I took my 83 yr old mother to her hair dresser a few days ago, and a woman who works there commented "that I should look into social security paying me, for taking care of my parents." She claims she has a neighbor who was paid by the feds, in order to take care of her elderly parents. The hair dresser lady said, "that the Federal Government would rather pay you; to take care of your parents, then to run up medicare charges for nursing home fees."
This doesn't seem possible to me, so I thought I would ask the experts here? I live in north east IL, if that plays into the equation with social security? As as side note, I have been taking care of my parents full time since 2006. My mom is 83, and my dad is 84. I had to quite my job in 2006 into order to care for them full time.
Any input on the matter is appreciated!
Thanks,
Bill
Sounds like you would need to look outside of the government coffers to find someone to take care of your Mom while you have foot surgery.... other relatives, friends, church, and try your local council on aging for suggestions.
If your parent is on Medicaid, sorry but Medicaid won't pay a relative for home care as it is less expensive for said parent to be placed in a nursing home then pay 3 shifts of 8 hours each or 2 shifts of 12 hours each for around the clock care.
It would be great if there were funds to pay every grown child or grandchild who is a Caregiver for their parents/grandparents, but where would all that money come from? It would mean raising all our payroll taxes, income taxes, sale taxes and property taxes to sky high levels.
Thanks for the replies to my post! I will look into the posted links.
Regards,
BillS72
Thank you for submitting this question on our website. We appreciate your involvement in our caregiving community.
There are two great article written by AgingCare.com Editor’s that were already posted in our community. We thought this might answer your caregiving question.
LINK:
“10 Government Programs You Can Access for Your Elderly Parents.”
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/10-Government-Programs-Caregivers-Can-Access-for-Their-Elderly-Parents-120513.htm
and
“How Can I Get Paid for taking Care of My Elderly Parents?”
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/how-to-get-paid-for-being-a-caregiver-135476.htm
We hope this helps. Please let us know if you need anything else and we look forward to seeing more questions and discussions from you.
Thank you,
Karie H.
The AgingCare.com Team
Oh if only that were true!!! It should be - and perhaps one day it will be.
But in truth most caregivers take on their parents care for no compensation, and in fact spend a good deal of their own funds making sure our parents have what they need. Some of us quit our jobs, lose our insurance, and end up impoverished taking care of our elders.
Make the calls to your counties DFCS or Aging Agency - find out what is available. Perhaps Meals on Wheels would save some money if Mom qualifies, or food stamps - every little bit helps, and you won't know if you don't ask.
Although the Social Security Act provides benefits for many circumstances, it does not provide funding of benefits for caregivers of elderly recipients, not even when the caregiver is the adult child of the beneficiary. Representatives of the Social Security Administration suggest that you contact social services agencies in your community if you need assistance in finding resources that make it possible for you to care for your elderly parent.
Supplemental Security Income
Supplemental Security Income, although administered through the SSA, is not paid with Social Security taxes. Funding for SSI comes from U.S. Treasury general funds. SSI makes payments to low-income people with few resources, who are 65 or older, blind or disabled. If your parent qualifies for SSI benefits, which are paid in addition to Social Security benefits in specific circumstances, this may provide an income source that would allow you to properly care for your elderly parent.
SSI Income and Resource Limits
SSI income limits are based partially on your state of residence. In each state, the income level fluctuates from year to year, and the SSA sets the limit. Your elderly parent may qualify for SSI if his income and resources fall below prescribed levels. For purposes of qualifying for SSI, the agency counts real estate, bank accounts, cash, stocks and bonds as resources. Resources are limited to $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. Your parent's home, life insurance valued at $1,500 or less in most cases, your parent's vehicle; burial plots for your parent and immediate family; and $1,500 in burial funds for your parent are not counted against your parent's resource total