First,
Thanks in advance for reading and/or assisting.
VERY long story short-
I've worked incessantly and 24/7 for my patient for close to two years now.
I've been the only one caring for her and have done PT, OT, Wound care, Nutrition, Disease treatment (C diff), cleaning, care and prevention, handling dr's appts & entailed communication that if I hadn't, she and her family members would've allowed her to die. There's much more, but basically I've given up my life for this woman literally.
Her ex-husband, who's only helped periodically to change her once in the evenings periodically, has now brought extreme behaviors and accusations to an unspeakable level. He's obsessed with gossiping about me & moreover, slandering me via defamatory and false statements to her current GP, family & anyone he speaks to.
With that in the background, I sent my first invoice to her mother who pays for her care with the initial payment amount via a payment plan I had to initiate due to charges up to at least $35,000 from 2019.
I received a mistakenly sent text her mother meant to send to my patient's ex-husband in which she casually advises him to "try not to burn bridges bc he may need my help again' thus confirming they had been taking advantage of me while she had C diff and acting as though I'd be paid - no home health agency would enter the house to relieve me so I worked for days with 30 min to no sleep at times. Idk how I did it.
Back to that invoice, I just received a text yesterday from one of her sisters stating "I'm sure you know my husband and I will be coming in town to help "ex-husband" move Ann to (ex-husband's name) house this weekend because my mother can no longer afford to pay you. Sorry for the short notice, but we all run out of money".
I didn't reply then except to say - No, I had no idea this was happening and I will talk when I can.
Regarding finances, her mom & her husband are extremely wealthy, her two sisters and their husbands are very well off. In the past, they hired an agency that provided inadequate care & charged more than I did for approximately 1/6th of what I do. That agency was always immediately and promptly paid, even for times their aides were no shows, dropped her (agency promised not to charge but did, were late, etc.
I live here in a room that is about 8 x 10 max, falling apart - missing a window and screen for example, and is the ONLY place I can sort of call my own. I didn't want to live here. They pleaded with me to stay (sister & mom). I buckled time & again. But finally told them and my patient if I was assaulted again in any form or mistreated, I have no choice but to move. So, instead of giving me notice to find a decent place and after me repeatedly asking if they plan to move her so I'd have notice, they're asking me to leave the house immediately also. Wow.
Idk where to start, what my rights are, if I should stay away from them while the sister & husband are here, gather my things before they pack up and take anymore of my belongings, and most urgently, how to recover pay owed along with supplies and food I bought & haven't been reimbursed for so I will have money to get a new place and time to look for a new client.
Other: he's neglected her health time & again. Specialists who came in short term stated they were going to report him if things they witnessed of their own accord, but did not. I'm deathly afraid of reporting him due to his and his older son's prior verbal assaults, holding me hostage in my br doorway, and threats to destroy me & my vehicle.
I'm so lost, sick over it & need help. I don't think I can afford an attorney either. Her mother hired her one a few months ago & pays her $275 per hr but still can't pay me? She attends her country clubs and goes in between their two upscale homes, but again, she is out of money? Her husband, who owns Multiple successful businesses is too? And, how about the two sisters -one husband is a prominent physician in his state...TBC maybe :(
I leave when he arrives. I have someone coming to stay with me also until I find a new place.
Good luck to you, be safe, and please don’t ever let yourself be put in this position again.
If you’ve been living there for over 2 years as a caregiver they might have to formally evict you which will give you time but it doesn’t sound safe to stay there.
How did the bill for what they owe you get so high & you continued caregiving?
of me... unfortunately and never intended on paying. I was told this is theft of service by deception. So, I guess we'll see
I would see if a lawyer will take ur case for a % of what you end up receiving. He may get you more than 35k. They had slave labor.
Hope this all works out for you. Remember that no good deed goes unpunished. Bill on a weekly basis. When u aren't paid do what a neighbors aide did. She called APS telling them she had not been paid in a month, she was leaving and there was a vulnerable adult. APS came an took the neighbor out of her home and she is now in LTC. You can take the POA to small claims court for that month unpaid.