From the NYT: Alzheimer's Takes a Financial Toll Before Diagnosis

harshedbuzz

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/31/business/economy/alzheimers-disease-personal-finance.html?unlocked_article_code=1.wE0.0r2q.SLXBA3o0-_FV&smid=url-share

Preaching to the choir.

HB

This is a gifted link.

concerned_sister

Thank you HB. I printed that article out for future reference.

You've shared your father's story here as a warning to others. In our family, it was that DB fell behind in filing his taxes. That's probably what gave the biggest push to SIL to ask for the siblings to intervene with DB to get help with what was going on. As mentioned, he has improved clarity with Aricept (generic). When driving DB to an appointment yesterday he commented he thought he was probably good with the IRS on all the years of back taxes he filed a few months ago - he hasn't heard otherwise. He commented that he wasn't trying to get away with anything, and actually had the money to pay the taxes. I sympathized and told him it was part of the disease we didn't yet recognize, and he hadn't sent his money to some offshore account.

Re the article, I wonder if there's a correlation between onset and deliquent tax filings. I wish there were a way to recover fees and interest. Anyways, I've saved the article in case somewhere down the line he gets questions from the IRS on this. Hopefully it's all behind him.

BassetHoundAnn

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/211181#Comment_211181

A friend was able to get the IRS to wave the delinquent tax fees and interest for her father. She wrote a long letter detailing his mental incompetence. She worked with someone at an IRS field office who told her how to write the letter and who to send it to.

mpang123

My dad thinks he can file his taxes. I don't think he can. I had to extend his filing till October. He missed the April deadline. I am going to look at what he did even though I don't know much about taxes. I haven't worked for over 30 yrs. I'm disabled. I suggested to ask for professional help but he insists to do it himself. He used to be a computer accountant. If he gets it wrong, will IRS come after him? He really needs to see a CPA to avoid that.

Belle

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/211236#Comment_211236

He doesn't necessarily need to see a CPA. He could go to a tax preparer like HR Block (which I haven't used myself or a similar company) or see if a local government agency has resources to help seniors prepare their tax returns. The later is usually free. If he files and pays by the extension deadline (if he owes taxes) he should be fine but he will have penalty and interest added which you could fight given his medical diagnosis. From here on out though you should take over filing his taxes no matter what he thinks he can do. If you are DPOA you could just gather his 1099's, 1098's or whatever tax statements he gets in January-March and bring them to someone yourself to do the actual filing. It's easier to address it now then to clean up a mess later on.

mpang123

Ok Belle. I should have collected his tax information much earlier but when I see him in 3 days, I'm going to tell him he needs help. He said he was still waiting for paperwork in the mail so he can finish filing. I'll see…he is seeing hospice also in 3 days. Hope he qualifies and cooperates with hospice staff. There's so much responsibilities being POA but I'll learn as I go. It's good experience for me.

concerned_sister

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/211234#Comment_211234

Thanks BHA,

Too bad we hadn't given it more thought before we paid. When things reached a head one sibling was helping getting the tax issues addressed while another (me) was working on dr appointments and getting a diagnosis. The payments and diagnosis were within days of each other. I hope this is of help to someone else in the same situation.

BassetHoundAnn

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/211255#Comment_211255

It's so tough. All this stuff comes at you at once. Between juggling all the doctor appointments plus the financial and business aspects of dementia care, it's like getting hit with multiple tornadoes. Often I felt like I was trying to fight my way out of a cyclone of whirling paperwork.