Can I claim expenses (clothing, etc.) for my father living on government assistance in a nursing home?

[etheluno]

Dad receives Medicare/Medicaid benefits for his nursing home stay.  All his Social Security benefits are assigned to the nursing home.  I provider all his clothing, hair cuts, hearing aids, etc.  Can I claim him as a dependent?

[MargaretL · Accepted solution]

No, you cannot claim his support expenses as a deduction, they are considered personal and are not tax deductible. However, you can claim your father as your dependent if you provide more than half of his entire support for the year. 

Support includes:

• Food
• Lodging (even if your mortgage is paid of
• Clothing
• Education (including the GI bill)
• Medical and dental care (including insurance and supplementary Medicare premiums)
• Recreation
• Transportation and similar necessities

Compare how much you spend on your dad's living expenses listed above with how much he contributes. If you are paying more than 50% of the expenses, you are considered to be providing more than half of his support.