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Geos

Sep 26, 2009, 6:33 PM

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What should I do?

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I would appreciate some suggestions on how to handle this situation. I'm the caretaker for my 100yo father. I don't want to put him in a nursing home but I'm getting overwhelmed and depressed being a full time nurse maid. I found out recently we have to move within 2 months mol. I have no income but have about $350k in savings & investments. My father gets $1k/mo SSI. I bought some land in Tulum (south of Cancun) a few years ago with my friend who's very familiar with the area and am planning to drive there with pops in an RV. I could live in my RV (assuming zoning regulations allow), rent an apartment for pops and hire a part time nurse till he dies. It has to cost less than here in NY. I assume my father qualifies for an FM-3 because of his $1k/mo income but with no income I don't qualify. So, what are my options? Can I renew my FM-T by driving to the border 2x a year as long as necessary or do I have another option for an FM-3? Thanks.

Camille

Sep 26, 2009, 10:05 PM

Post #2 of 15 (5810 views)

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Re: [Geos] What should I do?

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I've rarely shown any income when renewing my FM3, just shown a balance which reflects an ability to live well here. And bless your heart, being a caregiver does take a toll. Hope you're finding some me time.....

Axixic

Sep 27, 2009, 4:51 AM

Post #3 of 15 (5792 views)

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Re: [Geos] What should I do?

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There are many assisted living and nursing homes in the Guadalajara-Lake Chapala are that are less than $1000 USD a month. These homes aren't anything like the one's up North. Most homes are more like nice hotels and Mexicans are kinder and nicer to old people than we are up North.

Someone will correct me if my numbers are wrong, but I do know people who have FM3s who do not have any income to report but they have $20,000 USD in the bank. There might be some legal FM3s with less than that amount. You can easily get an FM3 and add your father as a family member. With a reported monthly income, the additional amount for a family member is $500 a month. With the amount of money you have, I doubt you will have to prove his income.

Why not research and find a place for him where he will be happy and you rent a house or an apartment nearby? Then when he dies you can live wherever you want. My 90 year old mother is coming here to live and we can have someone come in and help her everyday for less than what she is paying in rent up North, that is if you want him living independently. For about $3-400 USD a month you can find daily care for him and you two can live together. I'd worry about someone that old living by himself.

morgaine7

Sep 27, 2009, 6:26 AM

Post #4 of 15 (5766 views)

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Re: [Geos] What should I do?

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Some INM offices want to see bank statements showing monthly deposits. Ours asks for the last three. Until my SS starts, I'm in the same situation as you are with an IRA but no regular income. I just wire-transfer funds to my Mexican account during the appropriate three months and submit those statements with my FM2 renewal file. Also, income requirements can be reduced by up to 50% if you're a homeowner, although I'm not sure if that applies to land with an RV on it.

My brother is caregiver for our 96 y.o. mom, and I know how draining that can be, so I wish you and your father best of luck.

Kate

Hound Dog

Sep 27, 2009, 9:51 AM

Post #5 of 15 (5712 views)

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Re: [Geos] What should I do?

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First you check if your idea of renting a decent air conditioned apartment for your father is doable.

A lot of the apartments for the tourists are expensive and the place where the locasl live without air conditioned could
be be death of your father.

Unless your father is used to a similar climate it will be tough for his system to move and get used to the climate.

Due to his age your father´s system has a lower immunity and just the trauma of moving to a different place with a different climate could kill him.

What are the medical facilities like in Tulum? It is not Merida or Cancun.

I think you have to ask a whole lot more questions than the visa questions before you move. The visas can be worked with and there is a solution, I would not focus on that problem first.

Moving is a traumatic experience so think twice before you do it with your father. The winters can be nice down there but once the winter is over the climate is very difficult to get used to.

If you have to move anyways you may want to look at an area where the climate is gentler and where you are close to good medical facilities. If you moved to an area like the Lakeside, you can live on the outskirts of Joco or on the other side of Chapala, rent a place for both of you and hire a live.in who can help you and give you some free time.

After your father passes you can move to Tulum if that is your dream.

My mother is 87 years old and was feeling she should sell her house and move to a small apartment for old folks. Her doctor said to her to stay in her house as long as she could as moving (even a couple of kms away) is extremely traumatic for an old person and can be the beginning of the end.

Moving to Tulum sounds to me like an escape dream of yours because you are faced with a very dificult situation but think twice about it. Your father´ s life will come to an end soon and moving, unless your father insists on it may not be the best idea at this time if you want to extend his life.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on Sep 27, 2009, 11:40 AM)

joaquinx

Sep 27, 2009, 10:23 AM

Post #6 of 15 (5703 views)

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Re: [morgaine7] What should I do?

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In Reply To

Some INM offices want to see bank statements showing monthly deposits.

A nd some will be satisified with the deposit of 12 months of funds in a Mexican bank. You have to ask.

Gringal

Sep 27, 2009, 12:33 PM

Post #7 of 15 (5664 views)

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Re: [Geos] What should I do?

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Hound Dog's advice is good re the trauma of moving and/or getting used to a different climate zone. You referred to your present place as NY, and this would be a big change.

The climate around Lake Chapala is very mild in the winter and not brutally hot in the summer. There are many care options available. Lots of good doctors and hospitals when needed.

For more information on visas, check www.rollybrook.com. A wealth of information re living in Mexico.

db52

Sep 28, 2009, 7:18 PM

Post #8 of 15 (5489 views)

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Re: [Geos] What should I do?

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SSI is a different program from regular Social Security. Check the eligibility requirements. You can't collect SSI if you are out of the country. (If this were possible, my mother-in-law would probably go back home to live in Honduras.)

jerezano

Sep 29, 2009, 7:35 AM

Post #9 of 15 (5437 views)

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Re: [db52] What should I do?

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Hello all,

Social Security Supplement funds while from the Federal government and Social Security are administered by the states. Actually if the person is out of state it cannot be collected.

So whether the person is in Mexico or not, just being out of state makes the recipient ineligible.

jerezano.

Axixic

Sep 29, 2009, 8:12 AM

Post #10 of 15 (5423 views)

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Re: [db52] What should I do?

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I think you are confusing SSSI, Social Security Supplemental Income which is welfare, with SSI, Social Security Income, which is based on how much money one paid into the system.

You can live out of the country with SSI. With SSSI, one cannot be out of the U.S. for more than 30 days a year and collect SSSI. An SSSI recipient can have SSSI reinstated when he returns if he must lose benefits for a prolonged trip. I've never looked it up, but I bet an SSSI recipient can live in any U.S. territory the same as in the states without losing benefits. It must be true or SSSI recipients couldn't live in Puerto Rico and other territories.

I didn't add that we know he was describing SSI because he said it was $1000 a month. SSSI is less than $700 a month.

(This post was edited by PamelaDelafield on Sep 29, 2009, 8:15 AM)

db52

Sep 29, 2009, 11:28 AM

Post #11 of 15 (5367 views)

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Re: [PamelaDelafield] What should I do?

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Well, someone might be confused, but not I.

First, SSI stands for Supplemental Security Income. SSI Home Page is here--http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/

(SSSI apparently stands for "solid state storage initiative, per google search!)

Second, Jerezano is correct in that SSI has something to do with states. There is variation from one state to another depending on whether, and how much, the state adds to the Federal SSI benefits. According to the information here--(http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/11146.html) maximum SSI (state and federal combined) is $761.00 for a single person living alone in NY State. The variance in state involvement is, I assume, why a person must re-apply if moving from one state to another.

One is not eligible for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) unless living in the US (or the Northern Mariana Islands!).

Although I know that SSI by itself is not going to be $1000/month, I had sort of assumed that the OP's dad was maybe getting both regular Social Security and SSI which might add up to that when combined. If so, he should be aware that living in Mexico would result in loss of SSI, although regular (non-supplemental) Social Security payments would be unaffected.

richmx2

Sep 29, 2009, 11:51 AM

Post #12 of 15 (5354 views)

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Re: [Geos] What should I do?

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Two things that might be relevant.

First, the OP's father is a dependent

Secondly, at his age, there's no guarantee he'll still be around by the time his tourist visa expires. Bring him in, and then work on the visa. No one from migracion is going to be looking for him... not like he's taking a job or a burden to society if his family is looking out for his welfare.

http://voiceofmexico.com

Axixic

Sep 29, 2009, 4:06 PM

Post #13 of 15 (5317 views)

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Re: [db52] What should I do?

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Obviously you are confused so let me clear it up. If you go to the SS website it defines SSI as Supplemental Security Income, also known as Social Security Supplemental Income, because it comes from Social Security. Ask any SS attorney. They differentiate the types of SS as I did. There is also SSSDI, Social Security Supplemental Disability Income (welfare), and SSDI, Social Security Disability Income, what one paid into the system which is regular SS collected at an earlier age.

If a person has paid into SS and his benefits are below the state's threshold for SSSI, then he can either collect less than the welfare amount and have the freedom to do whatever he wants or he can have his Social Security Income applied toward the SSSI and SSSI pays the difference up to the state's maximum. Texas does not pay anything in addition to the federal maximum, which the last time I looked was around $670 a month.

One cannot collect his own SS in addition to the welfare amount, meaning add his on top of it as you wrote. The benefit of SSSI is the recipient gets Medicaid which covers 100% of all his medical. If someone wants the freedom of regular SSI but less money, he can also qualify for Medicaid. Some people over the threshold amount qualify for Medicaid because of other expenses.

Long story short, it is impossible for someone collecting SS welfare to receive $1000 a month and that was true when California added $200 a month as a cost of living bonus.

db52

Sep 29, 2009, 6:17 PM

Post #14 of 15 (5291 views)

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Re: [PamelaDelafield] What should I do?

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I think I might know now what it is that I am supposed to be confused about.

A person can get regular Social Security and Medicare, like my mother-in-law whose regular SS check is approx. $103/mo. Also, she gets another SSI check for $590 (and, of course, eligibility for SSI also means Medicaid).

I thought that perhaps one could get a greater amount of regular SS and still qualify for SSI, thereby having an income that adds up to $1000/mo. Evidently, however, this is not possible--I'll take your word for it.

In that case, it is still a mystery as to what the original poster meant by "SSI." Perhaps it's supposed to be Social Security Income, although I think it's more commonly understood to be Supplemental Security Income. I may have misinterpreted.

Axixic

Sep 30, 2009, 5:00 PM

Post #15 of 15 (5193 views)

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Re: [db52] What should I do?

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A person can get regular Social Security and Medicare, like my mother-in-law whose regular SS check is approx. $103/mo. Also, she gets another SSI check for $590 (and, of course, eligibility for SSI also means Medicaid).

I thought that perhaps one could get a greater amount of regular SS and still qualify for SSI, thereby having an income that adds up to $1000/mo. Evidently, however, this is not possible--I'll take your word for it.

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Right, SSSI cannot be over the ceiling amount. I've known people whose SS was 600 a month and SSSI kicked in an additional amount to bring it to the ceiling which was at that time in Texas $670 a month. The money applied toward SSSI is beneath it, not on top of it. It would be tough to live on that little amount of money even with food stamps, which in Texas for one person was $127 a month and subsidized housing. I feel for those people they rely heavily on food banks and other charities to survive.