This is a monstrous proposal to strip seniors by arbitrary, capricious, and perpetually shifting standards. Note all such proposals demand government size guns rather than transferring them as gifts and or inheritances. My dad suffered dementia and never abused his safe full of firearms. In fact he forgot the combination and I ensured all were handed down to children and grand children. This is just another evil and corrupt gun grab by wicked men and women masquerading as health providers.

we will simply defeat this by putting all our firearms in a family trust and those no longer competent will be removed from the trust by the family without need of government supervision.

I would not suggest creating any kind of truly dangerous situation by giving access to guns to someone who is mentally incapacitated. However, there is a big gap between these liberal's "reasonable" gun laws and what most gun owners know to be their 2nd Amendment rights. Control, control, control is all we hear today, as if the
so called red flag laws will solve everything. It must feel great to them to finally have a way to simply run to the police on a big power trip and have their wish fulfilled. Notice, they always say the guns are "temporarily" removed. Ha! When has the government ever been so generous to gun owners?

Mr. Broker, where in the world did you get the idea that the PBS NewsHour is a Communist advocacy group?

Carol Bradley Bursack In rural areas and urban areas, a firearm is a tool, just like a pitchfork is a tool and either one can be used to kill. So common sense should tell you that when Grandpa comes after you with the pitchfork, you send Grandpa to The Home and keep the pitchfork. If he rides the tractor into the side of the barn, you limit him to riding the haywagon.
Common sense should have told the mother in Newtown to lock up her guns when she was not home. We don't need more laws, regulations or mandatory reporters.
We need more common sense with gun owners

Ammunition is easier to control.

I can’t describe how terrible it was to hear my dad, suffering from Alzheimer’s, threaten to kill himself, when we knew he owned and kept loaded weapons around. At the time — it’s changed now, thanks to the red flag laws — the only way in my state to have the guns removed would have been to have him committed to a 72-hour hold, which would have been devastating for both of our parents. They did end up going to assisted living, where of course the weapons were not allowed. And in the interim, his access to weapons that could be fired was very seriously curtailed/disabled as recommended in this article, but we feared him going out and buying more guns and ammunition —especially since he was paranoid and felt very suspicious of everyone. We are all very lucky that no one was hurt, including him. His doctor would not do anything, and law enforcement could not do anything unless we were willing to have him taken away and committed. It would have felt like prison for him — shameful for someone so upright and law-abiding — and he would not have understood why it was happening. All states need to pass red flag laws for the safety of dementia-suffering elders and their families.

I readHorse Puckey’s comment...Let me tell you this, I was ATTACKED more than once by my mother in law early in her dementia. She nearly shattered my writing hand with her cane, whacking me hard onthe back of my neck and then hand, when securing the front door by deadbolt/key. She caught me from behind by surprise. My husband and I had moved into her home, at her request, to help her...she was unhappy that we were married and that I was part of the deal. Lol
Another time, I had to barricade myself in my bedroom and call 911. She had called to report an intruder, I called when she tried to break the door down. No guns in the home after that...her dementia caused her to forget who I was...and why I was there on many occasions.

As a gun owner, the greatest danger in confronting an intruder is the possibility of having your weapon wrestled from you and being shot with your own weapon. One must be strong enough to safely control and secure the weapon from being taken away by force easily, in my opinion.
If judgement is impaired, if sight is questionable (cannot target/identify what is being aimed at) it is probably time to pass the guns to the next generation as a proud tradition.

The suggestion to have the gun disabled is actually quite problematic. If there is a confrontation of any kind, particularly with the police, how are they to know the weapon has been disabled. If an elder per, or anyone really, points a gun at another person, as in ready to fire, that person with the gun is likely going to get shot. If someone has always carried. Yes, it’s going to be hard for them, but Just remove the gun instead of making it disabled. That’s like leaving a bottle of alcohol in front of an alcoholic or a stock car in front of a race car driver.

Typical liberal wanting to take away your constitutional rights with scare tactics. First, they want to take away your guns because you're too old. Then they want to take away your guns because you're on medication. Then, they want to take away your guns because you 'look threatening'. Then, no one will be allowed to own a gun. Notice how she didn't cite one single example of an elderly person accidentally killing a family member due to having dementia. And I guarantee you, if there is a single instance, there are alternatively 1,000's of times and elderly person protected theirselves with a gun due to increasing crime from liberal policies...

When break-ins, robberies and homicides are no longer a threat to TARGETED SENIORS than everyone can give up their Rights to Keep and Bear Arms. Along those lines...authors will also give up their rights of Freedom of the Press so as not to offend those who don't agree with them.

After my husband was diagnosed with vascular dementia, I took all of the bullets out of the gun he insisted on having. He never noticed, and when he died of major stroke 2 years later, I gave the gun to his son.

NO guns for a person with dementia. If their memory is intact, fine. It's not an issue I would even discuss with a person who has loss of memory. But if you want to avoid a confrontation, I would unload the guns while they are in the bathroom. That may be a way to avoid an argument.

A woman I worked with shot her own son when he came to check on her after a power outage. It was just luck that she only grazed him. Son is a police officer. She did not have dementia. She wasn't mentally ill. Just very nervous and lacking common sense. With a gun.

I suppose if they shoot and kill anybody the law can't do much to them. But they might to the caregiver who is responsible.

My dad had so many guns it was scary. Most he inherited from his relatives. I convinced him that he might get reactive so we sold them with a reputable gun dealer.
His huge .357 Magnum was always loaded next to bed. It was so inappropriate for city life.
Once he stopped hunting in his 50s, he never once used any of them.
He sure loved all that cash though!! Lol

This is a scary thought from the Canadian side of the border. We just don't have as many guns...

We just had an incident here wherehusband was shot and killed , his wife with alz was found down the road in a truck dead . But the thinking here is the wife did it.

I don't know whether to be glad or envious that here in the UK taking away guns isn't often something caregivers need to lose sleep over. But the subject has come up for a different reason: an 83 year old farmer who discharged his shotgun at a vehicle he thought was about to run him down was arrested by armed police and charged with causing grievous bodily harm because the lowlife driver got hit in the foot.

I am glad to say that following a three-day trial the jury took precisely 24 minutes to find the elderly farmer not guilty.

But the problem is that our esteemed prosecution authority still insists that it was in the public interest to charge the farmer, but didn't bother with any of the self-confessed poachers who drove onto his land, threatened him, and put him in fear of his life. The contrast between their attitude and that of the jury is the perfect illustration of the gulf between establishment bodies and the people they are supposed to serve.

Your right to bear arms is very precious and should not be given up. At the same time, taking a responsible attitude to the safe keeping and use of weapons is obviously vital - otherwise you play into the hands of people who'd like nothing better than a disarmed populace, where the only people who generally have firearms are drug dealers and human traffickers.

Gosh, this question was from 3 years ago.... Just now catching up and reading... A bit late on this conversation, but I think I hit the nail on the head, well maybe I hit myself on the head.....It does boil down to safety, and safety courses are a good place to start....

GUN SAFETY CLASSES AND RANGES would be a good place to start.... Once they try shooting at a target and they cannot hit the bullseye, may be a good place to start. Ranges can be fun and is usually a good controlled enviroment.... THIS WAY EVERYONE KNOWS in the house what you are up against.... Safety first.... Ranges can be a good and fun way to fulfill the desire to shoot.... And they usually hold gun safety classes....

GUN SAFETY CLASSES should be up front and considered with everyone who has a gun in their dwelling... The elders should be encouraged to take this class with their loved ones... It could be a lot of fun and time well spent with each other.... This would be a good place to discuss the reasons for owning a gun. Shooting ranges are a "blast"....

"Hey Grandma!! Was that a Baretta 9mm ( or a 38 caliber 6 cylinder, or a 357 Magnum Python) I found in your closet? Can you and Mom take me to shooting range and teach me how to shoot?" GRandma, can the shooting range people teach me the proper techniques on how handle a pistol so I don't shoot my fingers off or hurt anyone? Do these things need to be cleaned and cared for? GUN SAFETY IS A FIRST !!!! If you are 5 years old or 100... If you have a gun in the home, then address it!!! PERIOD.... Get everyone who lives in the home involved and accountable NOW...If you don't like what the teacher or classes are teaching, then get rid of the gun....

GOOD OLD GRANDMA, GRANDPA, MA, PA, JUNIOR absolutely need to know how to operate any weapons that you have in the house....

That goes for cooking appliances too....... Seriously,,, my kid burned her fingers on a Le Crueset Pot... Cooked up something really nice, stuck it in the oven to finish the process, Whoa LA.... Burned fingers... The lid had a plastic handle,,,,,, OOPS forgot that was attached to the lid on the pot that was baking at 400* HELLO !!

Can you imagine what would happen if someone picked up a gun, thought it was "DISABLED" and it was loaded and they thought it wasn't?

Do you go SCUBA diving without professional classes? YOU CANNOT GET YOUR TANKS FILLED WITHOUT SHOWING C CARD, unless you know someone. :)

Point is, if you are going to have a lethal weapon, it wouldn't hurt to refresh your skills with a professional....

Therefore, I am going to get re-certified in SCUBA.... with my kid :)

Yes, I will need to add more weights to my belt... FAT FLOATS... Oops...

There's lots of ways seniors can cause trouble or maim or kill someone. A senior could slice with butcher knife, tazer, strangle with cords, poke eyes with knitting needles, spray mosquito spray or bleach, do I have to come up with any more? The point is, guns are a tool. Even without ammo inside they can be pounded into someone's head or face or groin. Bullets have to be aimed to get the target, or they might jam and not fire at all. I would be much more afraid of a burglar with a knife than a gun, because gun usage is a highly skilled tool as compared to a knife. Responsible gun owners keep guns and ammo in separate locked safes. Everyone has several sharp knives (cords, bleach, plastic bags, hammers....) just sitting around the house or garage. If we take the claim "guns kill people" seriously then how about swimming pools being banned, as more kids die in swimming pools than from guns, every year. I'm pretty sure competent seniors with guns are no more dangerous than competent younger people, all things considered.

My dad is 83 with mild dementia and failing short term memory. He was a hunter all his life and we grew up with several guns in the house. Mom and dad live in rural west Virginia where there is virtually no crime, but they watch the local crash and burn news each night and think they are surrounded by meth heads and killers. I managed to get all the long guns out of the house "dad, I've always wanted to add these nice old guns to my collection", and that worked. But he still keeps a cheap little pistol in his closet and despite forgetting when he ate last he remembers that gun and checks on it every few days. My next trip to wv I plan to unload the clip, put the empty clip back in and see if he notices. Personally, I feel the whole argument about handguns for self protection is ridiculous. I've heard all the anecdotal evidence of how packing heat saved the day, but the reality is, far too many handguns get stolen, or end up in the hands of drunken idiots (how many abusive husband/hostage situations do we see these days?) in my dads case, the people most likely to get shot would be me or my mother. Unless an elder is in perfect mental condition, no guns, no way, no how!

Demented seniors and guns are a bad, bad, bad idea. When my elder decided she wanted to get rid of her gun, she was going to throw it in a nearby river. Problem was she could not find it. After a thorough search my gun savvy husband located it in a cabinet, wadded up in a towel stuffed in a pillowcase so that you could not tell one end from the other. It was loaded with the safety off. It's very fortunate that he knew what he was doing so he didn't shoot someone in the process of handling it.
If self-protection is the issue, use a can of mace or bear spray or a taser or other non-lethal means of self defense. Bear spray is powerful stuff and shoots a long way, but you probably won't die if you accidentally shoot yourself with it. I'm an avid defender of gun rights, but a little common sense is in order here, too.

My dad has dementia and drinks 8~12 beers every night. I dont want to be shot going pee at 2am . Thats why my dad doesnt need a gun.

I don't see why a senior should not have a gun; only if they are competent and do not have dementia or some other impairment that would hinder common sense. Many people have firearms, I would have concerns if they were not capable of making good decisions as someone could be injured.

HECK NO !! NO GUNS

I own licensed firearms. I HOPE someone has the good sense to take them out of the house if I start taking a narcotic pain reliever or exhibit signs of dementia. Until then, this old lady feels just a tad safer having Mr. Smith & Mr. Wesson as house guests, so keep your grubby little hands off my guns. ;) ;)

Dad keeps asking if I am bringing his gun back? I tell him "No.". Last weekend when we were down at his house, it was about 11:15pm. My husband was in the hall bathroom which is just across from the bedroom we sleep in, where I was. He turned on the bath fan to take out any "offensive" smell he was leaving (haha). Dad had gone to his upstairs bedroom about 3 hours earlier.

Well, next thing I know dad is banging on the bathroom door saying "What are you doing in there?" My husband answered with "going to the bathroom" and dad replied again with "what are you doing? What is that loud noise?" So my husband told him it was the exhaust fan.

Nothing nicer than having someone bang on the door while you are going poo, I guess it just scared it out of him!! haha

But the next morning dad didn't remember any of it. So he asked me if I was going to bring back his gun and I repeated "No, remember what happened last night? (and told him again about banging on the bath door) Well, what if YOU thought that it was a burglar in the house? You don't need a gun." He threatens to go and buy another one, but I don't think he will.