Mother Hospitalized with delusions

[CHarding]

Mother lives in California, Daugher lives in Washington State

My mother recently had some heart problems and was hospitalized on July 4, 2006. While hospitalized she became delusional and unable to walk or make decessions on her own. She was released July 16, 2006 and I flew down from Spokane to visit her and she was completely unable to take care of herself or her husband that has Alzheimers. She had to be hopitalized again on July 20, 2006. The doctors cannot explain why she cannot walk anymore and why she is having delusions. She currently is in a mental health facility. The doctors have been trying to adjust her medications hoping this will help, and so far she has not improved. They keep talking about sending her to a nursing home. I do not want that until they can tell me what is wrong with her.

I am currently the payee for her Social Security check.

My question is: What do I need to do legally so that I can take over her affairs and make descisions for her? My mother does not have any money with the exception of SS and a small pension. She is 65 years old. She has a lot of credit card debt. The only thing she owns is a mobile home.

If she is placed in a nursing home there will be a $1,000 per month co-pay with Medical. This will not leave enough money to pay her bills and mobile home space rent. I do not want her to loose her mobile home. If her illness is perminant her mobile home will need to be sold. I want to be the one who makes of all her decisions for her.

She has a son who is a flake financially and has not visited her since she has been hopitalized and owes her some money. And she has a brother who is equally a looser, over 60 and doesn't work and a big rip off.

I live in Washington State with my family and am very responsible. I have been calling the hospital daily and social worker trying to direct her care and make sure they continue to try to diagnose her.

I have left a message for the doctor and social for advice on becomming her Conservator.

What else do I need to do to negotiate with the credit card companies so that they will not go after her one and only asset, the mobile home. And what do I need if we have to sell to sell her mobile home and car, and to make all other decisions for her?

Thank you.

 

[BlondiePB]

Mother lives in California, Daugher lives in Washington State

Do you have both medical & financial POA for mom? Does anyone have MPOA & DPOA for mom's husband?

My mother recently had some heart problems and was hospitalized on July 4, 2006. While hospitalized she became delusional and unable to walk or make decessions on her own. She was released July 16, 2006 and I flew down from Spokane to visit her and she was completely unable to take care of herself or her husband that has Alzheimers. She had to be hopitalized again on July 20, 2006. The doctors cannot explain why she cannot walk anymore and why she is having delusions. She currently is in a mental health facility. The doctors have been trying to adjust her medications hoping this will help, and so far she has not improved. They keep talking about sending her to a nursing home. I do not want that until they can tell me what is wrong with her.

Has your mother had medical tests to rule out her having a stroke? A stroke in the cerebellum affects balance and body position. Has her delusions been ruled out as a physical problem? Heart problems can affect the amount of oxygen to the body/brain. Not enough oxygen can cause delusions. Sounds like mom has some pitiful doctors.

I am currently the payee for her Social Security check.

Okay.

My question is: What do I need to do legally so that I can take over her affairs and make descisions for her? My mother does not have any money with the exception of SS and a small pension. She is 65 years old. She has a lot of credit card debt. The only thing she owns is a mobile home.

If she is placed in a nursing home there will be a $1,000 per month co-pay with Medical. This will not leave enough money to pay her bills and mobile home space rent. I do not want her to loose her mobile home. If her illness is perminant her mobile home will need to be sold. I want to be the one who makes of all her decisions for her.

She has a son who is a flake financially and has not visited her since she has been hopitalized and owes her some money. And she has a brother who is equally a looser, over 60 and doesn't work and a big rip off.

I live in Washington State with my family and am very responsible. I have been calling the hospital daily and social worker trying to direct her care and make sure they continue to try to diagnose her.

I have left a message for the doctor and social for advice on becomming her Conservator.

What else do I need to do to negotiate with the credit card companies so that they will not go after her one and only asset, the mobile home. And what do I need if we have to sell to sell her mobile home and car, and to make all other decisions for her?

Please answer my questions regarding the POAs and then I will address your other issues.

Thank you.

You are welcome.

 

[Pat88998899]

Mother lives in California, Daugher lives in Washington State

My mother recently had some heart problems and was hospitalized on July 4, 2006. While hospitalized she became delusional and unable to walk or make decessions on her own. She was released July 16, 2006 and I flew down from Spokane to visit her and she was completely unable to take care of herself or her husband that has Alzheimers. She had to be hopitalized again on July 20, 2006. The doctors cannot explain why she cannot walk anymore and why she is having delusions. She currently is in a mental health facility. The doctors have been trying to adjust her medications hoping this will help, and so far she has not improved. They keep talking about sending her to a nursing home. I do not want that until they can tell me what is wrong with her.

How old is your mother, and are they giving her tranquilizers, or something similar? My father was 80 and became delusional when he went in the hospital, to the point of freaking me out, and I later found out that it was a medication they were giving him to control him, so he wouldn't get up and walk around. He would call me at home and tell me that he was in my house in his bedroom etc. They called me and asked if he had any history of psychosis, and all the time it was what thery were giving him. Then he got a prescription for valium because he was having trouble sleeping and he started hallucinating. I think that this is the effect that these medicines have on older people, because the same thing happened to a friend of mine's mother. But if you say this to the nurses they act like they don't know what you are talking about. Check this out!

 

[CHarding]

Mother Hospitalized with Delusions - Reply

I do not have a POA for my mother, and my step-father is being cared for by his children and they have not filed for anything yet.

The doctor has said that my mother "may" have had a stroke in an area of her brain that would show up on a cat-scan. He also said there is a small chance she didn't get enough oxygen to her brain when her heart had slowed down. But the doctor doesn't know for sure. He is very surprised that this came on so suddenly.

At first it looked like she was being over medicated in the hospital because they were giving her all her drugs that were on her chart as prescribed. Then I informed the doctors that she never took any of her drugs as prescribed only as needed. Since then they have been trying to balance her medications for high blood pressure, heart problems and manic depression and she only seems to be getting worse. She can no longer walk (which was difficult for her before) or use the bathroom. If you ask her where she is, each day she is in another part of the world, Hawaii, San Francisco etc. But a lot of times she cannot speak words, she mutters and mumbles and makes strange sounds.

The doctor order an EEG last week and I am waiting for the results.

In the mean time I want to take the rights actions to protect her and what little she has. (The mobile home.)

Like I had said she has over $10,000 in credit card debt. I am very surprised she was able to get credit again after her bankruptcy. My mother is a shop-aholic and that is part of her manic depression and lack of self control. I didn't pay her credit cards this month because she had a large co-pay to Kaiser and she doesn't have the income from her husband since his family has him now. I do not want to not pay the credit cards but I want to make sure there is enough income to pay her space rent until we know for sure what is going on and to pay the co-pay if they send her to a home.

Any advice?

 

[BlondiePB]

I do not have a POA for my mother, and my step-father is being cared for by his children and they have not filed for anything yet.

Sorry for the delay, CHarding, I was away. Hire an attorney in the county where mom is and petition for conservatorship, both estate and person. Also have the petition nominate you as mom's Health Care Surrogate/Proxy.

The doctor has said that my mother "may" have had a stroke in an area of her brain that would show up on a cat-scan. He also said there is a small chance she didn't get enough oxygen to her brain when her heart had slowed down. But the doctor doesn't know for sure. He is very surprised that this came on so suddenly.

At first it looked like she was being over medicated in the hospital because they were giving her all her drugs that were on her chart as prescribed. Then I informed the doctors that she never took any of her drugs as prescribed only as needed. Since then they have been trying to balance her medications for high blood pressure, heart problems and manic depression and she only seems to be getting worse. She can no longer walk (which was difficult for her before) or use the bathroom. If you ask her where she is, each day she is in another part of the world, Hawaii, San Francisco etc. But a lot of times she cannot speak words, she mutters and mumbles and makes strange sounds.

The doctor order an EEG last week and I am waiting for the results.

What was the results of the cat-scan and EEG? Why wasn't a MRI done? To me, this doctor is an idiot.

In the mean time I want to take the rights actions to protect her and what little she has. (The mobile home.)

If mom can no longer live in her home, once you become her conservator, you will need to sell the mobile home (with the court's permission) to pay for her care. Because CA is a community property state, mom & her husband's assests will have to be divided 50/50 unless they had a pre/post-nuptial stating otherwise.

Like I had said she has over $10,000 in credit card debt. I am very surprised she was able to get credit again after her bankruptcy. My mother is a shop-aholic and that is part of her manic depression and lack of self control. I didn't pay her credit cards this month because she had a large co-pay to Kaiser and she doesn't have the income from her husband since his family has him now. I do not want to not pay the credit cards but I want to make sure there is enough income to pay her space rent until we know for sure what is going on and to pay the co-pay if they send her to a home.

That credit card debt is also her husband's debt. You are not responsible for paying this. I don't too know much about Real Estate Law, especially in CA. Do you or anyone else reading this know if mobile homes in CA are homesteaded?