Would it be possible for me to take a job if the Agency on Aging says my mom can't be left alone and nobody else can cover the hours?

SGeorge, please read the article posted, especially the paragraph towards the bottom that says, [a Life Estate is ]..." a way to protect the home from Medicaid estate recovery. If a person needs care and is eligible to receive Medicaid, the government may try to recover the costs of the care from their estate once they pass away. A life estate can protect the home from being included in the Medicaid recovery process as it immediately passes to the remainderman." Please consult an elder law attorney now to clarify what your legal options are.

You need to contact an Elder Care Attorney for advice at this point. There's only so much a forum of non experts can advise you on. You have rights too, regardless of what your mom wants and doesn't want to do! Find out what they are!
Best of luck

To answer your question, no you cannot take a job and leave your mom all by herself. Not right now anyway. Not until you get the caregiver situation worked out, for the hours you would be at work. Your mom is a fall risk and she now has dementia/Alzheimer's. Do you honestly think that you would be able to do your job properly, while you'd be wondering if mom was ok at home or not? If you are mom's durable and medical POA, and she has been diagnosed with dementia/Alzheimer's, then you should be able to place her in the appropriate facility whether she agrees or not. You must do what's best for her and for you, as her safety should be your number one priority. Best wishes.

It's possible you have more options than you think, since YOU own the home, not your mom. source: https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/life-estate#:~:text=A%20life%20estate%20deed%20permits,automatically%20transferred%20to%20the%20beneficiary. What Is A Life Estate? A life estate is something to consider during estate planning. When an owner of a home signs a life estate, they are in effect passing part of the ownership of a home to another person. This could be thought of as a way to pregift your home to your heirs while still retaining joint ownership. You�ll often find life estates used for homes, but they can be used for any type of real property � land, and anything attached to the land. Life Estate Deed A life estate deed permits the property owner to have full use of their property until their death, at which point the ownership of the property is automatically transferred to the beneficiary. These deeds are typically created when a person wants to pass a piece of property to an heir without the need for a will or for the process of probate after they pass away. In the right situations, it can be a streamlined and easy way to transfer ownership. How Does A Life Estate Work? Life estates create a sort of legal joint ownership of a piece of property. For example, let�s say a mother wants to pass her home to her son when she passes away. She decides to use a life estate to make the transaction smoother. She (the mother) would establish a life estate for her home, which would make her the life tenant and her son the remainderman or beneficiary. She can continue to live in her home for the remainder of her life if she chooses to and is responsible for making property tax and insurance payments. While it doesn�t sound like much has changed, it has. As a life tenant, the mom no longer has full control over her house. She�ll need to get approval from her son to make large changes like selling it or taking out a mortgage. She also can�t revoke the life estate without his consent, so it�s important for her to make sure it�s the right solution for her family. Upon her death, the house title would be immediately passed to her son, the remainderman. Rather than going through probate, the only thing that would need to be done to pass ownership is to file her death certificate. Why Create A Life Estate? Life estates are valuable options for some families seeking to simplify the estate planning process. A life estate helps avoid the probate process upon the life tenant�s death. The property will automatically transfer to the remainderman, making the process simple and easy � a will isn�t needed for the transfer to happen. This can provide relief and comfort to the life tenant as they know exactly what will happen to their property upon their death. The life tenant is also able to use and occupy their home for the remainder of their life and be transparent with beneficiaries about what will happen with the property upon their death. It�s also a way to protect the home from Medicaid estate recovery. If a person needs care and is eligible to receive Medicaid, the government may try to recover the costs of the care from their estate once they pass away. A life estate can protect the home from being included in the Medicaid recovery process as it immediately passes to the remainderman. Potential Problems With A Life Estate: While a life estate can be helpful in some situations, when things get complicated, it can create problems. The life tenant loses control to make major decisions related to the property without input. For example, if the life tenant wants to�sell or lease the home�or�get a mortgage, they need approval from the remainderman. If the life tenant wants to terminate the life estate or change the remainderman/beneficiary, they will need approval from all remaindermen to do so. (click link for full article)