Follow
Share

I am wondering if any of you have some input on this. My mother is 88 years old, lives in her home. She has shown significant memory loss and depression. She has been having trouble focusing on paying her bills, etc. She has allowed me at times to take over with the bills but then becomes extremely agitated....to the point of drawing kitchen knives and threatening myself or her with them. She has had decades of undiagnosed psychological disorders, and is losing the ability to keep them under any control at all. I have been trying very had to be compassionate, calm, and helpful even when being struck by her. I would like her to see a doctor and I thing psychiatric help would be greatly beneficial but she refuses to go. That is the basic picture. This is my request for input: decades ago, she legally drew up a durable power of attorney, I believe for both medical and financial sides. I have the documents. How can I flip the switch to get to where I can legally assume some control? Even with such control, what does it take to "force" someone to go to the doctor? She is beyond being able to have even a remotely rational discussion about this. Thank you in advance.

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
From what I understand in order to activate the POA she must be documented and verified by a doctor that she is incapacitated. After that I assume a lawyer would take the validated POA to court to get it inacted.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

I'm sorry you are in such a fix. It's awful to want to help and not be able to, but at least you already have the POAs.
An elder law attorney should be able to instruct you as to what you can legally do as far as forcing her into any type of care. I'm not saying that there is a way. She is an adult and can legally make her own decisions, including take away your POA. Anyway, I hope an attorney should be able to help.
Take care,
Carol
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Ask a Question
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter