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Elder Care By Family

• Becoming 'Parent of Your Parent' an Emotionally Wrenching Process (USA Today)
  A series of articles exploring this sensitive subject. See links in left-hand column under "Week-Long Series."
• Boomer-Ang Eldercare: Deductible Claim? (U of Baltimore – 2/5/12)
  In this article, Gerzog discusses Estate of Olivo, in which the Tax Court determined the deductibility under section 2053 of a claim against the decedent’s estate for eldercare services provided by a family member.
• Caregiver Child Exemption Applies Even Though Attorney-in-Fact Transferred House (Elder Law Answers – 8/31/12)
  North Dakota's highest court reverses a lower court ruling that the caregiver child exemption for the transfer of a house did not apply because the Medicaid applicant's attorney-in-fact transferred the house, not the Medicaid applicant himself. Dahly v. Anderson
• Caregiver Stress: Would you Like Some Angst With That Sandwich Generation? (Psychology Today – 4/12/09)
  Despite 2,000,000 residents in 18,000 nursing homes, most caregiving for the frail, confused, elderly is given by family members–people who are trying to lead their own lives, pursue their own careers, and care for their own children.
  Patti's Comment: This is a great article with good supports listed for folks that are caregivers!
• Caregiving Stress – Hazardous to Your Health and Sometimes Deadly (Nat'l Care Planning Council – 11/11/07)
  A 2003 study of caregivers by a research team at Ohio State University has proven the off-repeated adage "stress can kill you" is true. 
• Caring For A Loved One At Home Can Have A Steep Learning Curve (12/12/16) 
  About 44 million Americans are unpaid family caregivers. Many of which are having to learn the necessary skills by themselves. 
• Claiming a Parent as a Dependent (New York Times – 8/18/10)
  Can you claim your mother as a dependent for income tax purposes if she lives with you? The answer is, it depends. There’s a five-step test to determine whether a child can claim a parent as a dependent.
• Compensating a Family Caregiver (Wall Street Journal – 8/29/10)
  Given the still-fragile economy, a growing number of families are compensating relatives who serve as caregivers to elders, elder-law attorneys say. But to avoid stoking family tensions or running afoul of Medicaid eligibility requirements, it's important to draft a formal employment agreement–and disclose the arrangement to the entire family.
• Compensating Caregivers (Financial Advisor – 11/10)
  America’s 78 million baby boomers will begin turning 65 next year at a rate of one every 10 seconds. These are the best-educated, richest and healthiest seniors the country has ever seen, but they’re still aging. Anecdotal evidence suggests an increasing number of family caregivers are getting paid for their efforts — which is natural given the aging population and the high unemployment rate. And as most financial advisors know, when you mix money with family dependency, things can get tangled.
• Deducting Care of the Elderly (Elder Care ABC Blog)
  As a society, we are growing older. This means many more people must care for the elderly in their family. Fortunately, some of the expense associated with the care is deductible.
• Discrimination Suits by Family Caregivers on the Rise (Elder Law Prof Blog – Oct. 25, 2007)
  As the number of employees with elder and child care demands grows, more workers are filing lawsuits claiming they've been discriminated against on the job because of their family caregiving obligations. 
• Families Caring for an Aging America (9/13/16)  
  At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are providing care and support to an older parent, spouse, friend, or neighbor who needs help because of a limitation in their physical, mental, or cognitive functioning.
• Hiring a Home Care Worker (AARP)   How to Hire a Caregiver (AARP – 11/7.2019) 
  Family caregivers cannot do all things all the time. Recognizing when you need outside help is good for you, and for your loved one, too.
• One of Those Days (The New Old Age)
  If you find elder care a daily source of fulfillment, a gift that draws you ever closer to your aging parent, a continuing privilege — well, you can stop reading now.
• Real Life in Your 60s: Help an Elderly Parent Without Going Broke (CBS.com)
  A story about the Hoffas family and the growing number of people facing the same challenge: the Sandwich Generation. Not only are they raising children, but they are also caring for elderly parents.
• Relatives Can be Paid to Look After Elderly (Wall Street Journal – 1/14/09)
  Patti's Comment: This is a great article, and includes quotes from friends!! Keep in mind that caregiver agreements can also be used with Medicaid via the self-determination model, and Trustees of special needs trusts can enter into these arrangements as well. It is also important to make sure there is appropriate insurance in place so if the caregiver is injured while providing care there is not a big problem – we spend lots of time making sure that if there is not workers compensation in place, there is adequate protection via homeowners insurance or some other risk management plan is in place.
• Solving the Caregiving Puzzle (Wall Street Journal – 11/17/08)
  How individuals and communities across the country are changing the ways we will care for each other in later life.
• Strength for the Moment: 10 Tips for Family Caregivers (Huffington Post – 4/27/12)
  Compelling stories in a devotional guide that families can use to find strength in those moments when the burdens of caregiving seem overwhelming. The book is a collection of 52 real-life caregiving stories that touch on all aspects of caregiving. What I've gleaned from these stories and my work as a mentor to hundreds of family and professional caregivers is the importance of caregivers caring for themselves as they care for others.
• Taking Care of Parents also Means Taking Care of Finances (NY Times – 9/18/09) 
  With all of the overwhelming emotional and medical aspects of caring for elderly parents, it’s natural to ignore the consequences of spending large amounts of money on them. But so often adult children end up ignoring their own savings and retirement accounts or, worse, go into debt, because they’re taking care of their parents, says Tim Casserly, a lawyer in Albany who specializes in issues of elderly care.  
• Taking Care of YOU: Self-Care for Family Caregivers (Family Caregiver Alliance)
  Family caregivers of any age are less likely than non-caregivers to practice preventive healthcare and self-care behavior. Regardless of age, sex, and race and ethnicity, caregivers report problems attending to their own health and well-being while managing caregiving responsibilities.
• Think Before You Quit Your Job to Care for Mom  (Reuters – 5/30/12)
  Recently divorced and with her only child in college, Nancy Wurtzel made a life-changing decision.  She shuttered her public relations business, said goodbye to Los Angeles and moved back to Sauk Center, Minnesota — the three-stoplight town of her youth — to care for her mother, who has dementia. Wurtzel is not alone. She is part of a generation of 50-plus caregivers who lose an average of $303,880 when they leave the workforce early to care for an aging parent, according to research from MetLife.
• What You Need To Know About Claiming Older Dependents On Taxes (The Consumerist – 3/28/12)
  If you look out financially for an older loved one, the government gives you a reward for your kindness come tax time. Those looking to claim people who aren't their children as dependents when they file their taxes should go over the rules to make sure they qualify.
• When the Wrong Person is in Charge of an Aging Parent (Seattle Times – Feb. 11, 2008)
  Sometimes the most difficult burdens in eldercare aren't created by our parents but by other family members.