Father not taking care of himself. How do I get him help?

Refuse to bring him home if/when he is discharged. You cannot care for him at home and you have no legal rights over his affairs without POA or guardianship. Just tell the hospital you are unable to care for him. They will try every tactic to get you to bring him home. Refuse. You have no power over his affairs. Bringing him to your home, or if he lives on his own, taking him to his home would be disasterous. If you do this, you seriously will have no one to blame for the stress but yourself.

I will assume here that you have no POA to make decisions for Dad. Need to tell the SW or discharge nurse this. It is up to them now. They should not discharge a person who is in danger to themselves or others. Tell the SW that you have no authority to make decisions. They are going to have to maybe get a temporary guardian thru the courts to make decisions for him. Do not take him to your home. This is something professionals need to deal with.

Reading what you’ve written in your profile, I respectfully offer the opinion that your father is severely mentally ill, which you already know. Perhaps you are seeking validation that he is not safe living on his own. He is harassing family members and traveling on his own, which he should not be doing. If the staff at the ER (why was he there?) said he needs to be in a mental hospital, why was he not admitted? They obviously thought he was not competent so if he refused admission, his refusal didn’t count. He is what we call a “loose cannon” and as his mental state deteriorates, he may begin attacking more than just his family. People who are bi-polar who are not on their meds have been known to do so.

Since you are the only one who has contact with him, it unfortunately falls to you to get him help and keep him (and others) safe. If he has a regular doctor, start with him/her. Tell them what happened at the ER and ask them for a referral to a mental health facility. Many hospitals have e mental health floors and the ER should have sent Dad right to that floor.

Failing that, call Adult Protective Services and report an adult at risk. Explain Dad has mental issues and cannot take care of himself and you fear for his safety. If he tends to take off without your knowledge, are you certain the next time he leaves on a trip you will know where he went? And, if he is driving, how will you feel if he injures or kills someone on the road?