I've been accused of stealing from my dad, but I'm not. What can I do?

There is a lot of information missing from your question. First what kind of agency is helping your dad? Has the agency help for your dad been ordered by a case worker? Is your dad an Adult Protective Services case? Who accused you of stealing and why exactly did they do it?

Sorry about this..having worked in the medical field there are agencies that are vultures..they "hoover" until one mistake than zoom in for the "kill'.AARP has had numerous articles on this situation in their magazine. A Rod Burley could help you just go on the aarp website and type his name in the search box..there is a 1-800 number to call plus a form to fill out so he can help you. Of course you aren't stealing but as I said some agencies are vultures. You have to get a lawyer and one who deals in elder law, get your paperwork together and get help. This is the only way to deal with this as doing it yourself is useless they will "eat you alive". Good luck and keep us posted.

I'm shocked and much appreciate everyone's experience here. I also pay out of my own bank account, then get reimbursed from my father. It is time to get a separate account and separate credit card to handle my parents affairs. You all here by sharing are helping so many people. THANK YOU.

I have never heard of a company placing a guardian over someone without a court order with you in attendance. Fire this company immediately, and have documents for all disbursements from your account paying his bills. Your POA is still in effect since your father did not rescind it, so use it to fire this company. They are over stepping their rights. Pay them what you owe them and get someone else to care for your father. If you have to, hire an attorney to take them to court and ask for damages. This is bizarre.

Time to speak to an elder-law attorney. What a shame.

There are other steps in this story -- how a temporary guardianship was obtained for example (judge?). These are legal actions that have to be addressed legally. Get your paperwork into exquisite order, try only once with that to make the place back off, then work with the legalities of the situation (preferably with a lawyer, unless you are good at research and are willing to teach yourself about the legal system) .

It's wrong for people to accuse caregivers before getting the facts. So many honest hard working people are made to look like they are doing something wrong. Guilty until proven innocent, that's not the way it should be.

I paid bills from my father's account, but I had to write a check to myself for groceries, clothing and gas. I would pick things up for him along with my own purchases and many times I didn't pay myself back. I always kept the receipts with the items highlighted. I kept all of the bills and receipts in a bankers box, just in case there were any questions. My sister in law accused me of taking money for myself. There are always going to be people who will judge you, so it's best to keep the money and records for your parent separate from your own.

I hope things get straightened out soon!

These people at that agency, more than likely want to get guardianship of your loved one, and this is how a predatory guardianship begins; with false accusations, a willing corrupt "elder care attorney" and a corrupt judge, all three working together to take over the assets of you loved ones, specially if the assets are large. And once they have an interest, they will file for "emergency" guardianship and the judge will agree with them and from there they will declare the wealthy elder person "incapacitated" and throw you out of your loved one's life, legally with false testimony witnesses, and they will become "guardian" (thieves abusers) of your loved one's financial accounts. PLEASE GO TO THE NASGA WEBSITE URGENTLY FOR INFO. GOOD LUCK.

Great advice, everyone.

I'm beginning to wonder if there's anyone on the site that HASN'T been accused of theft at some point...

No good deed goes unpunished! 4 years ago I was working part time and staying at my parents house 3 days a week helping my mom care for my dying father. I did this 3 months. It was hard work mentally and physically. The day before my father's funeral I was accused of stealing thousands of dollars from their house. I was devastated and didn't see my family for three months. I was finally exonerated when my sister who was my best friend was caught on camera 7 times going into my mom's safe deposit box. I still have nightmares about this.
I had promised my dying father I would take care of my mother. I moved her next to me 3 years ago and am P.O.A. I never touch her accounts, but do all of her shopping. I log everything, date everything and log every check she writes for me. I don't ever want to go through being falsely accused again. It's one of the most horrible feelings in the world. We help out of love and set our own lives aside for a time and have to live with being blamed for something we would never do! Good luck to you. Remember you are doing a good thing and you will have a special place in heaven waiting for you, see you there :)

Before we received guardianship, I was accused of stealing from my mother. The stock certificates were sitting on the kitchen countertop. It was all in her mind.
When I made my first accounting to the judge, I was accused of stealing from my mother because I did what you do - I wrote checks from my account and used mother's account to cover what I had written. It was totally legit and I had a full accounting with receipts. I learned to write checks from mother's account only and I made that check for each individual receipt. In the beginning, there were quite a few check as repairs were being made on her house, but it sure was simpler than explaining - line by line - to the attorneys and the judge.
I staple every receipt and invoice on a paper in a book and write the check number on the bottom of the page. this way my pages coincide with the bank statements.
I was never given instructions as to how to do my accounting and had to learn the hard way. Hang in there.

Welcome to the police-y state. I am seeing attorneys and judges do this a lot this year. They have a deficit and we are an asset. You won't understand my comment so research guaranty insurance and the state. Good luck.

I do this too as my mother's pension of $1,000 is nowhere near the $2,500 a month it costs for her NH care. I use her bank card for gas, groceries etc, put the remaining cash in my account and pay all her bills from there. I have POA and juggle investments so there's always money available for her. It's the simplest way to do it.

What kind of an agency institutes their own guardian and overrides a POA?! I work in private duty healthcare, for an agency, and I have never heard of this before. Did you sign a contract with this agency? Did the contract stipulate that if you missed a payment they would take this kind if action?

I understand why you pay your dad's bills the way you do, I'm sure it's much simpler that way. Can you show this agency your dad's bills, show then how much they are a month, and then show them your statements and how you pay his bills with your money and then reimburse yourself from your dad's account? It should be fairly easy to provide this information as figures don't lie.

Get a copy of your dad's monthly bank statement and a copy of your own and then just follow the money transactions.

What do you have to do to get this agency's hooks out of you? Do it and then find another agency. This is not standard practice for a nursing agency.