Aunts money to pay for LTC

[buckspc]

What is the name of your state? Tennessee

My aunt went to live with my uncle about a year ago. She had about 68k in the bank. Uncle and aunt got the money from her acct. and placed it in a lock box somewhere, and he charged her $900 a month for room and board. By the way aunt has signs of Alshiemers. Last month there was a fight between them all and police were called. Aunt was taken to physco ward at hospital and then placed in a nursing home one week later. She says that she is on medicaid and doesn't know where her money is. Uncle is saying there is no money and he told some people that he put it where the state can't get it. How can this be?
Will the state follow the money trail or just let him get away with it? Thanks for any help, Buck

 

[Dandy Don]

State probably does not have the financial resources to follow the money trail, but uncle will face serious legal charges/penalties if he doesn't get good advice.

You can help them by visiting a Medicaid office or website or attorney who is experienced with Medicaid situations to get more information (without revealing the identity of the aunt and uncle) about the strict rules/procedures for handling finances so that it is done properly. There are legal things that can be done so that Medicaid will not file charges against the individual to recover monies they are owed. What uncle is doing is considered hiding assets and is seriously frowned upon. It is not very believable that he would not know where thousands of dollars are located.

What is your interest in this matter--do you merely want to help your aunt or is there some other reason?

 

[buckspc]

Reason I am interested

I am interested because I have another aunt, sister to the one that we are talking about that kept the aunt in question with her for 7 years and put up with all her abuse, it seems to me that if anyone deserves the money it would be her as the uncle charged the aunt in question $900 a month to live with him for a year. I am not trying to get anything out of this for myself or do I want anything. Buck

 

[Dandy Don]

Since the money is a joint marital asset, there is not much you can do now except suggest to uncle what he can do to provide proper disclosure to Medicaid (he will be allowed to keep some of the money) in order to stay out of jail. Only way you could get the other aunt/sister to be named beneficiary is if you helped the sick aunt draft her last will and testament, and the uncle will probably not allow you to do that.

 

[buckspc]

Aunts money and her care

I think what bugs me the most is the uncle didn't do anything for the sick aunt for the whole year that she lived there, he canceled her medicare ins. supplement so he could keep most of the $900 a month he charged her to live with him. Someone said she had not had a bath in a year, he could have hired someone to come in and give her the care she needed but didn't do anything but hoard the $.
I don't think the state (us taxpayers) should have to foot the bill now as he has hidden this money of hers 68k and where it is no one knows. I told my other aunt to tell the aunt in question to tell him that since she is no longer living with him she would like her money back in her name and see what he says. I don't think that will happen as she has the start of Alsheimers and can't remember to much. Thanks for the advice, Buck

 

[Dandy Don]

What has happened to your aunt sounds like neglect, and that is illegal. If she is in good shape now with someone taking care of her, then you don't need to do much, but if you wanted to you could talk to a social worker or an attorney about getting someone appointed as caregiver for her or guardianship or conservatorship, and then that person would be officially in charge of managing her assets, and it is possible that the monies could be gotten from the husband.

 

[buckspc]

Aunts money and her care

Its her brother that has the money hidden, she (sick aunt) is alone. Also sick aunt is now in a nursing home and the brother with the money hidden has just put her on medicaid to pay for LTC in nursing home. I will not stick my nose into the money part but hope the state will find out what happened to her 68k that she had a year ago when she went to live with him, Buck

 

[Dandy Don]

You need to be sticking your nose in the money part to make sure your aunt will be taken care of. You just can't sit back and hope that the state will do something. Talk to the Medicaid office in your local area and tell them what has gone on so they can make an effort to interview this uncle to find out what happened to the money. It is possible that now that he has made arrangements, Medicaid might already know about it, but at least you will know for sure whether anything has been done or not.

 

[buckspc]

Uncle has been found out by state

I found out today that the state is tracing the money trail trying to find out what happened to the 68k that my aunt had. Have been calling around and have requested the last bank statement that showed the money balance. Uncle put her on medicaid and said she had no money. They are looking for people to testify against him in court. I hope he has to come up with the $. Thank s for all the help, Dandy Don.