Dad's wife who had POA just died and her daughter won't give us access to records. What can my sister and I do?

What kind of access is his step-daughter denying you?

Actually we have been involved since day one. We have taken turns going down once a month and have been in contact with every nursing home and facility he has been in. The NH only knows us. Out of respect for his wife and to not add undo stress to our father, we allowed her to call the shots. Dad gets daily calls from us, and we are the ones who have paid for a phone in his room. We also hired someone to visit him daily when we are not down there.

Anyone can be Power of Attorney for a person, a relative, a good friend, a co-worker, a next door neighbor, ex-spouse, or the attorney who drew up the POA.

daddysgirls4856, what records do you want access? Sounds like your Dad's step-daughter has been onboard with her mother's care and with your father's care. The fact that she continues to care for a man who isn't her biological father means she is very concerned and wants to help.

The fact that your father is in a nursing home with dementia means he's been ill for many years prior to going into the nursing home... this didn't just happen over night. Just curious where you and your sister have been during that time frame. If you are just stepping up now, maybe it is time to mend any fences that is causing your step-sister to not want to give you any information.

Hope everything works out for the best and it is a win-win for everyone involved.

Also, have you made the NH aware that this person is his stepdaughter? Ask them has she shown them any kind of paperwork making her his POA? Do you know if she has attempted or gotten guardianship over him without your knowledge? This is going to be hard to manage with you being out of state. You may have to make a trip to where he is located.

The wife's POA died with her.Legal next of kin would be your father's blood relations not his stepdaughter.Unless your father drew up paper work to make the stepdaughter his POA that you are unaware of she has no legal standing.I would immediately start proceedings in getting guardianship of your father. Who knows what access this stepdaughter has to his assets.Also by blood relations I mean his biological children would be considered legal next of kin over his siblings.