Nursing Home Social Services Reference/Flow of Care/Personal Needs Funds

For all residents in a nursing home, there is a "bank" that allows residents to withdraw funds from their nursing home account if there are funds available in the account. Each nursing home arranges this in a different way, but most have a designated person or persons who manage a cash box or drawer to give residents money from their accounts. This is required to allow residents to pay for and use items they require for their personal needs. Often this is for cigarettes, snacks, soda, makeup and/or other personal care items not provided by the nursing home. These accounts can be contributed by friends, family and others. Medicaid offers a program in most states to provide some funding for resident personal needs. This money comes from the SSA benefit check, meaning an SSDI, SSI or SSA check. The amount of the Medicaid contribution is on the Medicaid resident-liability form that your state uses. The amount would be listed as the "Personal Needs Allowance" on that form. These amounts can be different for each resident in each state. Please note that there are programs in many states that reduce the resident liability for one-time or over-time to meet special medical or dental needs. In Colorado, this is called the PETI system. This is not the personal needs allowance program.