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I'm 53 and need to make sure I have income and social security when I retire.

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Macmillin, Here are some things to think about if one is trying to decide whether to quit work to care for an aging parent.... on average if a working person quits work he/she will lose over the years between $285,000 and $325,000 which includes not only loss of salary, it also includes the net worth loss of the health insurance coverage; loss of money being put into social security/Medicare; loss of other benefits such as matching 401(k); profit sharing; etc. [source: in part Reuters 5/30/12].

If your Mom can pay you, maybe she can pay for part-time or full-time day caregiver so that you can continue to work.

I still work as it is my sanity :P
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No state Medical Assistance program will ever pay a wage & benefits package which is equivalent your Full Time job!!!
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My advice is to keep working full time until you are AT LEAST 65. Pay others to check on your Mom. If you stop working now you may lose your life. Many on this site feel this happens. The hidden mines in the field of caring for an elderly relative full time are mind boggling.

As far as pay goes, if she has money she can help you financially but other family members may throw fits. I am not familiar with the social services available that may pay you, but others on this site will help you there.

I am 67 and care for my 91 year old Mom full time. I am making the best of it and am doing a good job - my Mom is very pleased - but truthfully I would rather be working, and yes, full time.
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Macmillan, I see from your profile that your mom has dementia. She is probably not safe to leave unsupervised right now, so you are wise to try to figure this out.

Before you decide to quit your job and stay home with mom, read some of the threads on this site about folks who are trying to do this. The ones who are trapped because their (now) unreasonable elder refuses care from anyone but their child. You would do well to use mom's funds for in-house caregivers, for Adult Day Care. Check out local Assisted Living facilities. Make sure you have power of attorney for medical and financial issues.
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Perhaps you can get some CG's will do some pro bono work for you OCCASIONALLY. I did.
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In Pennsylvania, and many other states, it is possible for the family member to be paid. Check out This may give you some answers.

But of course, there are many other things to consider, and several other posts have pointed these out - your finances, your sanity, etc.

Here is a short paragraph from an article I found. Good luck!

If you're one of more than 70 million people who provide unpaid caregiving for a family member or friend -- either in that person's home or in your own -- you know that the time and energy burden can be enormous. In fact, you may have cut back or given up your paying job. Your smaller (or now nonexistent) paycheck may be pinching you hard. If so, it might be possible for you to get a small but regular payment for your caregiving work.

Sponsored: Become a Paid CAREGiver

Here's how: If the parent, spouse, or other person you're caring for is eligible for Medicaid, its Cash and Counseling program, available in some states, can provide direct payments that could go to you. A few other states have similar programs for low-income seniors, even if the person receiving care doesn't quite qualify for Medicaid. Also, if the person you're caring for has long-term care insurance that includes in-home care coverage, in some cases those benefits can be used to pay you.
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