
Can I Be Paid as a Caregiver?
Your chances of getting paid to be a family caregiver are best if you are caring for a U.S. military veteran or for someone eligible for Medicaid, but other possibilities exist.

Your chances of getting paid to be a family caregiver are best if you are caring for a U.S. military veteran or for someone eligible for Medicaid, but other possibilities exist.

From age 50 on, it’s not unusual to have occasional trouble finding the right word or remembering where you put things. However, persistent difficulty with memory, cognition and ability to perform everyday tasks might be signs that something more serious is happening to a loved one’s brain.

The IRS allows some limited tax breaks on medical expenses and insurance premiums related to long-term care.
If you’re helping an aging parent navigate Medicaid because they don’t have long-term care insurance or you think you’ll need it yourself someday, it’s important to understand how the program works.

When an individual cannot make important decisions for himself or herself, a judge appoints someone called the conservator or guardian to make decisions. The conservator has the legal backing of the court in all decisions, including finances, medical and personal care.

As family caregivers, we play many roles: scheduler, money manager, house cleaner, health aide, nurse, navigator, nurturer and more. Perhaps the most important role, though, is advocate, as we ensure the best life possible for our loved ones when they are vulnerable.

No one wants a nursing home but the longer we live, the higher the chance we may need a nursing home at the end of life.

When a spouse enters a nursing home, the cost of care can be financially devastating. Many families are simply unable to afford long-term care without applying for Medicaid.

Second (or third or fourth) marriages often require careful balancing between the needs of the surviving spouse and the needs of the children from a previous marriage.

Consult an elder care lawyer preemptively, to avoid making a panicked phone call in the moment.