Pennsylvania (like many other states) has a filial responsibility law that generally requires children with means to support an indigent parent. While it may seem unfair, a Pennsylvania court recently enforced the law to hold a son liable for his mother’s $93,000 nursing home bill despite the son’s claim that he couldn’t afford to pay. Health Care & Retirement Corporation of America v. Pittas (Pa. Super. Ct., No. 536 EDA 2011, May 7, 2012).

However, it didn’t have to be this way if only the family consulted elder law attorneys such as FriedmanLaw when the mother first needed care. Elder care lawyers could have helped the mother qualify for Medicaid to pay for her care instead of leaving the son to be saddled with a high nursing home bill for his mom. The moral of this story is pretty simple; consulting elder law counsel early on can yield major savings down the road.

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