Find Senior Care (City or Zip)
Join Now Log In
B
BKleinpeter Asked March 2014

Daughter unable to work due to her responsibilities taking care of her father with cancer and mother with dementia. Can she get paid?

If a daughter in her 40's is unable to work due to her responsibilities taking constant care of her father with cancer who is undergoing cancer treatments, as well as, her mother which has dementia. Is there a service, Medicare or Medicaid, which will pay for her services?

sunflo2 Mar 2014
She can contact her local aging center or senior services and they can help answer some questions. I suggest that if her parents can afford, that she draw up a legal employment agreement oiling care duties, hrs, wages, healthcare, vacation, 401k, etc. YES she is the daughter however she is giving up prime earning years to care for her parents and those wages and benefits can't necessarily be made up. Further she may become ill and/or need for parents to go to respite care or hire outside care if she is on vacation or out sick.

Lastly, please consider that daughter can't count on inheritance or estate -- one or both parents could have to move to skilled care and this will quickly eat up the estate such that she may end up with nothing much for her years invested in their care.

I don't like to sound callous, but their are countless posters here who have provided care to loved ones and then can't stay in house (can't afford to keep it) or can't find employment, don't have healthcare, retirement money, etc.

Might be better if she works and hires care for parents and she just helps as she can.

BKleinpeter Mar 2014
They are in Louisiana. Does it make a difference?

ADVERTISEMENT


BKleinpeter Mar 2014
I will let her know. She has no idea how to go about it or even who to ask. Thanks for responding.

pamstegma Mar 2014
There is VA Aid and Attendance if one of them was a wartime veteran. A few states have waiver programs, but I don't know what state you are in. And of course, the services have to be ordered by their MD. Check your county senior services office.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ask a Question

Subscribe to
Our Newsletter