Can You Achieve Financial Growth & Stability with Parkinson's?

My father being an immigrant meant he came to this country with very little. Truly. He came with what I think was the equivalent of $500 USD. He and my mother burned through that pretty quickly and soon enough they had to start from bottom up. This means whatever we have, whatever we own, is from the incredible work ethic and financial growth they were able to establish. I think about this a lot when I think about my education and the opportunities I have access to.

How do people accomplish financial stability with Parkinson’s?

Recently though, with my father having PD and having impulse control issues, my siblings and I are seeing a good chunk of what we earn going back into our parents. My father, while he was an incredibly hard-working man, reached his limit for what he is able to give to his children. This got me thinking about how having a parent or a family member with Parkinson’s doesn’t allow for much financial growth. Of course, my kids will have better and more opportunities than I had, or than my father had. But how do people accomplish financial stability with a disease like Parkinson’s?

Unless someone qualifies for Medicaid, healthcare expenses are through the roof. At the moment, my father has fallen into the Drug Coverage Gap which means he is responsible for all the costs for his medication.

Home care requires serious cash and being able to keep up with his wants and impulsive buys means a good chunk is going back up to my father instead of the future. I am not complaining.

I would simply like to ask the community, are there resources or things I could better be doing financially? Are there steps I could take to help my father get Medicaid? He is retired and collects social security but it seems owning a rental property means he automatically is disqualified for Medicaid.

How do people with Parkinson's manage to handle finances on their own?

For those who handle their own finances and have PD, how do you manage? What are some tips and tricks to staying afloat?

What I think is most frustrating is the lack of assistance from the government’s end. It feels like they acknowledge what a difficult time people with PD have but refuse to provide assistance in the form of specialized health care or income. Even the idea of having someone help us navigate social security benefits would be helpful.

I have read of research studies being done to help inform Congress about how having Parkinson’s impacts household finances. Apparently, the findings from this study would be used to inform Congress how they might play a role in helping or assisting families who suffer from Parkinson’s. When or if we see the results of this study, it would still be a very long time before we see any assistance or funds from Congress to actually make a difference.

I try not to be a negative Nancy but it is hard sometimes to figure out how to go forward and make the smartest most efficient decisions for me and my family. We are working on figuring out the best way to move forward and get my father the best care while it not costing a chunk of our income. If you have any tips, please let me know!