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My client is an elderly man of 83 years old. He can in fact get up and walk from room to room but cannot stay in a standing position for very long. He can use the restroom, get himself from the living room to the bedroom and back. He even occasionally cooks up a little bit of something for himself or both of us. But for the most part and I mean most, I cook his meals every night, do the kitchen cleaning, clean the house, maintain the outside yard, do the laundry, escort him to doctor's appointments, remind him of appointments, jump up and get things for him when he needs them like something to drink or oh I messed up the TV again, so I fixed the TV, get him onto websites and get him back there when he ends up somewhere else. Pretty much he utilizes my services all day long but I have breaks in between whenever I feel like taking one to be honest.
When we met, I was at a point where I was happening to move because my last client passed away. His family is working on probate and taking over the property.
My client offered me to move in with him and told me that he was interested in investing some money in something to get a return on it. I explained to him that I was very good in the profession of buying and selling used goods or liquidating goods. So he agreed with me we would be able to start a small business buying and selling liquidated items. He also said that he would pay me $300 a month and room and board as part of my pay.
Since I moved in here, he for sure has kept up with the $300 a month but only after I remind him every month and finally get him out of his chair and off to the bank to get the money, he is charging me for room and board every month but I am not in a room. I am in fact sleeping in a chair in the living room all the while he has a two bedroom house both with beds in them.
His wife passed away a year ago and one of those rooms was hers and that is where he sleeps now. There is something wrong with the air bed in his room.
It is unfair I feel for me to be charged for room and board when I don't have a room and I pay $250 a month for my own food. But he still seems to be able to justify charging me room and board at what he considers his room to be rented out for at $800 a month. That is what he figures he could get for this room if he was to rent it out. So now here I am stuck in this home with not enough income to even move. He doesn't want to allow me to get a part-time job because that would take away from my time with him. He says he can't afford any more than $300 a month but I happen to know because I do all the cleaning and some of his paperwork that he has money in the bank a considerable amount. But because he hates the house he's in he seems to feel that he needs to move. So the way I see it is that he values moving more than he does personal care that he surely does need in his daily life.
He does every once in awhile throw me a bone is that as what I call it. $20 or so for gas. But he does not take into consideration the time that I spend taking care of him and that that time could be used at a part-time job actually making the money that I need in order to pay for my bills such as my registration my insurance on my car and my truck. Not only that but he we have not been reporting this to the IRS which is hurting me in the long run and I've explained to that to him.
What can I do or what should I do? If I quit that means putting myself out on the street to be homeless because I don't have enough money or make enough money with him to even save any in order to move.
Also I forgot to add, he has lagged me along with the starting of the business which was supposed to be a way for me to generate some income and for him to get a return on his investment. He says he wants to move first. But can't seem to find a house that he wants and in the long run I am not making a dime except that 300 even though he promised that he would invest so that we could both generate some income



I just don't know what to do.

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Im sorry, you are working for 300 a month AND you are paying 250 for food AND 800 in so called rent when he won’t let you work part time? And you want to get him reinvolved with a business selling his stuff?
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What you need is to stop doing what you are told. Ted is not your boss. He is onto a good thing, and he has no incentive to change.

Ted cannot stop you getting a part-time job. You can take breaks when you want, so look for a job that takes three or so hours’ work at a time when he can get his own drinks instead of relying on you. Some women with children at school want to finish work in time to get the kids, so you might look at that end-of-the-day time slot. Save your pay for future accommodation options, and tell him that dinner will be a bit later.

Ted cannot stop you working out what is wrong with his faulty air bed, fixing it, or getting a mattress – on the floor if necessary. You don’t have to obey a command to sleep in a chair in the living room. If he thinks he can rent out his room for $800 a month, the new person can sleep on the chair!

Ted is not going to like this. So what? He is going to tell you to leave. However this is one situation where the rules that protect tenants from eviction can work in your favor. Find out what your state says about eviction. It usually takes a long time, especially in messy situations like yours, so keep saving the money while you wait.
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You are being taken advantage of. Quit and get another job and a new place to live. Easier said than done but it needs to be done. You are better off living in a homeless shelter than being the personal slave to this lying despicable old man.
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Caregivers make $ 300 a day for long shift and about 100 for overnight.
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You pay rent, so you have to be evicted. That's actually in your favor.

Figure out how many hours you have actually worked for him and keep track, this will be your proof that you bartered a place to live for helping him.

Go get yourself a full-time job and look for a cheap place to move after your 1st couple of checks.

Doesn't matter what this man says, slavery is illegal.

Stop making excuses and start making plans.
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Oh, one thing, you should be self reporting your income and paying your taxes.

What kind of benefits are you receiving to be able to pay 250.00 monthly for food out of a 300.00 paycheck? And keep a car legal?

If the room is available and you chose not to put a bed in it and use it, well...that's on you. Many charitable organizations have free beds.

It is time for you to move on. Things aren't going to change for the better, use this as a learning experience. Education is expensive, in or out of a classroom.
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This OP is 56, has a class A drivers license and has had previous elder care jobs before. She would know from just the latter that she could clear 300 in a day or at best two.

Im sorry but without further info this sounds like yet another drive by double grifter type deal. Old man is ahead. She has absolutely no right to be looking at his finances any more than she looks at his junk mail, nor can she demand a room for herself now that it’s established that all she pays for is a recliner.
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