Legal address after move to assisted living?

Question

Legal address after move to assisted living?

Follow

Share

Hi All

My dad is in assisted living. I’m his POA and manage all his bills etc. he cannot manage his affairs and is too disabled to get to his mailbox to get his mail. I have everything sent to me since I go see him maybe once a week.

Do I need to change his address with Medicaid and Medicare to reflect the address of the assisted living? All his documents have my address. It’s more convenient but I don’t want trouble. Could this be an issue and must I change the address? Thank you!

Power of Attorney (POA)

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.

21 Answers

Most
Helpful Newest
First Oldest
First

carolsmith1, ah yes, finding unopened mail on my Dad's desk and active bills in his wastepaper basket and in the recycling bin.

Since I had all of Dad's on-line accounts available, plus knowing the answers to his security questions, it was fairly easy to switch all his accounts to my home address.

Dad use to fuss whenever he got the monthly bill from the senior facility where he lived, so I had to keep after the facility to please please please mail it directly to me, and NO copies given to Dad. Otherwise Dad would start talking about moving out. Earth to facility, common sense here, folks :P

As for Medicaid, since each State manages their own Medicaid, it would be best to give them a call. As for Medicare, I believe I went on-line and at that time was able to give a "billing address" and a "residential address".

Helpful Answer (8)

Report

Thanks for this! After reading the question, I was also wondering how I would be able to change my Mom's address for Social Security if she moved to AL. You provided me with the answer as I also have all her on-line account information. Just went on SSA and changed her mailing address to mine in less than a minute!

(3)

Report

See 1 more reply

I think if you change his address with SS, Medicare will get the change. Medicaid should be informed but you should have gotten paperwork for next year and on that you would have put a change of address. I suggest that you ask both that mail comes to you. At Moms AL the PO came into the facility and filled the boxes. If a room no. wasn't on the envelope it would go in a pile. The facility would give them to the resident. I found them in Moms basket. I found a second request, never saw the first. Had a fight with the hospital they had to bill Mom at the AL because that was her resident even though I explained I paid the bills. Called their billing dept about something and was told there was no problem billing my address and changed it. 9

Helpful Answer (6)

Report

Nearly all the mail and important paperwork for my mother (e.g., Medicare, supplemental plans, SS, bank and brokerage statements) goes to my sister's address as she is POA. There are a few things that still go to the nursing home (e.g., one investment statement), and the process of changing these can be frustrating. Sometimes I think the worst cases of dementia are among the bureaucrats living OUTSIDE the nursing homes!

(4)

Report

I have my address for my dad because he can't deal with his mail.

Medicare told me it needs to be a viable address, one they can contact him at. I can call him if need be so they said it's good. They are concerned that the person has passed and they haven't been notified, that's the reason for them having an address.

I don't know about Medicaid but you can give them your address as mailing address and the AL as physical address.

This is very common in lots of situations.

Helpful Answer (6)

Report

I would call Medicaid and Medicare to discuss this. You can probably do it over the phone if you have POA.

Helpful Answer (3)

Report

When Dad could no longer handle his affairs (and prior to his being declared incompetent), Medicare, utilities, banks and most all other communications simply required me to provide them with a copy of Dad's POA. Some even accepted a .pdf copy via email attachment, but most required a physical copy. The VA never accepts POA, so I had to go through the VA custodian process to become VA fiduciary (get your county's VA office help with this, it's free). Finally, some financial institutions require use of their own forms, imprinted with their corporate name and drafted by their own corporate lawyers, to certify I could act on Dad's behalf. Forwarding documents and filling out forms is frustrating, but you can do it, even if only as each bill or statement comes in. I never dealt with Medicaid so I don't know how that works. But Social Security easily accepted Dad's POA.

Helpful Answer (3)

Report

50sChild, that's interesting. I just became Rep Payee for my mom for Social Security and was told, and read on the Social Security website that they don't recognize POA.

(3)

Report

I went through this earlier this year, after moving my parents into assisted living. Technically social security manages Medicare. Social Security will not change the address or do anything without the principal being involved. So either your dad has to be involved or you have To apply to become a representative payee in order to do things as simple as change their address.

Helpful Answer (3)

Report

This was the easiest Government part I was tasked to do.

1. Provide Mom's SS card
2. Provide my legal papers, my ID
3. New bank account for deposits
4. Answer a few questions
5. Sign
6. Done
Mom was not present for any of this. I was at Social Security office for 5 minutes. I waited longer to talk with the employee than getting everything arranged.

(1)

Report

keep it at your address. You are the POA. You make sure you are recognized by all government entities that you are.

Helpful Answer (2)

Report

Medicare and/or Medicaid should be advised of the change of residence for the elder, but mail should come to you, else the elder would get confused.

Helpful Answer (2)

Report

Joint bank account is easiest. Dad’s SS and pension are direct deposit and brother is on all accounts. Dad moved 3 states away so I could take care of him. Never changed a thing. His bills get paid, Mail gets forwarded to brother. House sold.
We both have POA but never needed it -the safe deposit box is a totally different story. My dad can’t get into it without a court order because mom passed away and it was joint. He will never get into it. Paperwork is impossible to complete for the bank to inventory the contents prior to the court ordering it emptied. It has taken months thus far. (New York) do yourself a favor and empty it if both names are on it. Once one person passes, it’s VERY hard for the remaining person to open it.

Helpful Answer (1)

Report

WT.....?
NY like CA should be cut out of the country...OHIO should have been given to the bad guy in the Patriot too.
I know that States have their government rules/laws, BUT just because the safety deposit box has more than 1 signer does not make it joint; it just means anyone who has signed on the record can get to the box at anytime the bank is open. NOW, 99.9% of "owners" as customers are referred, are allowed to get certain items out of the box when another dies. These items would be birth certificate and burial real estate papers. The BANK IS REQUIRED TO INVENTORY AS SOON AS THEY ARE NOTIFIED AN OWNER HAS DIED. It takes 2 bank officers and 1 of the signers to "list" all items in the box. These items will stay inside the box, bank turns the inventory to the State. Tax records are reviewed so if there are back taxes owed and there is anything of value to recover, then the State "claims" those items and everything else is released to the other signers. It should only take 2-6 weeks from start to finish. Yes, the box will be coded as a signer is deceased (black insert in the signer lock) so no one can get to the box until the State releases. Your Dad should be able to get to that box unless the State is holding for monies owed. The bank will redo the box contract and it's like nothing happened.
FYI PEOPLE.....IF you have a safety deposit box, DO NOT LET THE BANK KNOW THAT ONE OF THE SIGNERS HAS DIED. GET TO THE BOX. REMOVE "EVERYTHING". CLOSE THE BOX. COME BACK A DAY OR 2 LATER AND OPEN A NEW CONTRACT FOR A SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX.

***this is the way to beat the system***
I had to deal with this when I was in retail banking. GET THERE BEFORE THE BANK/STATE KNOWS.

IF the owner(s) are deceased, all you should need is a copy of the death certificate for the bank to verify with the State. I only had to deal with this twice.
1. Husband committed suicide in front of wife by drinking pool acid. We inventoried the box....OMG, this guy had 1 of the largest boxes we had....FULL OF GOLD INGOTS, GEMS, COINS

2. A brother came in to clear his brother's box and accounts. His brother was murdered at a restaurant he worked. After hours a fired employee came back to get his last pay check, killed this guy's brother and night manager.

Those contents belong to your Dad. Something doesn't smell right. Go to Cuomo for an answer and get Dad's stuff back.

REMEMBER....GET STUFF OUT, THEN LET BANK KNOW A SIGNER DIED. IT'S A SAD THING TO DO, BUT THINK ABOUT HOW YOU'RE SCREWING THE STATE OUT OF INHERITANCE LAWS, POSSIBLY BACK TAXES.

(0)

Report

Thank you all for taking the time to answer. You have given me a lot to think about. I was hoping the answer would be it did not matter but now I see there are things to think about, Much appreciated- you guys are the best!!

Legal address after move to assisted living?

21 Answers

Recent Questions

Popular Questions

Related Questions