Elderly Father

[pjaystevens47]

What is the name of your state? Florida. My neighbor is the care giver of her father, who is in the middle stages of alzheimer's. Both she and her younger sister have power of attorney for him, but the younger sister gets the bank statements, etc. Their father is quite well off, and can well afford to pay for his care, but the younger sister has told my neighbor that she doesn't need money to care for him, that it would be wasting the money they stand to inherit. My neighbor has been paying for all her father's needs, even though he gets social security and a large pension, and has 3 bank accounts with substantial amounts of money in them. What can my neighbor do? I told her since her name is on the accounts, she has every right to use the money for her father, and that she should just write the checks. The younger sister is overbearing, and yells when she takes any of the money, and does not contribute to any of his care. Should she hire a lawyer to get this straightened out, or should she just take what she needs for his care...also the sister doesn't think my neighbor should be reimbursed for any of the household expenses.

 

[hexeliebe]

Tell your friend to consult with an attorney immediately.

Your state has a very strong track record with Elder Abuse enforcement.

Fla. Stat. Ann. § 415.102

(1) "Abuse" means any willful act or threatened act that causes or is likely to cause significant impairment to a vulnerable adult's physical, mental, or emotional health. Abuse includes acts and omissions.

(15) "Neglect" means the failure or omission on the part of the caregiver to provide the care, supervision, and services necessary to maintain the physical and mental health of the vulnerable adult, including, but not limited to, food, clothing, medicine, shelter, supervision, and medical services, that a prudent person would consider essential for the well-being of a vulnerable adult. The term "neglect" also means the failure of a caregiver to make a reasonable effort to protect a vulnerable adult from abuse, neglect, or exploitation by others. "Neglect" is repeated conduct or a single incident of carelessness which produces or could reasonably be expected to result in serious physical or psychological injury or a substantial risk of death.

She needs to act now since little sis needs a reality check. The specific statute that your friend needs to act on is Chapter 744
GUARDIANSHIP. Once she has established guardianship over him, his monies and assets can be used specifically for his care and only for his care.

She also needs to take measures to nullify the powers of attorney because both women can at this very moment, bleed papa dry.