Find Senior Care (City or Zip)
Join Now Log In
M
MAFlatt Asked April 2019

Common practice for senior living facilities?

I signed papers as POA for my dad to move into a new facility memory care on December 10 with a planned move on December 15. On December 12 my dad was found unresponsive, was taken to the hospital and passed on January 17 in hospice care. I notified the facility in December 13 that we would not be able to move. I never received a key nor was anything moved into the facility. On December 17 I met with the admin and the $2000 community fee was returned to me. Imagine my shock the first part of January when I received an $11,000 bill. I contacted the facility and they said not to worry about it because sometimes corporate is not on the same page. I got another bill in February for $3900. I wrote to corporate and explained the situation. I never heard anything until March when I received a bill for $3900 plus’s $500 in late fees. I called the facility and asked for some help with this. They never called be back. Instead I received a call from a debt collector. I explained that I was at the hospital with my husband who had been brought in with a stroke. Two weeks later, the day after my husband passed, they called again and were very rude but told me to send in documentation as to why I thought I didn’t owe the money. I sent a timeline with documentation. Now a month later a get a letter saying I owed the money. My past experience with senior facilities has been that the clock doesn’t start ticking until you move something in. Thoughts??

JoAnn29 Apr 2019
As a POA you are not responsible for the debt. Working with a collection agency is mute. You need to contact the billing department of the facility which may be at another location. Explain your initial fee was returned because Dad never moved in because he was taken to the hospital and passed there. You may need to send a death certificate. Tell them you are not personally responsible responsible for the bill. (3900 sounds like the half month). You may end up having to pay for this from Dads estate. If no money then no payment. If the AL is no help, you need to make the collection agency aware that you are not responsible for this as POA. They can bill the "Estate of" but they are not to call you again in regards to the debt. The bill will be paid as soon as it can be determined who gets paid and in order of debt. The oldest being the first paid. If you hear from them again, you will consider it harassment and report them to the FTC.

The billing department has to tell you why you are being charged. The collection company does not have this info, just the amt they feel is owed,

ADVERTISEMENT

Ask a Question

Subscribe to
Our Newsletter