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Who are you caring for?
Which best describes their mobility?
How well are they maintaining their hygiene?
How are they managing their medications?
Does their living environment pose any safety concerns?
Fall risks, spoiled food, or other threats to wellbeing
Are they experiencing any memory loss?
Which best describes your loved one's social life?
Acknowledgment of Disclosures and Authorization
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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Mostly Independent
Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
Remember, this assessment is not a substitute for professional advice.
Share a few details and we will match you to trusted home care in your area:
Go on your state Web site and look for aging services. Under that you should get a contact for local services. If your grandmother is on Medicaid, there may be a way for you to get some pay, so these people may be able to help you. Many of these programs are locally administered. Carol
As you can imagine, this is a very common scenario and unfortunately there is not much help for those in your circumstances. When caregivers say or feel they need to be compensated for care they are providing it is usually because they are feeling undue financial hardship, not because they feel they "deserve" to be paid.
At the 10,000 foot level there are really only two programs that may help you. Many states now have a Medicaid Waiver program called "Cash and Counseling" or some variant thereof. When participating in this program the recipient is given more direct control in obtaining services and may, in fact, include payment to a family member as part of their care plan. As Carol suggested, your state's equivalent of Department of Elder Affairs will have information.
The other program that may be of help will only apply if grandmother or her spouse was a veteran. The VA Aid and Attendance Improved Pension will provide cash payment directly to grandmother. With this payment she is free to hire anyone, including a family member for her care.
Lastly, and again as Carol mentioned, local resources can be extremely important. Keep this in mind: it may be possible to replace services you are now spending grandmother's money on with other services that are lower cost or free. Saving cash means more money available for other things like possibly compensating you at least to some degree.
For example, will she qualify for meals on wheels? Does she receive help for her Part B premium (that would save $96.50 per month) is she receiving extra help for prescription drugs (this could potentially save hundreds per month), should she apply for home based Medicaid services which would provide some home care to provide respite for you or give you time to find employment for a few hours per week.
Caring for a loved one in difficult financial circumstances requires creativity and ingenuity. I would also suggest joining a caregiver support group either locally or on line. You will be surprised what you will learn and how common your experience is.
When taxes get complicated for caregiving, I always suggest a CPA. I know this sounds expensive, but it's less apt to bring on an audit.
It could be your dad doesn't make enough even with the VA help to file, but you may want to get an opinion on that. I am a fan of having a CPA sign off on all but the most simple tax forms. Carol
If you Grandfather was a Wartime Veteran, you can apply for Aid and Attendance from the VA. This is a pension that will reimburse your Grandmother for medical expenses. You charge her as a home care aide and she then gets reimbursed from the VA. The math has to work out, but it usually works. There are many great resources to learn about it, but if anyone tries to charge you a fee for assistance, hang up on them, it is illegal to charge for this type of assistance.
Best of luck, Emily Schwarz Veterans Financial, Inc.
VA Basic pension, Homebound pension, and Aid and Attendance pension are tax-free benefits and do not have to be reported as income to HIM (the veteran).
If, however, he is paying YOU to care for him that is a different matter. If the child or other person only provides caregiving services to the parent or to one person only, and does not provide such services to others, they are considered an employee of the care receiver, not an independent contractor.
As such, the caregiver and the care receiver must pay relevant FICA, FUTA, and income taxes. Its really not that complicated. Go to IRS.gov and all of the relevant forms, instructions are there.
Of course, H&R Block or the equivalent for $75 is not a bad deal for headache prevention.
Respectfully, I must disagree with Emily's assertion that it is "illegal" to charge a veteran for counsel, advice, or recommendations about obtaining Aid and Attendance Improved Pension benefits or, for that matter, any VA benefit.
While it is true that it illegal to charge a veteran for the physical completion and filing of an application for VA compensation and pension (the "preparation and prosecution" of a claim) before initial denial of that claim, it is perfectly legal, and in fact the VA sanctions, charging for services that include the pre-filing "...review of records, research, and counseling that a potential VA claimant might need."
With respect to charging for the actual completion of the application and the filing of same, the VA states very clearly that charging for the services mentioned above and then preparing and filing the claim on a pro bono basis is perfectly legal and legitimate.
Some feel this is a "gray" area but nothing could be further from the truth...which happens to be that the Chief Counsel of the VA has ruled on this and the facts are as I have stated above.
This may seem like a small distinction but it is a huge one when one considers that a great majority of those offering "free" VA pension assistance are being compensated by providers (such as home health care agencies and assisted living facilities) who ultimately charge the client (with or without disclosure) or, are insurance agents who will only be paid by commission if they sell the veteran or tier family a financial product.
No judgment as to which model is preferable, but those who need advice on these matters should know that fee based consulting is a legal, very viable option and may be less expensive, and perhaps more effective, in a given circumstance (particularly where Medicaid, VA, and personal resources will be combined to provide funding for a continuum of care).
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
Carol
At the 10,000 foot level there are really only two programs that may help you. Many states now have a Medicaid Waiver program called "Cash and Counseling" or some variant thereof. When participating in this program the recipient is given more direct control in obtaining services and may, in fact, include payment to a family member as part of their care plan. As Carol suggested, your state's equivalent of Department of Elder Affairs will have information.
The other program that may be of help will only apply if grandmother or her spouse was a veteran. The VA Aid and Attendance Improved Pension will provide cash payment directly to grandmother. With this payment she is free to hire anyone, including a family member for her care.
Lastly, and again as Carol mentioned, local resources can be extremely important. Keep this in mind: it may be possible to replace services you are now spending grandmother's money on with other services that are lower cost or free. Saving cash means more money available for other things like possibly compensating you at least to some degree.
For example, will she qualify for meals on wheels? Does she receive help for her Part B premium (that would save $96.50 per month) is she receiving extra help for prescription drugs (this could potentially save hundreds per month), should she apply for home based Medicaid services which would provide some home care to provide respite for you or give you time to find employment for a few hours per week.
Caring for a loved one in difficult financial circumstances requires creativity and ingenuity. I would also suggest joining a caregiver support group either locally or on line. You will be surprised what you will learn and how common your experience is.
It could be your dad doesn't make enough even with the VA help to file, but you may want to get an opinion on that. I am a fan of having a CPA sign off on all but the most simple tax forms.
Carol
Best of luck,
Emily Schwarz
Veterans Financial, Inc.
If, however, he is paying YOU to care for him that is a different matter. If the child or other person only provides caregiving services to the parent or to one person only, and does not provide such services to others, they are considered an employee of the care receiver, not an independent contractor.
As such, the caregiver and the care receiver must pay relevant FICA, FUTA, and income taxes. Its really not that complicated. Go to IRS.gov and all of the relevant forms, instructions are there.
Of course, H&R Block or the equivalent for $75 is not a bad deal for headache prevention.
Carol
Respectfully, I must disagree with Emily's assertion that it is "illegal" to charge a veteran for counsel, advice, or recommendations about obtaining Aid and Attendance Improved Pension benefits or, for that matter, any VA benefit.
While it is true that it illegal to charge a veteran for the physical completion and filing of an application for VA compensation and pension (the "preparation and prosecution" of a claim) before initial denial of that claim, it is perfectly legal, and in fact the VA sanctions, charging for services that include the pre-filing "...review of records, research, and counseling that a potential VA claimant might need."
With respect to charging for the actual completion of the application and the filing of same, the VA states very clearly that charging for the services mentioned above and then preparing and filing the claim on a pro bono basis is perfectly legal and legitimate.
Some feel this is a "gray" area but nothing could be further from the truth...which happens to be that the Chief Counsel of the VA has ruled on this and the facts are as I have stated above.
This may seem like a small distinction but it is a huge one when one considers that a great majority of those offering "free" VA pension assistance are being compensated by providers (such as home health care agencies and assisted living facilities) who ultimately charge the client (with or without disclosure) or, are insurance agents who will only be paid by commission if they sell the veteran or tier family a financial product.
No judgment as to which model is preferable, but those who need advice on these matters should know that fee based consulting is a legal, very viable option and may be less expensive, and perhaps more effective, in a given circumstance (particularly where Medicaid, VA, and personal resources will be combined to provide funding for a continuum of care).