We have legal guardianship of our mother. She's been diagnosed with vascular dementia and her physical health has had a steep decline in the last year, especially the last six months. In January, we had her admitted to the geriatric ward of the University of Utah hospital. The doctor there recommended she be admitted to a crisis care short term nursing home. After several weeks there, she was doing better but ONLY because in that structured setting, she was eating, drinking, and taking her meds. We pled with the doctor and social worker at that place to please recommend that she be placed in a longterm nursing home because we cannot move her in with us or move in with her and she's not capable of living on her own. They did not. Since they discharged her to rehab, which then sent her home. Since then, she's had several slip and fall incidents. The hospital keeps discharging her to home even though we beg them to please send her to a nursing home. Her own doctor has recommended this, too. My brother stops by her apartment several times daily but he cannot be there 24 hours a day. She also will not eat regularly, drink enough, or take her meds as directed by him. We are at our wits' end with this system that seems to think we can be a nursing home and won't admit our mother for her own health and well being. Even in the midst of a pandemic, we feel she'd be better off in a nursing home. How do we get someone to believe us and help us get her there? We're in Utah, if that helps.
If this is a court ordered guardianship, what, if any, restrictions are there? I wasn't aware until reading someone else's post that guardianships are not always 100%. If you have full guardianship, then it is up to you to start looking into places, and determining if she needs financial help, in which case you would have to file for Medicaid, if she qualifies. You could contact the court to ask for referrals for EC atty and/or SW. EC atty could assist in applying for Medicaid and giving advice. YOU were appointed guardian, not the doctors, not the staff at rehab.
If, on the other hand, you are calling yourself guardian because you help care for her and watch over her, then you really really need to seek out legal help. If she has any assets, those should be used to cover attorney and court costs. If not, you might need to find a pro bono or low cost attorney to help.
We were on the other side - POAs and all that set up before dementia kicked in, but she refused to consider moving ANYWHERE. The EC atty told me we couldn't force her to move and suggested guardianship. The facility we chose would not take committals, so we had to get "creative". Staff told me just get her there, they would take it from there! Took some fibbing along with her leg injury that required an ER trip just prior to the move, but it was enough! Madder than the old wet hen, but she went with my brothers (I stayed OUT of the actual move!)
So, if you are legal, start shopping for a facility or in-home care givers. If you aren't, start shopping for legal assistance.
You really need to ask the doctor why she gets sent home if his orders are that she cannot live at home. Someone is not doing what is supposed to be done.
That is the 1st step in getting her the care she needs.
Perhaps she doesn't need full time caregivers, maybe having someone come in a couple hours daily with your brother stopping in would be enough for now.
I encourage you to think of other solutions to help her get the care she needs until she is bad enough to need 24/7 care. Get that needs assessment done by calling the local counsel on aging in her area.
After a month of respite, he is now living there permanently until his level of care changes. No matter what some say... there are safe, quality facilities available. My dad is definitely safe, eating well, taking his medications, having social interaction and is being monitored by many.
If you have legal “guardianship” over your mother, a court judge has ordered you completely responsible for your mother’s care and eligible make all decisions. I think there is often confusion with this term.
I would find an appropriate place and then place her. The fact that she has declined since being out to the crisis short care community shows you that she need more consistent care.
Your Mom would qualify for LTC just because of her Dementia. Have her PCP put in writing that she needs 24/7 care and start looking for a nice facility.
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