How do you get a veteran to go into treatment against his will?

Call the VA and you can take his spouse in and she is qualified to receive services, if she is in harm because he had PTSD the VA has HomeHealth social workers and Nurses that will come to the home and try to help him get connected with the right treatment plan.

I would go personnally to your local police department. Take a report from his doctor. Is the gun registered and he is allowed to carry? The police maybe able to confiscate it. Don't call 911, they will just put u thru to the local police department. Itss hard to express and get across what u need to by phone. Your Mom should not go home.

debirush: Good heavens, this man is an accident waiting to happen with a loaded gun! THAT HAS TO GO!

I think the OP must have solved the problem.

The Police could end up shooting your dad because they will think he is dangerous...does he have a buddy., who he trusts and could get the weapon away from him first ??? This needs to be handled with thought and great care, so he does not get hurt...or anyone else ..

Does he literally carry a loaded gun at ALL times????If you are afraid he will do something if the cops are called. Is there a way to get him out of the house without it and you can go in and remove it? Call him and tell him to meet you or his wife somewhere...doctors office/hospital-tell him someone had an accident? I don't think he would bring a gun there? Even if you don't meet him there it gets him out of the house for you to get the gun??? Just a thought.....then take it to the police dept explain the situation.Then if the wife is still afraid call 211 or 911 they can take him in for a hold and evaluate him if he is dangerous and needs counseling! The wife should not lose her home over this! Best of luck and please stay safe!

Garden, thanks for summarily addressing the poster's question so well.

Thanks to everyone posting to assist a stranger, and we are wishing her well whether we hear from her or not. I am sure because of all of you, she is getting help right away for her father.

Let's see....Father has early Alzheimer's, won't agree to see a doctor, carries a loaded weapon, Mother is afraid to be in the home and is taking shelter with her daughter....

Anyone who comes to the house could be in danger, especially if he doesn't recognize people.

Yes, I think calling 911 is a high priority.


Let's just hope Debi comes back and sees these posts. So often the original poster never returns.

You know, I keep thinking about my elderly WWII vet uncle who had undiagnosed dementia. Anytime there was a war movie on TV, or a news report of violence ANYWHERE in the world, you could find him running up and down his block, trying to rally the troops and fight the enemy. No he didn't have any weapons, thank heavens. Because he would have shot the Japanese neighbor. He would also have shot the EMTS who came to take my aunt to the hospital with a broken hip, after she lay, untreated, with him in the house ("she's fine, I just pull her around on this little rug, see?--he said to my cousin) . And yes, he tried to keep the EMTS from "taking her away". Because his brain was broken and he no longer understood what was real and what was not.

So yeah, I'd call 911 to have them get the gun away from him.