Q. My husband and I live in Virginia and are currently looking into options for long-term care for my mother, since she has dementia and it’s getting worse. I recently learned about Virginia’s filial responsibility law from articles on your blog. Am I correctly understanding that under this law, if my mother can’t pay for her care than I, as her only child, would need to cover her debt? That’s a little frightening, since I’m trying to put two kids through college. I did hear though that the filial responsibility law in Virginia was in the process of being repealed. Can you please tell me more about filial responsibility and provide an update on the repealing of the law? Thanks for your help!

Dear Oakley,

Its Mother’s Day this Sunday! Due to COVID resurging a bit and my mother living five hours away, I haven’t seen her in a long time. We miss her and asked if we can stop by and visit this weekend, and she said “yes,” as long as we all test negative for COVID. When we spoke on the phone, she didn’t sound like herself and my sister, who lives a couple hours closer to her, commented that she is concerned that she has been forgetful lately and looks very thin. She is concerned about whether she may need assistance in the home or possibly even another living arrangement. I’m thinking while I am there, I will check up on her a bit. What are some things to look for to make sure she is okay?

Thanks for your help!

Warri Daboutter