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AntonyK Asked March 2020

I'm new so please bear with me. How do I go about finding my mother that was placed in a nursing home/ assisted living facility by my father?

My father threw me out of my home at 18 when I told him I was gay. He told me never to call or come back and I obeyed. My mother kept in constant communication through mail and phone calls for 35 years. She then became progressively worse with Alzheimer's and Dementia. One day she broke her hip and my father called to tell me but wouldn't give me the hospital so I had to call the police to try to find her. I did and through none of my fathers help. I moved to Chicago and got settled in and recently my sister in law sent me a link to my fathers obituary Jan 4 2020. He was my mother's legal guardian and now that he's passed I need to find my mother to bring her to Chicago and take care of her. So how can I go about in doing this? She lived in Scottsdale AZ

xrayjodib Mar 2020
AntonyK,
First off, I am so sorry that you have to go thru this! God bless you!
Surely your father had records of payments to your Mother's facility.
Bank records, tax returns or credit card statements?
Your father's home may hold the clues you need. Having said that, there are investigations sites online that you can pay for. Do research before paying for any of them!! You may be able to find your Mom's last known address.
If you have the means, hire a private investigator.
God bless!!

JoAnn29 Mar 2020
Another consideration is Medicaid. It does not go over state lines.

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Countrymouse Mar 2020
I don't see that her having heard that the father popped off necessarily means that the SIL knows anything at all about the mother's whereabouts.
xrayjodib Mar 2020
CM
Spot on!!
Some one has to be managing or paying for her care!
However, without POA or HIPPA release it may be more difficult!
Countrymouse Mar 2020
It's helpful that he was your mother's legal guardian - that means the information is in the court system somewhere. I should start there.

Your mother must now have a replacement guardian. Do not rush in and think you can just take over, it will be MUCH more complicated than that. But I do wish you all the best of luck in re-establishing contact, and I hope it's not too late to be a blessing to your mother as well as to you.
NeedHelpWithMom Mar 2020
I hope they are able to reunite too. So sad.
JoAnn29 Mar 2020
Yes, why can't your SIL tell u were Mom is?

I would try Long term Care facilities and Assisted Livings in the area she lived. Do not ask if she is there. Its a privacy thing and they won't tell you. Ask for her room number because you want to send a card or visit. You will either get the info or be told there is no one there by that name.

Before you make any decisions about bringing her to live with you, you better see how she is first. Its is not easy to care for someone with a Dementia. Its very unpredictable and even in the early stages, the person should not be alone. I don't want to be cruel here, but Mom may not even know who you are. If she has been in an AL or LTC for a while, then that's her home and what she is familiar with. Taking her out of that environment may do harm not good. Her brain is dying little by little, Her reasoning, the ability to process and short term memory were probably the first things to go. As the desease progresses, their reality becomes screwed up. TV and dreams become part of that reality. They are no longer who they were. Some become violent. Dementia is not what they portray on TV and ads where the person is sitting staring out in space. Its so much more involved in caring for them. Bathing, dressing, toileting (they become incontenent) and needy. And then you get her to your house and they want to go home.

Daughterof1930 Mar 2020
I’m beyond sorry for the way your father treated you, there’s just no excuse. Does no relative know where you mom is?

NewandTrying Mar 2020
Maybe a private investigator could help.

NeedHelpWithMom Mar 2020
I am so sorry to hear that you went through this with your father. I cannot imagine why a parent would throw out their child for being gay.

I have two children and if I found out they were gat I would respond like your mom. I would not abandon you. I might abandon my husband though!

No one in your family can tell you where your mom is? Do you have any relatives or old neighbors that could help?
JoAnn29 Mar 2020
I am 70 from a town of 13,000. A former farming community. And I can tell you, people did when I was young and do now, kick children out because of them being gay. My cousin had to move away before he told his parents.
Geaton777 Mar 2020
Antony, so your sister-in-law does not know where she is? Even if you find her the county may already have guardianship of her if your father passed and there is no one designated to be her legal guardian...then the county would probably be it. Not sure what it would take to get guardianship back if the county sees a reason to not relinquish it to you. You don't get to be "it" just because you're related. Just something to ponder in all of this. I'm sorry for your family struggles. I do hope you find her. I wish you peace in your heart!

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