Thanks for all the responses. In my case, a year ago I was notified by the adult home my step-uncle had recently moved into that they had me as his health care proxy and they were concerned that he should no longer be driving. I would see this step-uncle a couple times a year in the community or perhaps at an extended family gathering. I knew he was having some cognitive changes and was looking into moving into a retirement community. I DID NOT KNOW HE HAD MADE ME HIS HCP AND (as it turned out) HIS POA. Yikes! So, after the shock and basic information gathering, I agreed to these roles. He has a 25 year somewhat estranged daughter living on the opposite coast and a brother he's not close with in another part of the country. He never married. I didn't want him to be without help. I'm a nurse. I'm a hopeless "helper." So, I agreed to help. His dementia has progressed quickly. I really knew next to nothing about his life. He still has a house, a car. Thankfully, he had the foresight to set up a trust with his bank to manage his finances. But still, I had to find out what other accounts he had elsewhere, Who his accountant was. Who all his doctors are. Where his car and home insurance are carried. Who was going to mow his lawn and check on the house. Go through his papers. He had worked on getting things in order but his dementia was sneaking up on him. Anyway, it has been a long year. In early November, he was given notice at the adult residence because they couldn't manage his dementia/hallucinations/wandering, so I researched memory care assisted living communities, chose (I hope) the best one, packed him up and moved him. It's 40 minutes from our town, because that's they only one that could care for all his needs. So, there goes the social network I'd worked hard to keep going with his Rotary and his church. Sorry, long story. I work two part time jobs, am a single mom of a 12 year old son (whose father died a year and a half ago), have my two aging parents nearby. I have had to miss some work to help John. His daughter started hitting me up to give her money (against her father's express wishes-won't bore you further with that). The stress has been pretty high. In February I recognized this was going to be a lot. I asked John's bank rep and John if I could be paid for POA. That part of the durable POA document hadn't been checked off, but both agreed. John was clear-minded enough at that point. And his lawyer agreed. (The same banker and lawyer who didn't bother letting me know I had been designated HCP and POA, but thankfully they stepped up for me here.) However, the bank came back with a seemingly arbitrary number of $20/hour. Seemed fair at the time; I wasn't doing this for the money. John had been good to my grandfather. He's a good guy. But, I am really doing far more than simple POA work. I am essentially acting as his adult child. Move him to the new facility. Attend doctor appointments. Buy clothes. Make sure he has toiletries. Monitor his care. Make health decisions. Make sure his friends know where he is and arrange visits to keep him connected. Update his family. Offer emotional support to him. I read somewhere on this site that one adult child takes a salary of $1,000/month as her mother's POA. So...really long story...I've asked my attorney for her input but I'm reaching out here. Whew! Thanks.
Can you clarify what this “intense on-going work” is and who’s doing it? Are you asking how much the POA should be paid for THEIR POA work, or how much the POA should pay someone else for their work?
"Fair" is such a relative concept, it really depends on each individual circumstance. Does this "intense, on-going work" include actual hands on caregiving? Has the caregiver had to give up their own family, employment, or home in order to provide this care? What are the circumstances of the care recipient - are they wealthy or just getting by? Fair compensation might be an amount equal to what would be paid for the same care if outsiders were hired to do the job but for the most part family caregivers are satisfied with much less than that. And family caregivers also have to keep in mind they are straddling the line between normal familial obligations and everything that is above and beyond that - IMO things like taking my mother to the grocery store or doctor and visiting once she was in long term care were things any daughter would do and I didn't expect to be paid for that.
I think it has to state in the POA that you can be paid. If the work is too much for you, like your trying to do something you really have no experience with, then the POA may allow you to hire someone.
Being POA doesn't mean you have to do it all. Lets say its taxes, you don't need to do them, you hire someone. If there is some accounting to be done and you have no experience, then u hire someone. In both instances it comes out of the principles money. At no time should you be using your money and you can't use theirs for personal gain.
POA is for carrying out the Principles wishes. As I see it, your responsibility is overseeing their finances. Making sure bills get paid in a timely manner. Doesn't matter how you do it. You just need to be on top of it. Making sure those who are hired are doing their job and doing it correctly.
What does the Durable POA state? I've seen some that have a cap on them, like $15.00 an hour, with proper documentation, others that state "Reasonable" as the guideline. There is a difference between caretaking and handling POA duties. Most POA's spend limited time on their duties, definitely not a full time job.
I currently hold 3 Durable POA's, doesn't consume more that 5 hours a week for all three, I charge nothing.
Sorry, long story. I work two part time jobs, am a single mom of a 12 year old son (whose father died a year and a half ago), have my two aging parents nearby. I have had to miss some work to help John. His daughter started hitting me up to give her money (against her father's express wishes-won't bore you further with that). The stress has been pretty high. In February I recognized this was going to be a lot. I asked John's bank rep and John if I could be paid for POA. That part of the durable POA document hadn't been checked off, but both agreed. John was clear-minded enough at that point. And his lawyer agreed. (The same banker and lawyer who didn't bother letting me know I had been designated HCP and POA, but thankfully they stepped up for me here.) However, the bank came back with a seemingly arbitrary number of $20/hour. Seemed fair at the time; I wasn't doing this for the money. John had been good to my grandfather. He's a good guy. But, I am really doing far more than simple POA work. I am essentially acting as his adult child. Move him to the new facility. Attend doctor appointments. Buy clothes. Make sure he has toiletries. Monitor his care. Make health decisions. Make sure his friends know where he is and arrange visits to keep him connected. Update his family. Offer emotional support to him.
I read somewhere on this site that one adult child takes a salary of $1,000/month as her mother's POA. So...really long story...I've asked my attorney for her input but I'm reaching out here.
Whew! Thanks.
Being POA doesn't mean you have to do it all. Lets say its taxes, you don't need to do them, you hire someone. If there is some accounting to be done and you have no experience, then u hire someone. In both instances it comes out of the principles money. At no time should you be using your money and you can't use theirs for personal gain.
POA is for carrying out the Principles wishes. As I see it, your responsibility is overseeing their finances. Making sure bills get paid in a timely manner. Doesn't matter how you do it. You just need to be on top of it. Making sure those who are hired are doing their job and doing it correctly.
I currently hold 3 Durable POA's, doesn't consume more that 5 hours a week for all three, I charge nothing.