parents debt

[touc23]

My mother-in-law had an existing $8000 credit card bill before she went into a nursing home. She is 87 years old and has only her social security and a small ($200) stipend from a church group. She is on medicaid for her health care. All her SS goes to paying to be in the home in Minnesota. Prior to that she lived with us and was able to use her SS to pay the bills. The CC company has been sending her statements as well as another company she owes money to for a previous nursing home stay two years ago. There is NO money to pay these. She has absolutely no money at all. What is the best way to handle this? Both these companies have been calling us. We are not on any of her bills except as a mailing address. The bills are hers. We have not signed anything as the "responsible party." How do I get them to stop calling us?