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My mom, sister & myself have various bank and financial accounts. Even tho my account contains only my earnings, I added my sis & mom to my accounts in the event of an emergency. My mom & sis have done the same with their accounts. It is now time to place Mom in a SNF that accepts Medicaid when personal funds are depleted. We plan to give the nursing home only the financial info that contain my mom's money. Can they take money from accounts that have her name but none of her actual income? Sis & I are worried!

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Hmm that is a good question.
When you are reporting Mom's financial info to Medicaid during the application process, just provide them with her accounts and her assets and her income.
They will be able to cross-check with IRS and Social Security records and will know what her income is. You do not have to reveal that her name is on any accounts of yours or your sister's, as long as you have not co-mingled funds. However, considering the circumstances, perhaps now is a good time to remove your mother's name from your account. It's not likely she will be paying bills on your behalf or need to access your funds.

Are your mother and sister only signers on your accounts? Or Joint owners?
This would also be a good time to sit down and talk with a banker and make sure your sister is a signer on the account, but not actually an owner.
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Reply to CaringWifeAZ
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jbgeyer Apr 23, 2026
I'm assuming I would not apply to Medicaid until Mom's funds were gone and by that time the only accounts with her name on them would be those belonging to my sister and myself and this is where we are concerned. I believe making any changes to our accounts now would send red flag to Medicaid and disqualify Mom from benefits.
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You should consult an Elder Law attorney with Medicaid experience in your state. It will be worth an hour of his or her paid time to avoid potentially much more expensive mistakes. Bring all of the account information including recent statements with you, to save time. I hope you're able to sort it out without complications.
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Reply to MG8522
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Consult with a lawyer.
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Reply to JustAnon
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Yes, you acct will be considered Moms too. All you may need to do is prove Mom is on it for the reason you say. Her money is not comingled with yours. Statements will show that only your SS and pension are being deposited and only your bills are being paid.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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I would be scared too. Taxes, insurance, etc…. they all want MORE than they should get from all of us. I agree that you should just take your Mom off as a signer on your account ASAP. It is YOUR money, and they need to keep their paws off!

Best of luck to you!
🙏❤️🍀
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