Memory Care Fund for Helen Samarista Fuentes

Hi, my name is Michelle Smith-Leidecker. As most of you know, I'm my mom's only child, and we have lived together for almost 45 years. My mother provided me with the best support and love through the years. She helped raise her four grandchildren (Danny, Corina, Ricky and Gabriel) and was the primary caregiver to my father, Simon, who was an amputee before his passing in 2008. Over the years, she sacrificed so much for our family. When it was her turn, she couldn’t enjoy her time as she was diagnosed with the middle stage of Alzheimer's-Dementia in 2017. This horrible neurological disease is not curable and only progresses over time. Dementia has robbed her of her dignity and ability to care for herself.

Our family has been able to care for her providing her with a safe and loving environment. However, we realize that we are neither trained nor skilled to give her the care she needs. We have observed her behavior decline over the years; she lost the ability to care for herself, her independence, and her ability to recognize us. It is sometimes challenging for us to accept that her memory is gone. We grieve for her memory loss but try to adapt to the situation.

I've been honored to be my mother's primary caregiver, as I’ve always tried to avoid removing her from our care. Unfortunately, we have accepted that she requires advanced skilled care, such as memory care. We found a memory care facility less than a mile from our home that could allow us to visit her frequently. The house has trained staff, activities, and, most importantly, a safe environment. Unfortunately, memory and dementia care are not covered under her Medicare policy or other supplemental insurance. I applied for the Medicaid waiver last year. I've gone through this extensive process and was recently notified that she was denied and will have to start the process over again. My mother receives income from her pensions but not enough to cover the costs. She didn’t have long-term care insurance. Unfortunately, families impacted by a loved one with memory care needs have little to no resources to help financially. Our family has been desperately trying to figure out how we can fill in the financial gap to fund her care.

Our goal is to move her into the home without having the financial roadblock that prevents her from getting the care she deserves. We are appreciative of any prayers or donations during this time. It was hard for us to reach out to the community for help, but we realized that sometimes we need to humble ourselves and ask for help from our friends and family.

Thank you, and God bless,

The Smith-Leidecker family.