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My grandmother was in assisted living for about a year before she and the family decided she should live with me and my mom. Grandma was only in assisted living because Grandpa needed to be there, but he is no longer with us. From a financial perspective, would it be better for Grandma to pay me for being her caregiver in case she later needs to be put in a nursing home, or does it matter? I've heard so many different things about nursing homes, medicare, and medicaid. It's no wonder so many people get confused.

A few things that might be important:
The house we all live in belongs to my parents.
Grandma pays my mom $125 per month to cover her expenses (food, supplies, prescriptions, electric bill, etc.).
I am the primary caregiver.

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Does Grandma have good income and a lot of savings? If so, she should pay your mother more for rent, something closer to market rate. She is allowed to pay you to care for her. You should set up a written caregiving contract with your duties, hours, and pay described in detail. Search in the search bar on this website for more information.

If grandma is paying for care that keeps her out of a nursing home, that is a legitimate way to use her money without disqualifying her from Medicaid.
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mejjy11~I agree with what Jinx4740 posted. If you're the primary care giver, then yes, she should be paying something. Of course, nothing that's out of reason, for what a professional would get paid for doing the same/exact tasks for her. I would also suggest, that you have her write a check out, if she's still able to, for not only her records but yourself. That way all monies are accounted for & there's documented proof backing it up.
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mejjy11, may I ask how old are you? Whenever I read "grandchild" I think of someone who is in their late teens to early 20's. You could be in your 40's or 50's, too.

Yes, it can be complex sorting through Medicare, Medicaid, assisted living or continuing care facilities. How is grandmother doing? I see from your profile she has mobility issues. Anything else health wise? What type of caregiving does she need? Does she need to be watched 24 hours a day?

If you are young, I wouldn't want to see you become burnt out. If you needed to go back to college or find full-time work, you would be too exhausted to explore either.

Does your Mom do any caregiving for her Mom, or does your Mom work outside of the home? Or is Mom unable to help out depending on her own age? Does your Dad help out or does he work?
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Wow, I can not even imagine 125 a month covers even her meds! She must be pretty healthy. I agree you are owed some compensation as you will be unable to work out side the home, and you won't be getting medical ins, or putting anything towards the future.
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Yes.
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Mejji, here is an article I found here on Aging Care regarding family members getting paid, and at the end of the article you can click on a sample of the caregiver contract.

Having this contract would be excellent proof where Grandmother's money went in regard to paying a caregiver, when and if the time comes that she needs a higher level of care, such as a nursing home and she needs to use Medicaid to help pay.

https://www.agingcare.com/articles/personal-care-agreements-compensate-family-caregivers-181562.htm
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