Help Mentally Retarded Man Navigate Government Programs

[ZeroG]

A cousin of mine is in dire need of help. He is not looking for money but rather advice on how to work with US Government agencies designed to help him. He is 50 years old and his mother died about 6 months ago. His mother was all he had and watched out for him all his life. Because of his depression following her death, Social Security recently put him on disability and took him off of SSI. They paid him back pay from the time of her death in a lump some, but now they are cutting off his medical insurance and expect him to pay his medical with his disability income.

This is causing him much stress and making him even more depressed. Talking with him made me realize that it is hard enough for a mentally healthy person to navigate government programs, and impossible if you are mentally retarded.

So, I thought this is where Isara can help. The money is there, we just need to put our internet surfing prowess to work to dig up the information he needs to get the system to work for him and not against him.

Post any links to sites which deal with this specific subject here. You'll find the government websites are the first to show up, but we need more practical "this is how it really works" stuff. Maybe some forums where people who care for older mentally retarded people talk.

Facts:

Male, 50 years old
Lives in Houston, TX with his older brother (no help)
Can drive and has held various jobs

[thartley]

Was he on SSI in his own right, or was it SSI as a dependent of a decedent?  I mean, was it Survivor's Benefits he was getting from SSI or was it that he was put on SSI because of his mental condition?  And prior to being put on disability, how was his health insurance paid for?

I'm just trying to get a better idea of the string of events.  Also, is he considered independent at this point, or does his brother have guardianship?

[Ginafish]

http://www.mhmraofharrisc...RSD/providerbrochures.htm

The Houston yellow pages has these two listed as providing services and I was going to download the "Ultimate Living" brochure, but it was bigger than I thought. American Habilitation Services also has a brochure on this page.

This page has a LOT of links to providers of services in the Houston area,
There is a g**gle group for this also, you might pose your cousins situation to them and see if you get any responses.
http://groups.google.com/...s/topics?hl=en&lnk=sg

[ZeroG]

I just finished talking with him and have a little more info. He is independent right now in the eyes of the government. He got on SSI after his mother died, before that he was living off his Mom's SS and his medical was covered by this program called a Gold Card, which only works at one public hospital and the only medications you get are what they have 'leftover'. That is what they want to put him on until medicare kicks in, in January 2009.  He really didn't have that many medical bills before his mom died.

SSI applied for disability for him and now the people at MHMRA are telling him that his medicaid stops at the end of June. He is definately suffering from major depression and needs treatment now. He listed a bunch of prescriptions he is taking and I know that is expensive without insurance.

It appears as though there are companies or consultants who will figure out what is best route for you, for a fee.  Still looking for more info, but that is a little more specifics on his situation.

[M3R1IN]

hmm... wouldn't it be more politically correct to say "mentally handicapped"?
u know... if you arent that far from the Canadian border and he has any relatives in Canada...perhaps it would be worth taking a trip to "visit relatives"
Go to a canadian clinic or hospital and get some prescriptions filled in canada... medications are signifigantly cheaper in Canada.