Monday, September 14, 2009

I HOPE YOU'RE ALL TAKING NOTES

Just when I think I have everything under control, I don't.

Paying the nursing home account is a small problem. We have some cash and money in the bank so I saw the manager of NAB in Mentone to register my Power of Attorney and find out how much money I can withdraw in one transaction.

I can't. My PoA has to go to the Head Office to be verified. I have to take my passport in before they will do that. After that I still can't take money out of the account unless it's bank cheque, $8.00, thank you very much or I arrange for a direct debit with the nursing home. Apparently this is so any despicable family members can't rip off gaga parents. Stupid manager asked me if she could come to the bank and sign out the money herself. If she could do that she wouldn't be in a nursing home, dipstick. I wouldn't go for the direct debit either, too inflexible as we have 14 days to pay when we get the next account and we might need those extra days.

I develop a headache.

The bank is next door to Baker's Delight so the diet that started well this morning died this afternoon.

I have a solution.

I go to Southland tomorrow and take out what's in the account and put it in Mum's St. George account where I also have PoA. Thursday when her pension goes in, I'll do the same because St. George gave us a big cheque book and I can sign a cheque for nothing. This was one of my bitches two years ago when NAB sent a letter saying that no more cheque books would be supplied for her account.
Then every pension day, I'll leave the direct debits in NAB and put the nursing home money and the house rent in St. George. Oh gosh and doesn't that sound so simple in writing and I hope it's that simple in operation.

And now to Centrelink. They sent us four pages of incomprehensible crap which we finally worked out was to tell us they'd assessed the broken down asset of a house and added another thousand to the amount I'd put down. This meant she couldn't get any assistance with an accommodation bond. That assessment is now sent to the Department of Aged Care and they will send us another four pages to say whether or not she has to pay more than 85% of her pension. This could take another 3 weeks.

And just to round off the day, Taxis are having new software installed for eftpos and taxi directorate cards but it's not working....sometimes. It's a bit late to tell me when we are halfway to somewhere that I will have to pay full fare. This morning I had to have a taxi considering the size of the two bags I was hauling but he used the old fashioned writing with a pen method but he wasn't used to it and used up 6 forms before I paid then I shut the door on the beads on my wrap and lost a whole string under the seat. If anyone finds them, just send them on to me.

And Mother's well enough to be giving orders. She wants the wedding photos off the mantlepiece, her address book and some cotton dresses for the warmer weather and don't forget the name tags and I can take home that dressing gown and that pink suit which is too big but leave the jackets because she'll need those for when she goes outside.

Perhaps the headache started here.

7 comments:

R.H. said...

Bakers Delight opened next door to that bank when they found out you had an account there.

My regards to mother.

Jayne said...

Ahhh, would that be the same NAB that closed its branch in tiny, secluded Balnarring and directed it's customers (aka blood-drained slaves) to another branch in Hastings?
NAB, how I do loathe thee, let me count the ways...
Yes, sounds like a sensible plan, fingers crossed it (and the apple crumble with passionfruit icing for the headache) works!

River said...

Next full moon I'm going to wish for you a whole week of absolutely no stress. I hope you get the bank situations sorted satisfactorily. Did you mention to Centrlink that your mums haouse contains asbestos? Surely that would decrease the value a little?

JahTeh said...

Robbert, it's a good thing it was there or I might have punched the bank manager. As for mother, I could put your name on the list for the next available bed.

Jayne, Operation Stuff NAB, phase one, completed.
Phase two, Thursday, I meet sister on the Mentone bus, she gives me the rent money which I then take to Southland, take Ma's pension from NAB and put it all in St. George. Write out cheque, catch bus to Mentone and pay nursing home. It sounds convoluted but at least I'm sitting down for most of it.

River, the trick is to tell them nothing while seeming to tell them everything. The neighbour on the opposite corner has died and the public trustees will be selling that so it'll be interesting to see what it goes for as it's still the original 1/4 acre. Mum's is sitting on 2/3 of the original land but the corner position puts value on.

Ann ODyne said...

I hate banks and think
Bonnie & "we rob banks" Clyde, weren't so bad.

R.H. said...

Yes, put my name down. I'll have a bed next to mother; I love stories and I love gossip.

Middle Child said...

Begorrah! We are absolutely drowning is beauracy and stupidity...what a bloody caffufle