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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?
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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.
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Tax or Medicaid question? Either way, I would expect the relevant organisations to provide exactly the information you're looking for online, on their websites.
A parent can give a child (or anyone else) any amount they wish. Above a certain level there will be tax consequences. Any gifts at all within five years before applying for Medicaid will have eligibility consequences.
As CM says, you should be able to find the tax information online. Perhaps the IRS site would be helpful.
THERE IS NO SAFE AMOUNT TO GIFT ANYONE ELSE IF MEDICAID IS GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN CARE OF A PERSON WITHIN 5 YEARS. The main reason anyone on this site asks this question that I've seen in 7 years of posting is to "keep Medicaid from getting Mom's money". People confuse the ability to gift money with IRS/federal/state/inheritance tax consequences versus the ability to gift money to someone with Medicaid look-back consequences. If a person gifts money to children and applies for Medicaid, Medicaid requests five YEARS of bank statements, the award letters for current year's social security/pensions/annuity in payout status, federal and state income tax returns, property tax statements, a list of current medical expenditures and hospital stays with supporting documents from health insurance and prescription management. If there have been checks written, it will show up. If property has been sold or transferred, it will be discovered as state and federal databases all dovetail together. As you have to re-certify eligibility anywhere from every 6 months to every 2 years depending on the state, it's not worth taking the chance. Medicaid gifting causes a transfer penalty. It is calculated by taking the amount that the state would pay for a Medicaid bed per day. Example: Medicaid pays $150 per day for bed. Mom gave you $15,000 gift within the 5 year window. Mom is assessed a $15,000 transfer penalty. This means that Medicaid will NOT pay a dime for Mom's care for 100 (one hundred DAYS). And as a poster elsewhere on the site found out, if you are admitted Medicaid pending and Medicaid is denied due to transfer penalty, the nursing home still wants to be paid. And can evict your parent for non-payment, have the state seek guardianship, and then you will have to explain where the gifted money went and whether you took advantage of a vulnerable senior to fraudulently apply for Medicaid. Check with an elder care attorney in your state experienced with Medicaid. If there is any ability to move money into annuity, or spend down on safe items like funeral etc., the lawyer can help you navigate the waters safely if Mom has enough money to ask the question. Also, be careful that a person with dementia is not gifting if other siblings are involved or you are the power of attorney for the person. APS takes a dim view of people writing themselves checks from a bank account of a vulnerable elder.
This is way more complex than we can give you here. If you are on SSI, there are specific rules about money that is received as a gift and how it affects your SSI benefit. SSDI has different but equally complex rules about unearned money that is received and its spend down rules. If you are on Medicaid and receive a gift that is not spent down within a calendar month, it could make you ineligible if your assets go above your state's limits. And if your parent that is gifting does need Medicaid within 5 years (you may not expect it now, but I know from experience that 1 fall or stroke or cancer diagnosis and all planning goes out the window, my mother in law who was living at home 6 months ago and is in skilled nursing facility now is a perfect example). If a parent has money to gift to you and you are on disability, seek out an attorney that is experienced in special needs trusts and elder care/disability law. It would be terrible if a generous thought caused both you and sibling to lose SSI or other benefits.
Parents can (and should) pay the going rate for room and board and care without that being considered a gift at all. A care agreement should be drawn up to make this clear.
An attorney who specializes in Elder Law can help you set this up in a way that will be most advantageous to your parent and you and sis. For example, should parent pay only for room and board, or should some be considered payment for care. If you accept payment for care, what does that do to SSI benefits? Yes, lawyers are expensive, but making a mistake in this regard could be very costly.
Jeanne, the biggest problem in having a care agreement on disability is the possibility that it will invalidate whatever condition you got disability with. You can have a sharing expenses agreement, but again you might make yourself ineligible for Medicaid or reduce amount paid for SSI or SSDI with the expenses being split. Yep, check with a lawyer to prevent any problems.
My brother, on disability, got paid for housecleaning for our mother. He is now doing some caregiving for a person with mobility problems. He keeps his income below the limits for disability. He couldn't work full-time (both for benefit and stamina reasons) but a few hours a week works well.
Getting paid for caregiving also presents some issues regarding employment taxes. (My brother is paid by the county and taxes are withheld.) So ...
My parent is living with me 6 months out of 12 and the other sibling the other 6. This was not a medicaid question. It was the "gift" in question due to taxes. My sibling and I are both on disability.....
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.
As CM says, you should be able to find the tax information online. Perhaps the IRS site would be helpful.
People confuse the ability to gift money with IRS/federal/state/inheritance tax consequences versus the ability to gift money to someone with Medicaid look-back consequences.
If a person gifts money to children and applies for Medicaid, Medicaid requests five YEARS of bank statements, the award letters for current year's social security/pensions/annuity in payout status, federal and state income tax returns, property tax statements, a list of current medical expenditures and hospital stays with supporting documents from health insurance and prescription management. If there have been checks written, it will show up. If property has been sold or transferred, it will be discovered as state and federal databases all dovetail together. As you have to re-certify eligibility anywhere from every 6 months to every 2 years depending on the state, it's not worth taking the chance. Medicaid gifting causes a transfer penalty. It is calculated by taking the amount that the state would pay for a Medicaid bed per day. Example: Medicaid pays $150 per day for bed. Mom gave you $15,000 gift within the 5 year window. Mom is assessed a $15,000 transfer penalty. This means that Medicaid will NOT pay a dime for Mom's care for 100 (one hundred DAYS). And as a poster elsewhere on the site found out, if you are admitted Medicaid pending and Medicaid is denied due to transfer penalty, the nursing home still wants to be paid. And can evict your parent for non-payment, have the state seek guardianship, and then you will have to explain where the gifted money went and whether you took advantage of a vulnerable senior to fraudulently apply for Medicaid. Check with an elder care attorney in your state experienced with Medicaid. If there is any ability to move money into annuity, or spend down on safe items like funeral etc., the lawyer can help you navigate the waters safely if Mom has enough money to ask the question.
Also, be careful that a person with dementia is not gifting if other siblings are involved or you are the power of attorney for the person. APS takes a dim view of people writing themselves checks from a bank account of a vulnerable elder.
An attorney who specializes in Elder Law can help you set this up in a way that will be most advantageous to your parent and you and sis. For example, should parent pay only for room and board, or should some be considered payment for care. If you accept payment for care, what does that do to SSI benefits? Yes, lawyers are expensive, but making a mistake in this regard could be very costly.
My brother, on disability, got paid for housecleaning for our mother. He is now doing some caregiving for a person with mobility problems. He keeps his income below the limits for disability. He couldn't work full-time (both for benefit and stamina reasons) but a few hours a week works well.
Getting paid for caregiving also presents some issues regarding employment taxes. (My brother is paid by the county and taxes are withheld.) So ...
See a lawyer!