I just found out that my dad is planning to leave the Assisted Living care home and move in with my alcoholic brother. They had one visit in August for 3 hours that was the first time in years that it was a nice visit, first time it did not melt down into screaming yelling accusations. Now my aunt tells me that he is planning on moving 450 miles away to another state to live with his son. Part of me wants to just let him go, but he has enough dementia that he's not making good choices so I was wondering if anybody had any advice if I should confront him or Let It Go until he tells me he's leaving. I do believe if he leaves he will be committing slow painful miserable suicide. But I think he is still mentally aware enough to be a huge problem for myself and my husband if we stop him from making this choice. He is here in the city we live in by his choice, he called us and asked for help, we went and got him in July he was almost dead, doctors told us at the emergency room had we waited another week we would have been having a funeral. Please help. Thank you all for all the wonderful advice, stories and information you provide it has helped me through one of the hardest times of my adult life. If you need more information please ask for specifics, the situation is a convoluted mess and I do not know if there is more I should be telling. Oops, I guess I should clarify that he has been leading me to believe he is settling in and doing well. So I am a bit shocked to find out he is planning on going to live with his son, the angry alcoholic.
dedicated to that one area of law. It might be expensive, but it will save you far more
down the road. If he has dementia you could petition to become his guardian or
have one appointed. It sounds like it would definitely not be in his best interests to
move in with your brother. Good luck!!!
Although I had POA, I could not stop mother as she was "competent", though starting to make bad decisions due to the onset of vascular dementia (as ascertained later). However, I did not have to help her either. and my sister had no intention of doing the work of the move - she expected me to do it. I let both of them know that I would not help with this move. My mother knew that without my help she could not move. It was a very tense time. Eventually mother got psychiatric help, was medicated, and things have gone more smoothly since. I guess my point is that I didn't stop mother, but I did not facilitate her move either. Can your dad and your bro together arrange this move without your help?
You mention that your dad is in the early stages of dementia. Has he had a thorough geripsych evaluation? There may be meds which could help him settle down.
I would also discuss it with the staff at the ALF. For me, they were very helpful in working towards an assessment of incompetence, so that I could prevent the move. They knew it would not have been good for mother. I would also notify his physician, as a move like that would not be "safe" in my opinion. You could ask your local Agency for Aging for ideas too.
Whether or not to confront him, I am not sure that is a good idea at present. Maybe talk to the various resource people first and see what happens.
Keep in touch. These situations are so stressful. (((((hugs)))))
I doubt if it's a plan. Do you really think it's got as far as being a plan? Sounds more like castles in the air to me.
Mind you - you can dream, too!!!
My Aunt is the 4th, including his caregivers, that have told me he is planning to move. When she told me I knew that it could be more than talk.
My husband and I had already decided that if he tries to move, he will have to figure it out, we can not help him kill himself. As far as my brother knowing, no way to find out, truth and honesty are not part of his interactions. Money being a motive, definitely yes. I have a DPOA, DMPOA and a DMHMPOA (durable mental health medical POA) I put these in place as soon as the hospital said he could sign them legally. I had nothing in place when he 1st came and ended up in the hospital for 9 days, it was a fight I would never go through again if a signed paper could avoid it. I thought that I would get thrown in jail a couple of times, he was out of his head sick and I was his advocate. Hospitalist? Dr. Put a DNR on his chart. Anyway, I am going to play the watch, listen and see for now. I will keep you all posted and any further advise is welcome.😊
If his dementia is bad enough that he cannot sign legally for himself, then he can't make a decision to move out of assisted living. Call Adult Protective Services or contact an attorney about getting guardianship over him. If you allow this bad plan to happen, it will come back to bite you at some point.
I will put a modest sum of money on it that his response will be a blustering denial that any such thought ever crossed his mind, your honour, true as he's born, he can't think what started that rumour..! But if you can open up the discussion noncommittally, to range across all of his hopes and wants and wishes for his future care, you might get some useful pointers about what sort of tweaks and changes would be helpful in keeping him settled and - I know this is the unicorn we're all chasing, but - happy.
Countrymouse, I would not touch that bet with someone else's money😁, I believe you are right about the denial. I have lunch scheduled tomorrow before a visit with his cardiologist, I was thinking it might be a good idea to ask the Dr. how we get his records transferred and see if that puts any light on his plans. I think he is trying to plan a move as he keeps asking about money and bills that are being paid off. (Really dad, you all are good and don't need any help but, this is the 15th time you've asked me that🤤.
Thank you all for the prayers, I can feel them. Much needed hugs!
To get guardianship, I believe you need the signatures of two doctors that your dad is incompetent and incapable of make good decisions for himself. You might want to check that out for the state you live in, and seek legal advice about it.
Good idea to ask the cardiologist about transferring records.
Keep us updated! (((((((hugs))))) Siblings working at cross purposes and with different agendas is hard to deal with.
Thank you all for all of the help, it was put to good use today trying to get him to make a good choice. I believe that good care, proper nutrition, proper meds have caused improvements in his condition and that is why he is being special sporty, as I like to put the stubborn, willful, my way or the highway narcissistic behavior. Hugs to all of you, now I get to wait and see what The Lord has in store for the situation.
Not to be a Debbie-downer, but all you have left to think about is what you will do when he is next scraped off the floor in his splendid self-contained apartment. Anybody human would be thinking "don't come running to me..." but then again when push comes to shove it's not so easy to keep to that. Start thinking now about where you might find care managers or providers who can take the job over; otherwise it will be difficult not to get sucked back in and given the whole thankless kicking around all over again.
When the call came from the hospital, the daughter told the social worker she could no longer provide care, as dad refused to cooperate. The state took guardianship and her dad is now doing well in Assisted Living. She gets to be the daughter again. Win/win.