What are the legal obligations for informal caregivers?
Just curious, are you legally responsible to care for someone as an informal caregiver? Meaning being a Good Samaritan, but not getting financially compensated, making your role informal?
Do you want to keep ‘helping’ or do you want to stop? If you want to stop, just stop. No need for legal advice, you are under no obligation. A kindness to inform APS if you think it’s a good idea for them to have tabs on her.
If you want to keep ‘helping’, I’d still suggest APS before a lawyer. If you are ‘holding yourself out’ to her or her relatives as taking responsibility for her safety, you need to know what level of care she actually needs. If you feel nervous, I’d do this before spending money on legal fees, as the lawyer will need this information anyway before they can draft any letter etc.
You call APS and tell then u "help" a vulnerabe person. Don't say caregiver. That now the person needs more care than u can give them. Could they please evaulate the situation.
I no longer volunteer to help people. If asked I may help but can always refuse the next time. For me volunteering gives people the impression you have all the time in the world.
I wouldn't bother with an attorney. I would send a letter and probably call APS, just to get this person on their radar, if 911 is overkill.
I wouldn't identify myself as the caregiver. I would call it help, volunteering but, not caregiver. That could imply a verbal contract as opposed to a friend helping out and no longer being able to help.
Thank you! Would it be best to write a formal, notarized letter to someone stating I will no longer be able to volunteer my time to help out anymore? I see a potential, maybe catastrophe happening and I am trying to legally protect myself. I have thought about hiring an lawyer who practices Elder Law to help navigate this.
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If you want to keep ‘helping’, I’d still suggest APS before a lawyer. If you are ‘holding yourself out’ to her or her relatives as taking responsibility for her safety, you need to know what level of care she actually needs. If you feel nervous, I’d do this before spending money on legal fees, as the lawyer will need this information anyway before they can draft any letter etc.
I no longer volunteer to help people. If asked I may help but can always refuse the next time. For me volunteering gives people the impression you have all the time in the world.
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I wouldn't identify myself as the caregiver. I would call it help, volunteering but, not caregiver. That could imply a verbal contract as opposed to a friend helping out and no longer being able to help.
One area that can be iffy is helping out, knowing someone can not be safely alone and just walking out.
You would want to call 911 and report a vulnerable person that is alone and unsafe to be so.