Never dip into your own money for this! Any social worker will tell you that!

Lousey - If you have a home health care provider, call your case worker. They will have a social worker call and visit if need be. Your doctor should be able to give you the names of providers if you don't already have one.

How do I get help from a social worker?

In a perfect world splitting the costs should just be a given. In the real world, my husband and I are happy to provide whatever Mother needs without assistance from the sibs. They bring little treats and maybe a take out meal for her on the weekend.

I cannot imagine their reaction to our suggesting they may want to contribute financially. This would make the situation too real for a couple of grown women who can't even discuss long term care options.

Good luck getting your siblings to put in a dime. A month before my father became psychotic, my brother and his wife were bragging that they were rich. (really). I suggested we all split the cost of care, they tried to swing a deal for the family cabin!