I have family member who will not agree to do anything to improve her lifestyle. What type of liability does this put on us, her caregivers?

Do you have an actual signed Caregiver Agreement with her? I’m not sure if you’d be held accountable if she overdosed on your watch. That is a question best posed to an attorney.

Can I ask why she is in charge of taking her own meds if she can’t be trusted to take them properly? I give my husband his meds each morning. He’s not even aware of what the names of the meds are. He counts on me. It might not be a bad idea to take over dispensing her meds to her. If she can’t be trusted to stay away from them, lock them up.

She will not give over control of taking her pills. Her case manager says they can not do anything.

She will not give over control of taking her pills. Her case manager says they can not do anything. Where can I get a caregiver agreement form? She is very alert when she is not our of it. She wants complete control of herself but depends on us.

Go with her to her next doctor's appointment and express your concerns to him/her. The doc may "order" that she relinquish control of her meds. Mom's psych doctor has specifically stated that she is NOT to self-administer nor have access to her meds, that they are to be locked up. My mom has a mental illness with a past history of non-compliance and abuse of certain medications, as well as some cognitive decline that affects her memory and judgment.

She could definitely overdose if she does not take them correctly. As to the legal liability issue, I would think it might be looked at as neglect if some thing were to happen on your watch, but an attorney could better answer the legal question. However, it is definitely concerning for mom's safety if she is consistently overmedicating herself.

She is 56, she will not allow anyone to go with her to doctor. She is a control freak. I am working on a caregiver agreement that might say if she does not do certain things (like give up control of her meds) then we will not provide certain things to her. Nothing life giving. Like picking up fast food for her, etc.

Has she been assessed for cognitive impairment? If she is out of it a lot of the time due to being overmedicated, she is easily a danger to herself.

Is there any way you could call her doctor's office and explain the situation to them? They won't be able to give you any info without her permission, but may be able to relay the information you give them to the doctor.

My mom is 56 also, and we went through this for several years with her, abusing and/or not taking meds, not wanting to get help, etc. She declined to the point last year that her doctor stated that she was incapacitated and needs a legal guardian. I know it's hard and incredibly frustrating when your loved one refuses help or to admit that they have a problem or are impaired.

I would call her doctor's office first, and then talk to an elder care attorney who could help you draw up a caregiver agreement, and could give you advice as to what you can do to ensure her safety as well.