I need to know what steps I take to immediately get started as mother's caregiver???

Get to know her Drs and her meds! Then her financials. Make a plan to get those under control and go from there. POA if you don;t have it!

Do you have any siblings? I strongly suggest they are informed of what's going on with your mom and her need for caregiving. Even if they are not local, family can sometimes become very upset if they feel they are "the last to know" about important matters regarding their LOs.

Also, you don't give any info about why your mom suddenly needs your care. Did she have a medical incident, or an accident? Or did you discover she is having cognitive/memory problems? More info will allow the forum participants to give you their best suggestions.

Finally, in your profile you point out that you are a nurse and can provide care but many caregivers and aids know very little about dementia -- if that's your mother's current problem. I've learned a lot from watching Teepa Snow videos on YouTube, like why and how dementia changes people and how to re-learn better ways to engage with them so that it's productive and least stressful on a daily basis.

You also mention you will be her companion so that she's not isolated, but are you retired? Hopefully you don't have a family and job to manage first and foremost. Many very loving, well-meaning adult children launch head first into caregiving without fully understanding the intensity and toll it will eventually take on them -- even nurses. Please read some of the posts under Burn Out on this forum to get a sampling of what you should avoid at all costs, and how to avoid it.

Finally, *please* do not be tempted to pay for any of your mother's care. This is unsustainable for the vast majority of children unless you are independently wealthy. This is what Medicaid is for. I know you will get a lot of good insights from others. Mostly your mom needs to get her legal ducks in a row since the law requires a legally assigned representative to make financial and medical decisions and carry out management in a loved one's best interests when they no longer can.

Do you have power of attorney for her? She has to grant it to you and must be competent to do so. You can't just "get" it.

Start there.