I am no longer able to be a caregiver because I have to work for a living and the patient requires permanent care. What should I do?

I have never heard of SS designating someone as caregiver. Payee yes and with that you should have been reporting how the persons SS is being spent.

Why was the patient living in your house? Where is the patient now if not living in your house? Is patient now in a NH. I ask because if the person is in a NH and you are payee all u have to do is fill out a form giving the NH permission to become payee.

If you were just payee, you were not obligated to care for this person only overseeing their SS check. Are you sure its not Medicaid that is involved. Whole different entity?

ozarpe - Could you clear up some questions for me please?

Are you the designated SS representative for the patient? Meaning his SS money goes to you, or controlled by you.

Do you get compensated for being his caregiver? I am not referring to the patient's SS money. I am referring to additional pay, if any, you receive for housing and caring for him 24/7.

Also you wrote: "...and patient use to live in my house." Is the patient still living in your house?

I never heard of Social Security designates anyone to be a caregiver for someone else. Maybe that's possible.

If you are ONLY his designated representative, calling SS to say you don't want to be his caregiver anymore may get interpreted as you don't want to be his designated representative anymore, SS might stop sending you his SS money, but he is still physically living in your house. Then you'll be in worse situation.

Thank you, your advice is helpful. I will call SSA to relieve me of that duty.

You need to contact a state elder care social worker and report the situation. If your friend is in the hospital you need to tell the case manager and social worker there that you need to work and are unable to provide care for this person anymore. I was in a similar situation with my father. I sent him to the hospital, and they found a nursing home for him.

Maybe you are his fiduciary for SS?

Social Security doesn't make people be caregivers. If the case is that you are getting his checks to provide services and you no longer can, next time he has a fall or needs to go to the ER, you go there and tell them "unsafe discharge" as you are now unable and unwilling to take him on, or he stays with you while you locate a facility with a Medicaid bed to take him in. Once he's there, you can choose whether to maintain your POA or allow the government to take over his guardianship. Harsh, I know, but these are the main options.

ozarpe, best to contact Social Security and let them know you can no longer be this person's caregiver. Make sure you have all the paperwork in front of you when you call, such as the persons' social security number. They will figure out what to do next.