FYI. Not sure what repercussions this will have for caregivers.
here's a link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-alzheimerscommit,0,3465631.story
"WAUKESHA, Wis.— A state appeals court ruled this week that Alzheimer's patients can't be committed against their will, saying involuntary commitment was only permissible for people with mental illnesses that can be treated. "
i would wonder how a DPOA/guardanianship would affect this then. if the AD person gave the spouse the authority to make health decisions for them including placement if necessary, then i cant see how this would apply. it may would apply if someone didnt have a representative and they were on their own, and were being committed against their will thru the use of police for aggressive behavior. and yes this can open a whole new can of worms for those of us having to call 911 when the spouse is out of control. it may also affect those AD persons who are in earlier stages and are able to voice their opinions on placment if necessary. divvi
I am concerned about this ruling. I called 911 when DH was physically violent and he was involuntarily admitted for 72 hours. Drs, social worker, geriatric care manager all said he could not come home because he was a physical threat to me. What would have happened if they let him out and he came home while I was still living there?
I was given temporary guardianship during the time of my husband's involuntary commitment. I think the commitment can be a real safety net for the CG. You cannot place your LO if they object and you do not have guardianship. POA won't do it. Guardianship is very costly, humiliating and time consuming.
Maybe I was lucky, but getting Guardianship of DH was not difficult or time consuming, and the ad litem (court representative to protect DH's rights) wasthorough but respectful of DH. Because this was an unforeseen need, our lawyer gave us a break on his fee and both he and the ad litem allowed me to make payments. Main requirement is ayearlty report to the court of his care.
I was in the same situation as you Nora. My DPOA which clearly stated that I was authorized to make decisions for Lynn was not enough. I had to go to court and file for guardianship. Carosi, I too found the whole process easy. In our case, all expenses were waived due our income. The judge was compassionate and extremely understanding. So much so that I was left wondering if his life has been affected by Alzheimer's.
I strongly recommend that when it is clear that your loved one can not make rational choices about their own health and care that everyone consider getting guardianship. It carries much more weight than a DPOA/POA. It was relatively simple and has saved me a lot of grief!
Add me to the group that got guardianship and found it very easy to obtain and the fees were no more expensive than all the other fees involved in dealing with lawyers setting up trusts and all that jazz.....
The report that I filled out every year was very simple....the lawyer and financial planner took care of the "money" side of the report....my part involved answering a few questions about his living arrangments and such.
In all the years I had the guardianship, no one ever asked to see proof of it or even asked if I had POA or anything else.
What happens if the doctor confirms that the person can no longer be cared for at home and needs to be confined to a facility thay offers around the clock care??
Carosi, I have wondered if that would work. When I get so overwhelmed and don't know what to do I wish someone would commit me and let me have some time off. Then my dh's famiy would have to step up to the plate for a few days anyway. But it would not work for long because one of my bil's already said my dh would have to go into the n h when he could no longer care for himself, in his opinion....... Be my luck they would put my dh in the same place I was and they would make me take care of him........ that is how my luck goes......