My spouse's parent is in their mid 90's, mentally competent. Spouse's sibling gets large chunks of money from parent, at least 10K over past year or so, that we have documented proof of. The ssib is not computer literate, so we have kept tabs on a 3 way checking acct. my spouse & their sib has w/ the parent. Accidentally discovered a check to sib & have followed since.
Parent doing okay, but twice in past year came close to nursing home status.
My question--if spouse's sib would decease (we live in a filial obligation state) would my spouse then be financially responsible for parent, even tho' the sibling got all that (and probably more) money gifted to them?
Thanks in advance. Guess I think of goofy things when in the shower.
This site has excellent resources and links to guide you through this learning process.
There was recently a case in Pennsylvania where a single child was held solely responsible for his mother's nursing home bill despite the fact this child had several siblings who were also financially sound and could have helped pay. This site also has a couple links worth following: http://www.nextavenue.org/article/2012-07/could-you-be-forced-pay-moms-nursing-home-bill
Check to be sure that the sibling hasn't somehow gotten Durable Power of Attorney. This could be a nightmare for not only you and your spouse, but for the parent as well. If the sibling has gotten DPOA, that means the sibling has complete control over ALL LEGAL MATTERS for the parent, including being able to wipe out the parent's finances and with little legal recourse for the family members. Talk to the parent and see what is going on. Time is of the essence here! Please talk to an Elder Care Attorney promptly to avoid any pitfalls you might find yourself in.