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Janet0722 Asked June 2014

Can a person with dementia make legal changes to bank accounts, property ownership, get married etc?

anonymous158299 Jun 2014
i agree with pam and kaz . i considered bringing my 90 yr old aunt 100 miles to visit g - kids with me . aps said they thought it to be a bit much for her but i reminded them that until declared incompetent she could " buy the brooklyn bridge " to coin a phrase .. they completely stopped short of telling us not to make the trip ,. i chose not to bring edna because imo , it WOULD be a bit too much for her. shes latter stage dementia but as affirmative as i am about self determination , both hers and mine .

pamstegma Jun 2014
Who says they are demented? Your opinion does not count. The family doctor is also "unqualified" unless he is a psychiatrist. The bank manager, the realtor and the minister are not qualified to determine competency. But a Judge in Surrogate's court can bang the gavel and say you are incompetent. Until he does that, the person can go buy the Brooklyn Bridge if they want to. Happens all the time.

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kazzaa Jun 2014
Yes she can do what she likes as long as she hasnt been deemed "incompetent" if you think she dosnt know what shes doing with her finances then you need to get POA and quick! I am still trying to get mum to get this and time is running out!

GardenArtist Jun 2014
Estate planning documents (Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney) generally have clauses stating that the person executing them is "of sound mind", interpreted as meaning being able to make decisions, understand them, etc.

Has your mother actually been diagnosed with dementia, and if so, what kind? Is she still able to make financial and legal decisions?

What she can do really depends on the nature and state of her dementia.

I suspect that your mother wants to make some changes of which you don't approve?

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