Ask Mike

Need tax and payroll advice for a care ...

Dear Mike,

My mother requires daily assistance now that my father has passed away. My sister, who lives with my mother, has quit her job to provide this assistance and my mother would like to pay my sister something (approx. $200 per week) so that she can continue to cover some of her own expenses. Does my mother have to treat this arrangement like a household employee situation for income tax and payroll tax purposes? Thanks for any clarification you can provide.

Taxes for PAS

How much do home health aides get paid...

Dear Mike,

How much do home health aides get paid.... and do they have the weekend off?

Thanks

Health Aide Pay

I need a personal care assistant for my disabled seven year old daughter...

Dear Mike,

I have a 7 year old daughter with multiple disabilities. She has Autism, Epilepsy, ADHD, Tourettes, Axiety, depressive disorder and sensory issues. She sees multiple doctors every week and it makes it very difficult to work at a job not knowing if my cell phone is going to ring to come and pick her up from school. We live in Wisconsin and I need to know what to say to our health services and what to bring with me to show them that I need to be a personal care assistant for her. I don't want to go to this meeting unprepared so what can I show them that will help our family get this extra income that is so needed in our home? Just this past October I had to put her in an Institution. She was there for a week and she was put on Risperidone. She is not a well child at all. She has constant seizures and some days her meds work, and then other days you think she never took them. What do I do? What do I need to bring to this meeting? Is this even possibly?

Thank you

Mom in need

Finding care for a patient that needs 24 hour nursing care with ventilator...

Dear Mike,

How do I find long term care for a patient that needs 24 hr nursing care with ventilator?

Yours,

Seeking LTC for 24 hours

Can a felon get paid to care for his mother...

Dear Mike,

I'm an adult foster care provider for a woman. Her son wants her to come and live with him. Medicaid pays me for her care. She used to live with her son, his girlfriend, and his sister. It was a total mess and everyone was always fighting and yelling at everyone. The mom paid all the bills with her disability payment.

She came to live with me when the family got kicked out of where they were living. Her son and his girlfriend live in a 1 bedroom mobile home and neither work. His girlfriend is going to try to get paid to take care of her. He has a felony in his background. Will Oregon state allow this.

Yours,

Concerned in Oregon

Paid for sorting my Dads medication...

Dear Mike,

Can I get some sort of pay to sort my dads prescribed medication. He's a disabled veteran and I heard somewhere that people can get payed for this. Is there any truth to this?

Thanks,
Sort of Medication.

Designating a caregiver for my brother in a will...

Hi Mike,

I have a 54 year old mentally disabled brother who lives with my mother who is 82. My mother is trying to establish care for my brother in case something happens to her. My mother never established legal guardianship for my brother after he turned 18. She felt it wasn't necessary. She claims Social Security told her she didn't have to do because she was my brothers mother. Now she thinks she can designate a caregiver (my nephew) for my brother in a WILL and things will continue on in this manner. She asked my nephew to move into her house to care for my brother if she passes away. He said he would which I don't believe. My mother also wants to put me and my nephews name on the house so that my brother will always have a home. The house is paid for but will require maintenance and property taxes will need to be paid annually. My brother gets SSI and Medicaid.

My Question: Can my mother designate a caregiver for my brother in a WILL and does she need to establish legal guardianship to designate a guardian for my brother in her absence. My fear is that nothing is legal. If something happens to my mother what rights will we have (his siblings & family) to care for my brother? Is it okay for him not to have a legal guardian?

Yours,

Mom's Will

We want to keep my daughters worker...

Hi Mike,

I just moved to Arizona and I am in the process of getting my developmentally disabled daughter DDD services. Since I have moved here the process has been very slow so I have been forced to pay a care provider out of pocket. We love her and would like to keep her. Do you know if going through DDD means we will have to hire someone else or can we keep her and put her through an agency? She is not a certified caregiver but she is great with my daughter and do not want to lose her. Please help!

Want to Keep My Daughter's Worker

Worried about cuts in services...

Dear Mike,

I am a guardian to a 52 year old female who is developmentally challenged and lives somewhat independently with a female who has MS. Both women have special needs and get provider services at this time. I just received a notice regarding budget cuts in Michigan and that their services may be affected. Can you tell me anymore than this notice says? I am ecspecially concerned regarding the woman I am guardian to, she was born mentally challenged and basically functions at a level of a 6 year old. She can dress, bath, feed herself, sure, but she cannot cook, figure out her medications, cannot count money, shop for herself, etc. Will she be eligle for any type of service after these cuts in October 2011?

Regards,

Worried About Cuts

Does my Mom have the right to know what medicine she is buying and taking...

Hello

My mom is in an assisted living facility in Akron Ohio and she always receives her medicine by mail order. When the medication arrives the nurse gives my Mom the bill, administers the medicine but won't show my Mom what she is taking. Does my Mom have the right to see what she is taking?

Thanks,

Mom's Meds