My husband just died in hospice nursing home and my step-daughter was his medical POA. Who is responsible for bill?

thank all of you for caring and advice. appointment with probate attorney Monday.

Thelmar, thank you, I think I now understand what is going on.

don't know what you want to know. I have already stated the scene.

Thelmar, please when you get a chance go over the answers above and fill in the blanks for us. It is difficult to help you when you aren't forthcoming in needed information.

freqflyer - she changed his bills to be withdrawn from his bank account on line.

Thelma, take the Will to a lawyer and start the probate proceeding. The attorney will get the documents from the NH to see if she signed for his bill.

thelma, I found some time to read some of your older postings here from December and January.... a back story.... sounds like apparently your husband, who was 90, would leave you out of any decision making and leave you out of his doctor appointments. Maybe that was his generation and personality where the man made ALL the decisions.... didn't want to worry you. But by doing that he kept you in the dark.

Are you on speaking terms with the daughter? You should ask her how was she paying the nursing home fees. It sounds like just a couple of months worth as in an older posting in January or thereabouts your husband was still driving himself to the doctor, etc.

Now if Medicaid was involved, and you and your husband owned a house, it is important to know about Medicaid and what effects it would have on the house.

I am executrix of will as far as I know - unless new will was made that I am not aware of. step daughter admitted him to hospital and nursing home. I was completely left out. That is all I know.

POA ends upon the death of the person. Now it depends on who is the executor of his estate, who pays the bills who gets what. Hopefully whatever you have (a home) you are protected by rights of survivorship?

Did stepdaughter sign the admission papers? Is she Personal Representative under his Will, or did he have a trust, and if so, is she successor Trustee?

It was not joint POA. Good question as why I wasn't POA. I would like an answer myself.

The short answer is - the executor of the will is responsible for paying any outstanding bills from any money left in your husbands name. POA authority ended the moment your husband passed. I'm sorry for you loss.

My heartfelt sympathy for the passing of your husband. May I ask why your husband didn't have you as his medical Power of Attorney and his financial Power of Attorney? Or why both your name and his daughter's name were placed as being joint Power of Attorney with equal powers?

There has to be a back story to this situation since you wrote you had no contact with the nursing home, that his own daughter had placed him. If you could give us more information it would help us sort out what was going on.