Hello to the list,
I am new to this list as my Mom who is 70, has just recently been diagnosed
with Alzheimer's. I am an only child, my father passed away four years ago
and therefore I am the only caregiver to my Mother. Reading this list the
last couple of weeks has made me feel better -- I have had all the feelings of
anger, loss, hurt and frustration. Since I am new to this whole process, I
have a couple of questions which I am sure have been asked before, and I
apologize up front for the probable duplicity.

My Mom is in the mid stages of Alzheimer's. She is confused and disoriented
easily, uses quite a few non-sequiters and isn't able to make logical
decisions. However, she is very aware of her surroundings and still enjoys
certain things. I was not in a position to care for her at home, so chose a
really lovely, assisted living facility. She happily enjoys the "senior"
outings and the community dining room. I am happy with the choice and hope
that she can enjoy her life for as long as possible. I still have to run her
errands and take her to the doctors, interact with the staff, etc., but at
least I know she is safe and happy.

My question has to do with Medicare. I am paying the facility extra each
month to monitor her medication and just this last month, extra to help her
get dressed and changed. She has had the flu apparently (we're all guessing
because she refuses to rest for a minute), and is not able to quite manage her
personal care through this. I have just taken over my Mom's medical/finacial,
don't know the first thing about Medicare and the booklet was less than
helpful. She also has two supplemental insurances, one from her old company
that is a Medicare carve out and one from my father's company. If some of
this is covered, how do I bill it to Medicare? I've noticed that doctors just
bill directly.

Thanks in advance!!
Nora