Moved Mom to another ALF, they have lost her SS checks for 3 months. What do we do?
We cannot speak to social security about where her checks are. How do we resolve this problem before it gets to the point where mom is not welcome at this assisted living center
When I moved my dad to AL, I had his address changed to my home. I have advised family and friends to write him at AL where he has his own mailbox. It's nice for him to receive cards and letters because he enjoys the freedom of checking his mail every day but all of his bills come to me. I can keep track of things and make sure bills are paid on time and he doesn't have to be upset everyday about bills. He gets agitated, confused and upset when things get too detailed.
Here's my suggestion - you need to take control on all things mom and not have the AL involved. You pay the AL from moms checking account which gets all her income direct deposited witnyiunasca signature on the account & the bank account is POD to you. Yes it's work on your part but can be totally manageable.
Now mom is going to get or has just gotten her SS & other retirement award letter for 2015 & her tax data for 2014 in the mail. Now if these are going to her at the AL you really need to have them either sent to mom at your address or have a new address for mom that is not the AL. I'd bet that the business office of the AL is beyond incompetent in general, so you need to be the keeper on all things mom. Also if in the future mom needs to apply for Medicaid, you will need these items for the application & renewal, and you have to do this. The AlL or NH won't do it (not their responsibility) no matter what they say.
About the address, you can have everything be mailed to mom at your own home address but what you may consider is to rent a mail box for mom. There is likely a package & ship store around you that rents mail boxes. You rent one in your name (they need a local address & drivers license to do) but indicate that moms name will also be getting mail there. UPS stores often have these but also there tend to be smaller individually owned ship stores by colleges who rent mail boxes. These could be better as you can establish a relationship with them, so they call you when mom gets mail. Anyways all things mom now goes to the box so twice a month or so, you go by & get moms mail. All from her SS, Medicare CMS statements, bank statements, life insurance stuff, etc now gets sent to the new mail box address. you get new checks done for mom with the new address too.
Then once you have the new address, you go on-line to all mom stuff from SSA to life insurance etc and have the new address entered and once that is done get all her money direct deposited to her bank account. In the long run, it will be a lot less frustrating for you to be in financial control for mom than depending on the AL. I can just feel that if mom needs to move to yet another AL, that dealing with this AL will be a major clusterF to deal with. My moms first NH business office was beyond incompetent, it can be maddening to deal with. Good luck
Have you set up online access to her social security account? It's fairly easy to do. Who set up the direct deposit to the AL? Are you her representative payee?
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Now mom is going to get or has just gotten her SS & other retirement award letter for 2015 & her tax data for 2014 in the mail. Now if these are going to her at the AL you really need to have them either sent to mom at your address or have a new address for mom that is not the AL. I'd bet that the business office of the AL is beyond incompetent in general, so you need to be the keeper on all things mom. Also if in the future mom needs to apply for Medicaid, you will need these items for the application & renewal, and you have to do this. The AlL or NH won't do it (not their responsibility) no matter what they say.
About the address, you can have everything be mailed to mom at your own home address but what you may consider is to rent a mail box for mom. There is likely a package & ship store around you that rents mail boxes. You rent one in your name (they need a local address & drivers license to do) but indicate that moms name will also be getting mail there. UPS stores often have these but also there tend to be smaller individually owned ship stores by colleges who rent mail boxes. These could be better as you can establish a relationship with them, so they call you when mom gets mail. Anyways all things mom now goes to the box so twice a month or so, you go by & get moms mail. All from her SS, Medicare CMS statements, bank statements, life insurance stuff, etc now gets sent to the new mail box address. you get new checks done for mom with the new address too.
Then once you have the new address, you go on-line to all mom stuff from SSA to life insurance etc and have the new address entered and once that is done get all her money direct deposited to her bank account. In the long run, it will be a lot less frustrating for you to be in financial control for mom than depending on the AL. I can just feel that if mom needs to move to yet another AL, that dealing with this AL will be a major clusterF to deal with. My moms first NH business office was beyond incompetent, it can be maddening to deal with. Good luck
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