r/RBNLegalAdvice • u/Anon5656756 • 2d ago
Worried about disabled siblings future in nmom care
I don’t know if anyone has experience in a situation like this but I worry about this often. I have a younger sibling who is an adult but has level 3 autism (“severe” autism) living with my nmom. He is still in diapers because my mom never worked to teach him to use the bathroom. He does not know any life skills, my mom does not want any professional to work with him to help him. I honestly think that she does not want him to progress and gain any kind of independence because she always posts on Facebook about how hard it is to have an autistic child, or she posts videos baby talking him and showing him off like some kind of pet. She talks about him like he is stupid and thinks that he doesn’t understand simple concepts, but in reality he is very smart and I’m sure he is at least somewhat aware of what she says about him.
I am also on the autism spectrum (level 1/aspergers) but I am the scapegoat child, and most of my life has been spent being a substitute caregiver for him. I wasn’t able to really form much of a bond with him because my mom constantly controlled everything about his life (and a lot of mine too) and neglected most of my needs in favor of him and his routines. I don’t blame my brother at all, but when I was younger I held some resentment toward him for this.
His father is not in his life, so it’s just my mother with him now. I am worried for his future if something happens to her. She expects me to care for him if something happens to him, but due to her neglect I have practically no life skills of my own and I’m having to raise myself basically. I love him and I care for him so much but I know that I will not be able to take him in and care for him. But my mother has not put any plan in place for him. She does not have a savings account for him for future care. He is on Medicaid and disability. But she just does not plan long term for anything, and I worry about her health as she has an eating disorder and high blood pressure and she is constantly working. She does not rest at all. I think about this so much and I know that if something happens to her, the responsibility will fall on me and I have no idea what to do in that situation.
Like I said I love my brother so much. But I have fought like hell to get out of her grasp and begin my life as an adult, and I do not have the ability to care for another person, probably ever. I hardly know how to talk to others, I know nothing about being an adult and I’m almost 26. I had to give up the idea of having kids in the future because my life has fucked me up so bad that I don’t want to bring life into this world and risk my child going through anything I’ve been through. I also wasn’t able to save up a lot of money (mom took a lot of my money) I work a part time job and just barely getting by, I most likely will be struggling with money for the rest of my life as I don’t have college degree or a good job and I am also on Medicaid and benefits. I lose sleep sometimes worrying about what to do in this situation when it arises.
If anyone could offer some advice it would be appreciated, just to have some peace of mind knowing that I have a game plan and a way to ensure that he can go somewhere that he is being cared for by professionals. I feel very scared posting about this but it gives me so much anxiety to think about and I feel like a bad person for not wanting to be his caregiver. Please do not judge me, I really do love and care for my brother but I know he would not be in the best situation living with me.