My grandpa passed away & my grandma with dementia was in a nursing home. I took her out so she could go to his funeral, and now she lives at my house, and I need power of attorney or guardianship of her, but not sure how to do it.
Before you jump into guardianship, take a serious look at the amount of responsibility involved. I have been guardian and conservator for my dad for over 2 years and I'm pretty much on-call 24/7. It has totaly disrupted my life and caused harm to my marriage, not to mention the amount of crap I take from 3 siblings who do nothing. I'm not sure I would take this on again if I knew what I know now. Luckily, he has the means to live in skilled nursing where he gets all of the help he needs.
People in nursing homes often are in need of skilled nursing care. Can you provide that? If your grandmother is competent, she can contact an attorney of her choice to have a DPOA prepared. If she’s not competent, I might consult with an attorney on the process and evidence of being appointed her Guardian. I’d explore all that entails. It’s a lot of work and a huge responsibility.
Are you planning on caring for your grandmother in your own home? Do you have the support of other family members in doing this? It is too late to get POA for your grandmother. She must be mentally competent to give you POA. You can apply for guardianship of your grandmother by going to a lawyer and apply to the courts for guardianship. Are you well aware of all that goes with this? You will be sworn to use your grandmother's money in her care; you will have to keep meticulous records regarding all this. There are some cases where people sort of "claim" an elder in order to have access to his or her assets. Under laws of your State there would be a situation where you are subject to the rule of the court that grants your guardianship. Do go to an Elder Law Attorney and get the details about guardianship in your own state.
Do go to an Elder Law Attorney and get the details about guardianship in your own state.