Are you financially responsible if you are a POA for a non-spouse and feel they need to be placed in a nursing home?

As long as you don't sign anything that would make you financially responsible. First of all, you need a doctor's recommendation that this person go to a nursing home. You can't just sign them in.

No. POA includes no financial responsibility with your own money. As cmagnum says, be careful of what you sign!

I was able to sign for my elderly Mom being her Power of Attorney when she had to move into long-term-care. The facility made sure I signed everything with my name and placing that I was POA for "Freqflyer Mom". Some facilities aren't that careful when it comes to signatures and POA's.

BTW, the authority one needs to make the care center decision is Health Care Proxy or Medical POA. A financial POA does not have that authority.