MnCHOICES is Minnesota's standardized long-term-care needs assessment used to determine whether someone needs a nursing-facility level of care and is functionally eligible for programs like the Elderly Waiver or Alternative Care. Starting this assessment as early as possible during a hospital stay — rather than waiting until after discharge — can shorten the gap before waiver services begin.
Inside the discharge window
Because MnCHOICES assessments and the subsequent Medical Assistance financial eligibility review both take time to process, families who wait until after a parent is already discharged and settled somewhere new often face a longer gap before Elderly Waiver or Alternative Care services can actually start paying for help. Hospital social workers in the Twin Cities can sometimes help initiate a referral for this assessment before discharge, or a family can call the Senior LinkAge Line (1-800-333-2433) directly to ask how to get the process started while their parent is still hospitalized or in short-term rehab. Getting ahead of this timeline is one of the most practical things a family can do during an otherwise stressful discharge window.
Related questions
- My parent is being discharged from a Twin Cities hospital in 3 days, what do I do?
- What's the difference between a short-term rehab stay and moving straight into assisted living after a hospital stay?
- Can a hospital discharge my parent to a nursing home against our wishes?
- Who pays for a nursing home stay right after a hospitalization in Minnesota?