Joanna,
I am still dizzy from surgery and did not notice that your mother is 72. She can qualify for SSI without being disabled if her income/assets are low enough. Legal services used to help with these matters but I don't know if they do anymore. Any independent living center or organization for the elderly should be able to tell you what it takes to qualify. If her assets are significant you would need an attorney to set up a special needs trust. Monies can be paid out of the trust for living expenses and not affect the SSI check. If you need the name of such an attorney I can probably find one for you as I know several disabled persons who have set them up. Of course the attorneys charge a couple of thousand bucks to do this. Let me know.
best, marta
-- Marta Russell Los Angeles, CA www.disweb.org