<prompt> Human: This board has been so helpful in the past I thought I would ask for some additional help. My 94 yr old grandmother broke her hip and is being moved to a nursing home this week. She has 65,000 in cash and has been told in order to qualify for Medicaid she needs to spend that down to 2,000.The home costs 11,000 per month and she makes 2,000 per month with her pension. Were on the hook for paying this for 2 months. So right there we spent 18,000.She has been told shell never walk again on her own, but otherwise is in remarkably good health. Eating right, gaining weight, laughs and is in generally good spirits. I estimate shell be around for another 3-5 years which is great. The only catch with spending the money is that it has to be for her benefit. She is not allowed a microwave, a recliner or curtains. Otherwise everything else is fair game. Other than pjs, sheets, diapers, and a new TV we are kind of short in figuring out ways to constructively spend down the money. Im sure this group would have some great suggestions.also and Im not sure about this but there is a reasonable test from the Medicaid board. Like we can go out and buy 50,000 diamond earnings and call it a day  <response>: This whole scheme sounds insane. How about she pays for her own surgery does she have insurance? and then has some left over instead of spending frivolously?That said, it sort of makes sense to pay for funeral expenses, will, etc. When it gets too crazy though, time to re-examine why the taxpayers created Medicaid in the first place hint: not so that old ladies can buy jewelry before major surgeries. 