She Needed Help at Home. But She Was $55 Over the Medi-Cal Income Limit.
About ten years ago, while pursuing my bachelor’s degree in gerontological social work, the study of aging, I encountered a situation that would forever change the way I thought about caring for older adults.
At the time, I was completing a six-month internship at the Huntington Beach Senior Center in California.
I was placed in the case management division, where my role was to visit older adults in their homes, understand their needs, and connect them with the resources and services that could help them live safely and comfortably.
I quickly learned that finding help wasn't always as simple as it should have been.
But one person’s story, in particular, stayed with me.
Her name was Betty.
Betty was a retired schoolteacher who had been married for approximately 62 years. Her husband had passed away, and the couple had never been able to have children.
Now, Betty was living alone in her home and needed a little assistance with everyday life.
She wasn't looking for round-the-clock care or extensive medical support.
She simply needed someone to check in on her and provide a helping hand—a service that might feel like having an adopted granddaughter nearby.
It seemed like such a reasonable request.
Yet, despite her modest needs, Betty found herself caught in a system that offered her no practical solution. The GAP
At the time, Betty received $1,255 a month in income.
The income limit for Medi-Cal then was $1,200.
She was over the limit by just $55.
That small difference had enormous consequences.
Betty earned too much to qualify for the assistance she needed, but nowhere near enough to afford private in-home care. She was stuck in the gap between eligibility and affordability, with no clear path forward.
We explain older adults in the same situation as Betty in our article about GAPS Households in this article.
Private Home Care Was Complex
The private home care options available at the time were often designed around much larger commitments.
Agencies could require four-hour minimum visits, three times a week, contracts lasting 12 weeks, and two weeks of payment upfront.
For someone like Betty, who needed only a little help, these arrangements were excessive and financially out of reach.
She didn't need a comprehensive care package. She needed a little support to help her remain independent in her own home.
And there was no system in place to provide it.
“There Is Nothing.”
I remember going back to my supervisor and asking a question that seemed straightforward:
What do we do for Betty? What resources are available to her?
The answer was devastating.
“There is nothing,” my supervisor told me. “She either has to go without, or she has to find the money.”
I struggled to accept that answer.
First, Betty didn't have the money. Second, she didn't need the kind of extensive care that private agencies were offering. Surely there had to be another option.
But there wasn't.
Or, at least, there wasn't one that I could find.
That moment forced me to confront a reality that many older adults and their families continue to face: needing help doesn't necessarily mean you can access it.
A person can work hard throughout their life, contribute to their community, and spend decades caring for others, only to discover that when they need a little support themselves, they fall through the cracks.
Betty wasn't asking for much. She simply needed a system that recognized her needs rather than disqualifying her because of a small difference in income. The Beginning Elder Love USA
Even as a student, I understood enough about the nonprofit world to recognize that unmet needs could become the starting point for meaningful change.
I saw a problem, and my instinct was to fix it.
I began thinking about how we could raise money, bring in donors, and create a source of support for older adults who didn't qualify for existing programs but couldn't afford private care.
So I started Elder Love USA in 2016.
Ten years later, we’re proud to have served our local community and expanded both our services and the areas we reach.
Through grants, generous donations, creative fundraising, and flexible service arrangements, we’ve been able to make care more affordable while meeting the unique needs of older adults.
What began with one woman’s story has grown into a mission to help more older adults age with dignity, independence, and the support they deserve.
This article was made by Shannon Shea, the Founding Executive Director of Elder Love USA.
As the only nonprofit agency in California offering home care services, we are dedicated to providing compassionate affordable in-home care.
All caregivers undergo thorough background checks and training with certification.
Our rates are lower than other providers thanks to partnerships, donations, grants, and revenue from our cleaning program.
Our caregivers can assist with personal care, shopping, cooking, transportation, housekeeping, and case management.
We proudly serve Riverside County, CA, San Diego County, CA, San Bernardino County, CA, Orange County, CA, Imperial County, CA, and Phoenix, AZ.
If you’d like to learn more about how our services can benefit you or your loved one, contact us today.
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