Woman Asks For Help After She's Charged $35 An Hour To Visit Her Elderly Mom In Assisted Living Facility That Costs $8K A Month
How is this legal?
Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels Caring for elderly family members is never easy. There are so many questions to consider, like what’s really best for the individual, and how accessible are resources.
One woman is discovering just how difficult it is to be there for her elderly mother thanks to some strange financial challenges.
A woman in Ohio shared that she has to pay to see her mother in an assisted living facility.
Las Vegas-based realtor Carrie Meyer recently went to visit her 90-year-old mother in an Ohio assisted living facility with her daughter, Chloe. She was shocked when she arrived at the facility and was asked to pay for her visit.
“$35 an hour,” said Meyer. “That’s what I had to pay to see my 90-year-old mother in an assisted living facility in Ohio.”
As if having to pay for the visit wasn’t bad enough, the facility insisted that Meyer pay before she actually had the visit. “Prepayment was required or I was denied visitation,” she said.
Of course, assisted living facilities aren’t free. Meyer’s mother is already paying to stay there each month. “The estate guardian is charging her $8,000 a month rent,” she explained.
It seems that there is more drama than just the price of the facility and the required prepayment. Meyer stated, “My sister, brother, and I are prohibited from taking her anywhere. She doesn’t want to be there and wants to live with my sister; however, a downstairs bathroom must be added and is not financially doable.”
Photo: VBaleha / Canva Pro
At this point in the video, Meyer’s daughter, Chloe, stepped in. “We are also in need of legal representation to secure my grandmother’s release from this facility,” she said. “However, that is also financially challenging. Please reach out with any available resources as we’re in crucial need of support.”
Comments on Meyer’s videos were equal parts kind and shocked.
Many comments on Meyer’s video were heartfelt, from people wishing her and her family the best. “The whole system is broken. I’m so sorry,” one person said. “Wow, that’s awful,” another TikToker said. “I pray you get the resources to help you and your mother.”
Other commenters had a difficult time wrapping their minds around what was going on. “Wait… how did she get in there to begin with? Do a story time,” one person requested. “I’ve never heard of this,” said another. “How did the assisted living get guardianship of your mother?” they asked.
As shocking as this may sound, it’s not unheard of. One person even commented that it had happened to them: “So sorry to hear that. I got guardianship over my grandmother and I did not hire an attorney. It wasn’t that hard to win the case in court.”
It’s unclear how this could happen legally.
According to MyElder, an assisted living facility or nursing home cannot take guardianship; only “a person or entity” can do that.
Additionally, there is no apparent evidence of assisted living facilities charging loved ones for visits. However, it has happened to at least one other TikToker, who said, “This happened with my nana… Her conservator charged my nana $75 an hour.”
Several people commented that the situation reminded them of the Netflix film "I Care A Lot," which depicted a woman who became a guardian for multiple elderly people just to scam them out of their money.
Unfortunately for the Meyers, their story is anything but fictional. They are hoping to receive help from those who are local and have resources they do not have while they fight for their mother and grandmother’s rights.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news, and human interest topics.