Dementia Support Group

Get with a certiied Elder Care Attorney. Call Legal Aid or AARP to find one (*there are other places too). Ask about and apply for Legal Guardianship and Conservatorship. With some supevision from the Court(mainly to be sure everything is done to her benefit)the Guardianship gives authority for decisions for her care. Conservastorship gives authoirity to take care of her finances and property. It works like a Durable Power of Attorney, but is assigned, since she can't arrange it herself anymore.

Also, check with your local Area Agency on Ageing. They may know of programs that she qualifies for, which would provide a bit more than $35 a month dicretionary money, or provide other services which will improve things.

hello daughteri...

I agree with rosasi about consulting and elder care attorney. I have been taking care of my mom for some time know. and like your MIL we waithed to sign the papers for me to be her POA. I just went through the guardianship process for my mom. if you want to know about the guardianship process just let me know. I can explain in detail approximate cost and stuff. if you choose to go that route everything you do for your mil will have to be done for her. in other words you can not use her money for your own personal use.( i know you wouldn't do that. just that it was stressed to methat way). because within 30 days you have to do an inventory of her assets and submit it to the courts. for review every year. this is what I was told by the judge.

I am going thru the process with an elder care attorney right now. It's expensive, but well worth the effort. I don't have a problem with POA, Mom and I took care of this in time. I am also her medical advocate. You're correct. $35 a month is ridiculous. I live in Mom's home, as I am disabled and now have to contend with trying to maintain the home and myself on $637 a month. Social security is garnishing my monthly payments by $150 due to what they deem an overpayment. I applied for a waiver due to the inevitability of this situation, but they didn't give a rat's *ss. So now I have two attorneys working for Mom and myself. My question is, why aren't POAs reimbursed by the government? Aren't we performing professional services?

If u take off work and u become ur parents advocate and guardian their income is all u have to live off then u have every rigth to use they money for ur needs as well as their own, with dementia that parents needs 24 hour care nobody can usually work unless they have family members to help and ur able to work etc and u have peopel sharing responsiblity but other than that u have to live off that check as well .