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concerned6 Asked July 2013

My parents' home is falling apart and shouldn't even be lived in, they are living on social security only, can anything be done?

My dad is a veteran and not in good health, my mom takes care of him and my brothers and I do what we can, but the condition of their home is beyond what any of us are able to help with, mainly because of money issues. The floors are not safe and the roof leaks among many other problems... There has to be some kind of assistance out there.... I'm not sure where to start. Thank you.

3rdPup Dec 2013
My parents are in the same situation. Thankfully my sister and brother-n-law are building them an apartment, which should be done first of year. My mom is having many problems and we are trying to get them figured out (changing doctors, etc). We need a nurse to come in for awhile but we are afraid of letting others come into house. The bathroom is the worst room. Ceilings are leaking etc. My mother was born in this house. The upkeep wasn't done like it should've been. We looked around for assistance and in our area it was hard to find any help. I hope you found help.

vw9729 Jul 2013
If your dad is a veteran and not in good health, he may qualify for Aid and Attendance. Please check their website to see if he qualifies for any help, as well as your mom for DIC. Sometimes vets will also help with filling out the paperwork. Please check with your local vets or VFW to see if they can help find someone to help you with this. Good luck!!

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ann1958 Jul 2013
My MIL took out a reverse mortgage and she loved it. The problem with equity loans is you have to pay back a certain amount each month, and if you are already having difficulty with your bills, that may not be the best answer. With a reverse mortgage it doesn't come due until you move out of the house or die. Certainly look into charitable organizations that may be willing to help first. But if you can't find the help they need, you may want to research reverse mortgages.

geewiz Jul 2013
Perhaps Habitat for humanity can help or a reverse mortgage could provide funds.

socialworker1 Jul 2013
Check with your local Area on Aging. They can certainly help you!

Nansacola Jul 2013
Call the city hall of the town they live in. Most cities have grant programs from the US Government to help the elderly and poor make repairs to their houses.

JessieBelle Jul 2013
There are only two things I can think of. Sometimes churches do charitable things for elderly people. Maybe someone could put them on a church's list of things to consider. The other thing depends on if they own their home. If they do, they may be able to take out a home equity loan for enough money to do the repairs. The loan would have to be sizable -- roofs are expensive and floors even more so. If you go this route, be sure to go on Angie's List to hire the right people. I don't know what I would do without Angie's List.

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