His brain is now damaged and can't go to SSA. Before my father became ill, he took care of everything he thought we would need, including naming my mother & me as POAs.
When my father started getting sick, my parents moved to a senior facility. We input change of address forms with the Post Office. They do not provide cards any longer for notifying people so one has to rely on the PO to take care of changes. They only do it for 6 months & then stop. Because my father got really bad within 6 months of moving, he was not mentally able to help us do much, and as things have progressed it has become worse. He is now completely bed bound. The best answers one can get from him are yes and no, but one never knows if that is what he really means. Because his legs have now pulled up in a permanent fetal position (can't even be pulled down), we cannot even get him to a car. If he has to go somewhere, it has to be by ambulance.
This year we did not get tax forms from SSA. So we got a caregiver for Daddy and I loaded Mama and all the legal papers up and we drove to the other side of the county to go to SSA. They refused to give us the tax information or change his address because they "don't recognize powers of attorney". They wanted me to bring Daddy in for him to give them permission to let me do the business. I explained why that was impossible. It did not matter. Does anyone know if this is true? Why would an agency that deals with the aged and/or ill people not recognize a POA? People are encouraged to get things ready for the possibility they may not always be able to handle their own affairs & the main agency for dealing with them refuses to honor the written, notorized wishes of the disabled? It just does not make sense. What really is crazy is the military has helped us get things changed, IRS has changed things for us. All of these Federal agencies recognize the POA. Why not SSA?
Has anyone else run into this issue?
Full rights will only be given if you are Legal Guardian through the courts. Not everyone will accept a notarized POA including some banking institutions.
An elder care lawyer should be employed and consulted frequently on all these issues.
SSA told me I have to get a letter from his hospice doctor saying he is unable to do anything. That is in one town. Then I have to take the POA to the county courthouse with the letter & get it certified. It is in a different town. When all of that is done, I take it all back to SSA, in yet a 3rd town, & then they will appoint me as financial guardian. Full time caregivers have lots of time and energy to jump through hoops. It also means one has to hire someone to sit with the home bound while running around. Since I am the only caregiver locally, it is just ridiculous.
Because of this experience, I am taking my mother & husband, who are also disabled, to SSA the next time I go so they can appoint me their financial guardian before hand.
I think it is time for Congress to act. It is ridiculous to cause people these type of problems.
Take care,
Carol