance.

[JTsMom]

I think Whole Foods is another place that offers insurance and a decent wage.

[kijip]

And Medicaid varies a bit state to state but it is income based, not just for children/pregnant women (although it is often easier for them to qualify as the income requirements are often relaxed for them).

Here adults must have children or be disabled to qualify in addition to being very low income. Some states exclude all adults. It varies A LOT by state and depends on what other health programs the states have.

[crl]

Here adults must have children or be disabled to qualify in addition to being very low income. Some states exclude all adults. It varies A LOT by state and depends on what other health programs the states have.

Hmm, a million years ago getting SSI automatically meant Medicaid coverage. Is that a state by state variable or just something that has changed?

Catherine

[baileygirl]

She might try working in a call center...places like Vanguard, USAA, Charles Schwab, etc have call centers. It sounds like she has sales/customer service experience and places like that are large companies that would be able to provide her with good benefits.

[BabyMine]

Medicaid eligibility varies by state. Here, families with dependent children (including pregnant women) far below the poverty line and disabled adults are eligible with SChip and something called basic health for low and moderate income families and single adults.

My father took a buyout to retire early- about age 61. He was subsequently not able to find work anywhere. He went without health care until he was old enough to apply for Medicare. As he has MS and a history of heart issues, this was nerve racking to say the least. Before anyone says he should have bought insurance- it was not available. Note the preexisting condition of MS.

Places that offer health insurance that I can think of are Starbucks and Costco.

Is there an office of Senior Citizens or a Senior Services group in your area? Sometimes they have job placement assistance.

Has she looked into senior housing through HUD or the local housing authority? Is there a relative, such as you, that she could stay with? Multi-generational living can be hard, but it can also be rewarding. I think that as the economy stands, it will be become increasingly common for older adults without work to be living with their children.

I am sorry things are so hard for her right now. It's very frustrating to look for work in your 50s and 60s, my friends that age at all professional levels tell me it gets harder to find work, especially when the hiring manager is younger. Age discrimination is prevalent but as with most hiring discrimination, nearly impossible to prove. While I know that certainly the economy is a big factor, it's indisputable that older job seekers get brushed off more than younger ones.

She went down and applied for Senior Services but they are so backed up that they pretty much told her it would be a long time before they could help her. The good thing is she owns her own condo. We were in the middle of remodeling it when the economy started to go downhill. She was supposed to rent out her condo and live up here but now that is impossible. We have told her to come up here but she looks after someones property down there.

If her knee is bad enough, she might qualify for disability through Social Security. And Medicaid varies a bit state to state but it is income based, not just for children/pregnant women (although it is often easier for them to qualify as the income requirements are often relaxed for them). She certainly could reapply; if her income/assets have changed, she might be eligible now.

I wish her luck,
Catherine

She definately would qualify for SSDI but she would have to quite her PT job and also get a Dr. to approve it. Neither is financially doable.

She might try working in a call center...places like Vanguard, USAA, Charles Schwab, etc have call centers. It sounds like she has sales/customer service experience and places like that are large companies that would be able to provide her with good benefits.

Unfortunately, none of those places are where she lives but she has applied to some call centers and it never goes anywhere.