Achieving POA if parent won't sign?

While she's being cooperative, see if you can get her to sign the POA.

Thanks for the update, Dougie!

Since the last posting I took my mother to her doctor again. They ran routine tests on her, including blood and urine. They apparently found a urinary tract infection and I got a prescription. I urged her to take this prescription--and the earlier ones--and she has done so, with practically no argument. The doctor also urged me to make another appointment with the psychiatrist, and she doesn't seem to object to that either.

Dougie - depending on the banks, if you have your mother's bank account number, the number on her ATM card, and her social security number, you can go ONLINE and request to have online access and can do online banking such as paying bills, looking up balances and activities, transfer funds, etc.

Don't go to a branch since they will require your mother to be there or proof of POA or conservatorship. Instead of her doing the banking, it's you doing it on her behalf ONLINE.

The bank told me that Power of Attorney or conservatorship is the only way I can have access to my mother's account. Whether I can achieve conservatorship with my lack of financial means I don't know. A social worker assigned by her doctor's office told me about another conservatorship program for me to investigate. But if somehow I can get my mother's signature on the POA papers, well, that's fine too.

Thanks for the suggestion...I'll check it out.

Dougie, many banks have on-line bill paying services. Check your Mom's bank to see if they have this service. Once you determine that they offer it, you are able to set up all of the routine bills and take care of Mom's bills that way.

She was diagnosed, after a series of tests in a hospital ER, with "unspecified dementia." Her own physician set up an appointment with a psychiatrist, but she has refused to take that doctor's prescribed medications. What website has this "online" setup you refer to?

So Dougie;

Has mom been diagnosed with dementia?

Does her doctor have any advise?

Have you consulted an eldercare attorney?

Is there anyway that you can set up billpay online for her without any additional authorization?