Assist a Caregiver in Need After Mother's Passing

Hello! For the last three and a half years, I've been a caregiver for my Mother who had vascular dementia. I can't explain how much she is missed. She was only 4' 10", but was a tower of love and strength. She was a nurse for 35 years and spent her retirement (up to the point of her diagnosis) helping everyone she could in any way that she could. She was a faithful member of her church and belonged to many organizations (including the Orcutt Senior Citizens Club, AGLOW International, and G. W. Carver Class of '64). She helped the elderly get groceries, get to doctor's appointments, and get to church.

I was with her as a caregiver for 1,344 days. In December of 2023, I was admitted to the hospital for an emergency blood transfusion and was diagnosed with severe anemia. There were so many things I had to learn along the way as there was no help available to her or myself. Our family tried getting assistance with a caregiver or seeing if she'd qualify for Medicaid, but each avenue we tried was a dead end.

Thankfully, we were able to get her admitted to palliative care and transferred to hospice care in February of this year. She passed away peacefully here at home on March 30th.

During the life insurance claim review period, there are bills that still need to be paid. Our Mother added on to the house 12 years ago and there's a mortgage payment. As you all know, there's not much care for real-world issues when bills are past due. I'm already largely in debt after not having a job for over three years. And honestly, that's why I'm reaching out to you for help. My family has helped throughout the years, but this is now bigger than what anyone is financially capable of. Sadly, my situation is not an anomaly. I've met people throughout my journey as a caregiver (from all walks of life) who've had to care for elderly parents with lifelong illnesses. It is a very hard job. It affects the health, mental health, and financial health of the caregiver.

Any help at all would be tremendously appreciated.