Will they let us put ours borrowed points back into next years use year?

[Ron from Michigan]

We borrowed points from 2011 use year for our trip this Oct. A few weeks ago my father in-law passed away and my wife and I are the primary caregivers of my mother in-law. She has Alzheimer's and there is no way we will be able to make this trip. There are no other family members who can watch her at this point. Thanks Ron..

 

[stichy]

Once they are borrowed they remain in the use year that they were borrowed into. You may call member services and hope to get an understanding cm who maybe able to help you. But the rule is they stay in the year they were borrowed into.

 

[vicki_c]

Not unless a sympathetic MS manager makes a one-time hardship-type exception for you, since borrowing is final. But I would call and explain your situation and see if they can do anything for you.

 

[disneynutz]

If the MS Adviser says no, then ask to speak to a Team Lead. They have the ability to do things that the MS Advisers can't.

Bill

 

[magicaldisney]

You can always rent out your reservation. I don't think you can transfer the points because they are borrowed, but renting the reservation is an option.

 

[castleri]

You may want to look into respite care for your mother in law for the time you would be gone. There are times you will need a break and since you already have a reservation this may be the time to take it. I am sorry for the loss you have suffered and hope that things will work out for you.

 

[DebbieB]

I had to cancel a reservation when my mom died (she was on the reservation). They allowed me to bank the current year points even though I was past my banking deadline but they did not allow me to move the borrowed points. It was only a few points and I didn't pursue it. I ended up using them for an extra night I added to a business trip in Orlando before the end of my use year.

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

We borrowed points from 2011 use year for our trip this Oct. A few weeks ago my father in-law passed away and my wife and I are the primary caregivers of my mother in-law. She has Alzheimer's and there is no way we will be able to make this trip. There are no other family members who can watch her at this point. Thanks Ron..

I don't know anything about the borrowing/banking question, but I know a lot about the challenges of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's, and the impact it can have on the primary and secondary caregivers. My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at only 49 years old, and my father became her primary caregiver, eventually selling his company and retiring young to have more time with her. Fortunately he was financially able to do so, as it's an expensive disease that can bankrupt many people (her care at the end surpassed $25,000 per month)!!!

Eventually, we (the five children) staged an intervention and asked him to put my mom into an assisted care facility. The stress on him was going to kill him, too, and we didn't want to be orphans (granted, all adults, but too young to lose both parents).

After doing so, he suddenly had far too much time on his hands, despite visiting mom every day in the assisted living home, and became very involved with the Alzheimer's Association. One of the things he learned about is the availability of respite care for families who choose to (or, in some cases, must) keep their loved ones at home. It is generally subsidized based on the family's needs and the caregivers are trained and professional.

My point, after the rambling back story, is that I understand your desire and need to be with your MIL, but for your own health and life, it's important that you make some time for yourselves on occasion. I know that tremendous guilt can precede or follow these decisions, but it's truly for the best and not at all selfish!

Just my two cents, not knowing the specifics of your situation. It is a devastating disease and you have my empathy during this difficult time!

 

[Deb & Bill]

I don't know anything about the borrowing/banking question, but I know a lot about the challenges of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's, and the impact it can have on the primary and secondary caregivers. My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at only 49 years old, and my father became her primary caregiver, eventually selling his company and retiring young to have more time with her. Fortunately he was financially able to do so, as it's an expensive disease that can bankrupt many people (her care at the end surpassed $25,000 per month)!!!

Eventually, we (the five children) staged an intervention and asked him to put my mom into an assisted care facility. The stress on him was going to kill him, too, and we didn't want to be orphans (granted, all adults, but too young to lose both parents).

After doing so, he suddenly had far too much time on his hands, despite visiting mom every day in the assisted living home, and became very involved with the Alzheimer's Association. One of the things he learned about is the availability of respite care for families who choose to (or, in some cases, must) keep their loved ones at home. It is generally subsidized based on the family's needs and the caregivers are trained and professional.

My point, after the rambling back story, is that I understand your desire and need to be with your MIL, but for your own health and life, it's important that you make some time for yourselves on occasion. I know that tremendous guilt can precede or follow these decisions, but it's truly for the best and not at all selfish!

Just my two cents, not knowing the specifics of your situation. It is a devastating disease and you have my empathy during this difficult time!

I think you need to change your screen name to A Wise and Loving Son. Been there, done that.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I don't know anything about the borrowing/banking question, but I know a lot about the challenges of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's, and the impact it can have on the primary and secondary caregivers. My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at only 49 years old, and my father became her primary caregiver, eventually selling his company and retiring young to have more time with her. Fortunately he was financially able to do so, as it's an expensive disease that can bankrupt many people (her care at the end surpassed $25,000 per month)!!!

Eventually, we (the five children) staged an intervention and asked him to put my mom into an assisted care facility. The stress on him was going to kill him, too, and we didn't want to be orphans (granted, all adults, but too young to lose both parents).

After doing so, he suddenly had far too much time on his hands, despite visiting mom every day in the assisted living home, and became very involved with the Alzheimer's Association. One of the things he learned about is the availability of respite care for families who choose to (or, in some cases, must) keep their loved ones at home. It is generally subsidized based on the family's needs and the caregivers are trained and professional.

My point, after the rambling back story, is that I understand your desire and need to be with your MIL, but for your own health and life, it's important that you make some time for yourselves on occasion. I know that tremendous guilt can precede or follow these decisions, but it's truly for the best and not at all selfish!

Just my two cents, not knowing the specifics of your situation. It is a devastating disease and you have my empathy during this difficult time!

Excellent post, and one I think the OP should take to heart. Caring for an Alzheimer's patient is NOT an easy thing, and you WILL need breaks on occation.

 

[ToddyLu]

If you are able to find a respite program, try it for a couple of weekends a couple for times for your own comfort and see how it works. There are usually lists of sitters at your local Senior Citizens Center. I am a nurse and DH and I do not have children. He is a Fireman so I spend 1/3 of my marriage at home alone. I used to help out a physician friend of mine with his MIL who had Alzheimer's and lived with them. It was perfect for them, a nurse, a family friend and someone they could trust for a couple of days at a time to get out of town. I did this for several evening visits while they went to dinner and then for a couple of weekend visits. She was a precious lady and I really enjoyed my time with her....we would color together.

If someone offers to help you for a bit of time--take them up on it and enjoy your moments away. I can assure you they would not offer if they were not comfotable with it, you will need help from time to time.

I am sorry to go on about it and realize this was not the help you were requesting.

 

[n2mm]

I would write to MS instead of calling. They may make the exception. MS once borrowed points when making a reservation, even though I had current points. Once I realized that they had done it, I wrote and MS did unborrow my points. This was their fault, not mine (happens sometimes with multiple contracts). Good luck in your decision.

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

We borrowed points from 2011 use year for our trip this Oct. A few weeks ago my father in-law passed away and my wife and I are the primary caregivers of my mother in-law. She has Alzheimer's and there is no way we will be able to make this trip. There are no other family members who can watch her at this point. Thanks Ron..

I second a PP's urging that you make some time for yourself. I may sound uncaring with the following reflections, but I wish someone had given me a realistic jolt when I began the caregiving role.

When your loved one is first stricken, many people go through a process of denial, frustration, anger, and then seeking information on how to proceed. We went through all of this when my MIL started showing signs of Alzheimer's. Honestly, I probably failed to recognize the symptoms for quite a while because my caregiving role for my FIL (due to cancer) had just ended and I was exhausted. Here is the cold part (please, nobody shoot me), most statistics we read gave my MIL an expected life expectancy at onset of advanced Alzheimer's of 2-3 years. We made our decisions on how to proceed based on these statistics, believing we could provide the best care for that length of time. For the next 3 years, we did nothing for ourselves. We did not take vacations. We did not make plans that would keep us away from her too long. We thought that since we had such a short time left with her, that we should devote that time to her. Once that time had passed, we were frazzled. We hadn't had "down time" in what felt like forever and our relationship took a toll. Finally, we explored day care and short-term resident facilities (centers that will take your loved one for 2-3 weeks so that you can have a vacation or just some down time). After the tremendous rejuvenation we felt the first time we got a break, we began to take infrequent but regular respites. Seriously, you NEED this time away... even if only to sit in your own bathtub and be free from the worries of her care. My MIL lived 8 more years; those brief respites that we got were invaluable in allowing us to care for her without losing ourselves in the process.

My prayers are with you. I wish you only the best.

 

[JimMIA]

I would write to MS instead of calling. They may make the exception. MS once borrowed points when making a reservation, even though I had current points. Once I realized that they had done it, I wrote and MS did unborrow my points. This was their fault, not mine (happens sometimes with multiple contracts). Good luck in your decision.

I just had a similar situation with points borrowed when current points were available, and it was fixed quickly over the phone. But as you said, that's an MS mistake and we'd all certainly expect them to fix their own mistake.

To OP -- you now know what the rule is. I'd call MS and see what can be done; magic does sometimes occur and I think they'll help you if they can.

Good luck.

 

[Peggy Sue]

Do call member services and disucss the issue with them.

Many years ago we had to cancel our resevations due to serious family illness and I had used points from the current use year and borrowed points from the next use year to complete our reservation. After discussing the situaiton with MS they reversed everything as if our initial reservation never happened. I seem to recall that I was referred to a manager, but everyone was very helpful and understanding.

I was advised that this was the "super secret" one time exception that is granted to all members .. I have no idea if there is such a thing as a "super secret exception", but I believe MS will work with you if you have circumstances beyond your control .. however, I don't think they would allow this on an annual basis .. but the "one time" offer cetainly was very much appreciated by us as there was no way at the time that we could be away from home and we didn't have the time or strength to think about trying to rent points or our reservation.

Best of luck working with MS.

And I agree with the previous posts .. you are indeed a wise and loving son.

Take care,
Peggy Sue