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I am 24/7 bathing, meals, diaper changes, meds, errands, bill pays, I do it all. I have taken care of dad 24/7 since7/013. I am now POA with reasonable compensation clause. Dad can only feed himself since June. I don't sleep at night because he pushes the button for snacks and liquids. Every area of his life minus feeding himself is done by me. He can't walk, bathe or anything and I give meds through the night as well, service his car, pay bills, take to the doctors visits when he's able and coordinate all medical care. I do laundry 4 times a day because he is incontnent. I have no income and can not work because he has taken all my time since 7/2013. How does POA get reimbursed this for this?

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Your dad pays you. If he can afford to, then you need to put together a care contract. If he can't afford to pay you, then you should look at Medicaid and full-time custodial care for him; I.e., a nursing home.

If he can do nothing for himself but feed himself, I can't even IMAGINE how one person could take care of him. Impossible, in my opinion.

Get rid of that button at night. He won't even get that attention in a nursing home.
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Caregiver, you must not negotiate with yourself to determine what you will be paid. Get the attorney that prepared your dad's douments to negotiate with you. Talk to him first, he will probably suggest someone come in to do a geriatric assessment on your dad to determine level of care needed. Then attorney will prepare a care agreement. Just follow the appropriate steps so you do not end up in a situation of financial exploitation being suspected. Watch your back and think about how this might appear to the most vindictive sorts of people!
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Your kindness is soo appreciated, your advice is too.
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Llamalover47: I was directly answering the original poster's question and providing general suggestions to her about how she could get paid. The original poster didn't state anything about how much money the father has, so it's unknown if he could afford to help out financially or not.

If someone has a "pauper" parent, then they should definitely be looking into their state's Medicaid programs for either in-home care or long-term care in a facility. If a parent is very low income, they might be able to get the care they need and not have to pay a dime for it. The family member could potentially be paid by the state to care for the family member.
Conversely, some people do have enough income that they can pay a family member privately in exchange for care. Unfortunately, there aren't many options for care other than Medicaid unless someone can afford to pay for care. I don't think that a family member, as in this caregiver's situation, should be expected to give up their own lives. income and health to provide the level of heavy, 24/7 care this caregiver is providing. It's just not healthy and sustainable for one person to do all of that. Yes, our parents raised us and provided for us, but raising a child is a whole different situation than caring for an elderly, ailing parent.
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Caregiverhelp, frequflyer is right on. You will get exhausted and resentful if you aren't already. Even the professional CNA helpers will only work in shifts with days off in between. My sister helps me with both my parents now, and a CNA, and I still have so many demands on me. At least I can delegate dad's bathing and toileting. It's hard to change the routine and train someone who never stays very long because it's hard work and my mom is mean. Hard to find the time to deal with all the legal issues. Best wishes to you and your husband.
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Also if your dad was a Veteran during any time of war (even 1 day while in the states counts) then he may be eligible for care benefits as well. There are income requirements etc. but it's fairly substantial (like up to $1700/mo or so depending on the medical expense and his income/assets).
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Caregiverhelp...wow ur one of the lucky few...ur dad has money to put him in in a nice facility! Everyone feels guilty...but ur life will be nonexistent soon! You say your married...you wont be soon! Take care of yourself and let ur dads money pay for his care....asap!!
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In addition to the advice already provided, you should also consider contacting your local Office for the Aging and/or Disability Resource Center. Under certain circumstances, Medicaid and other sources of funding for in-home services can pay for what is called "consumer-directed" home care. This allows the care recipient to hire their own aid, and in some states, children who are unable to work because they are caring for their parent are eligible to be paid through these sources. If your father is not on Medicaid, you may still be able to get some relief, as the Older Americans Act provides some funding to support caregivers.
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I am married to one who has had a lot of health issues and with vascular dementia she needs more then I can give alone in the independant living location. She wanted to more to ALF last October. Since losing my professional license she is cared for by me as a caregiver advocate. I take her to all of her appointments and take care of all the finances. SO, doing this alone is almost more then one person can do. I have a hobby so that is helpful and the wood shop is just across the driveway from where she lives. No family here to support me except by phone. Each person has to make their own decisions with God's guidance. We have done that and generally are pleased to know that she is well cared for.
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As a professional who works with Family Caregivers, I always worry when a caregiver provides 24/7 care. Even if you do get paid, either by your dad or by the state you're in through a Medicaid in-home personal care program, you are still there 24/7, without any help in sight. I would really recommend looking into whether your state has a Family Caregiver Support Program- a program like this can provide extra support for you with possible services like classes, counseling services, training, support groups, respite care... each program varies, so I'd really recommend looking into what your area has to offer.

So, what I'm seeing is that you have a few options to consider:
1. Arrange for dad to pay you for the care you are doing- there have been several responses here with great advice, such as seeking the help of an attorney to write up a care contract. This option is not ideal, because although you'd be getting some income for all the work you're doing, it's not giving you any practical, day-to-day help or any breaks.
2. Help dad hire a home care agency caregiver or individual to come in at least for a few hours per day, or several hours per week. You deserve a break!
3. Look into your state's programs for long-term care. Many states have programs that can provide care in the home, either with a state-paid caregiver, agency or an approved family member, such as yourself (must pass background check and obtain a certain level of training).
3. Look into options for long-term-care placement. It seems as though your dad's care is getting very intense and overwhelming, and at some point you just cannot be expected to provide a nursing-home level of care in your own home without any help. This is why 40% of caregivers die before their care receivers do. I'm unfortunately not exaggerating when I say this situation could LITERALLY be killing you!
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