Caregiver Tip of the Month
— Tax Deductions for Medical Care —
Facility-Based Care. All nursing homes, most assisted living facilities, and some independent living facilities (usually those that are part of a continuing care retirement community) provide some medical services for their residents. According to the Internal Revenue Code (Section 213), a portion of the fees paid to the facilities may qualify as a tax-deductible medical expense. The tax-deductible portion is often referred to as the medical care component. It applies even if a resident is not living in the facility primarily for medical reasons.
Early each year, each facility should provide its residents with a written statement that shows the medical care component. If your (or your loved one's) facility has not done so by mid-February, ask them to prepare the statement for you. You'll need it before you can finish filling out your (or your loved one's) tax returns.
Financial Support. If you provide more than half of your loved one's financial support, even if they live in their own home, you may be able to claim them as a dependent on your federal income tax return, and possibly deduct some of their medical expenses. See a qualified tax accountant for more guidance regarding the IRS requirements.
If your mother and/or father moves into your home, you might also qualify for a tax-deduction, regardless of whether you do or don't modify your home to accommodate them.
If you do modify your home, at least a portion of the expenses you incur for modifying your home COULD be deductible in the year you pay them. (FYI: Section 213 defines tax-deductible medical and dental expenses.) Whether you actually can deduct those expenses depends upon many variables including:
1. Does your mother or father qualify as your dependent for tax purposes?
2. Is your tax accountant intimately familiar with Section 213 as it pertains to qualified long-term care expenses? Or, can he or she read the Internal Revenue Code just as well as anyone else? (You want the first type of accountant!)
For more insight as to what the IRS rules are (including the definition of a dependent for tax purposes), Section 213 is explained in IRS Publication 502 (to see it, simply click on the underlined link – it may take a few minutes to download if you use a dial-up connection).
If any of these situations might apply to you, we highly recommend that you discuss them with a qualified tax accountant.
Our visitors ask ...
Q. My 87-year-old mother lives in a nursing home and isn't receiving the care I think she needs. She appears to be dehydrated, eats very little, and has developed bed sores on her hip. When I point out her problems to the staff, they don't do anything to help her. Where can I go for help?
A. First, you should meet with the nursing home's director of nursing. If that doesn't work, meet with the person who runs the nursing home; usually, that is the "Administrator." If that doesn't produce the results you want, contact your state's Long Term Care Ombudsman.
An Ombudsman is an advocate for residents of nursing homes, board and care homes, and assisted living facilities. Ombudsmen provide information about how to find a facility and what to do to get quality care. They are also trained to resolve problems. If you want, the ombudsman can assist you with complaints on a confidential basis.
Under the federal Older Americans Act, every state is required to have an Ombudsman Program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long term care system. To find the ombudsman nearest you, click on National Long Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center and select your state from the national map.
Daily Living Solutions
— products for seniors —
As we grow older, it often becomes difficult to use many everyday products because of arthritis and other conditions. If you or a loved one needs a little help – or a lot – we've selected a group of practical and affordable solutions from our affiliated merchants to help overcome those limitations.
Whether you are looking for yourself, or to help an elderly senior continue living in their own home, you'll find a wide variety of supplies and accessories – raised toilet seats, safety rails, incontinence supplies, large-handle eating utensils, pain relief, diabetic supplies, pill splitters and crushers, big-button telephones, canes, walkers, rollators, wheelchairs – and much more.
Everything is sorted into convenient categories in our Solutions for Seniors section.
Caregiving – Finding the money for care at home
A variety of resources can help pay for care at home. We discussed these resources in some detail beginning with the May 2004 issue of this newsletter and continuing each month through the August issue. To review these newsletters, simply click on Archives and select the issue you want to see.
Caregiver Tip #2
"Do Not Resuscitate"
One of the most difficult questions family caregivers must answer is often asked by medical professionals whenever they work with the elderly; that is, "Is a 'Do Not Resuscitate' order in effect?"
Plainly and simply put, "Do Not Resuscitate" or DNR means that no special effort will be made to revive a patient from apparent death. For example, if a patient goes into cardiac arrest, no CPR or other means will be used to revive them.
A patient's desire for a "Do Not Resuscitate" order is usually explicitly stated or implied in his or her Living Will and/or Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care or another form of Advance Directive, usually with wording such as "I direct that life-prolonging procedures be withheld when the application of such procedures would serve only to artificially prolong the process of dying."
As a result, if you have become a family caregiver, you should have a copy of your loved one's advance directive, read it over until you clearly understand all of your loved one's wishes, take it with you every time you accompany your loved one to a medical appointment, and if possible, discuss it with your loved one so that you have a very clear understanding of their desires.
Our visitors ask ...
We are frequently asked for information about unusual assistive and rehabilitation devices and equipment to meet the special needs of our visitors or their loved ones. While these requests may be for items that are "out of the ordinary" and may not be carried by most medical supply stores, our visitors can often find what they want in the AbleData.com website.
AbleData is a federally-supported project that provides information about assistive and rehabilitation equipment, including home health supplies and modification devices such as handicapped stair chairs (lifts). Its database contains detailed information for more than 25,000 products, including price and manufacturer, from domestic and international sources. They serve the United States' disability, rehabilitation, and senior communities.
Recommended Reading and Videos
Many excellent books and videos can help guide you through the caregiving process. For our recommendations, including a brief description of each one, click here.
For more helpful information from our website, click here. To see previous issues of this newsletter, click on Archives.
Aging Solutions is a free service of:
Solutions for Seniors, Inc.
1051 E HILLSDALE BLVD
FOSTER CITY, CA 94404
Your comments or suggestions for future issues are always welcome; email them to us at editor@aging-parents-and-elder-care.com
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