Moving a parent to another state

Costs change with the state and the town

Monthly costs are set by the building, not by the state line. A town two hours south of a big city can cost much less than the same care near it. We do not quote a price we have not heard from the community itself.

Ask every community for a written base rate and a written list of what costs extra. Do that in both states so you are comparing the same thing.

Medicaid does not transfer

Medicaid is run state by state. A parent on New Jersey Medicaid or New York Medicaid does not arrive in another state with that coverage. There is a new application, new rules, and often a waiting list.

If the plan depends on Medicaid, talk with the new state before anyone packs. For New Jersey questions the ADRC line is 1-877-222-3737. For New York, NY Connects is 1-800-342-9871.

Visit first, then decide

Pictures are not enough. Fly or drive once, visit at dinner time, and meet the person who would actually be on shift. Then decide.

Bring a list of questions and write the answers down. Memory fades fast when a trip is emotional.

Medical records and doctors

Ask the current doctor for a written summary and a current medication list, and ask how prescriptions will be refilled in the first month. Line up a new primary doctor before the move, not after.

Check whether the parent's health plan works in the new state. Many do not work the same way once they leave the area.

How we help

We sit with you first. We tell you plainly what we know, what we do not know, and where you need someone licensed in that state. In New Jersey and New York we send licensed community shortlists in writing. We can accompany a visit if you ask.

Outside those two states we do not pretend to have local inventory. We help you plan the questions, the visit, and the order of the moving parts, and we say so when you need a local placement person there.

States families ask us about most

• Florida
• North Carolina and South Carolina
• Arizona
• Texas
• Pennsylvania
• Delaware

This is a list of questions we hear, not a list of places we have inventory in.