Being a newbie I'm not sure where to begin, I just hope I can describe the current situation well enough that one or some of you can offer me some good advice.
I will try and condense this as it is quite lengthy otherwise.
My Step Dad's health started to fail over the past few months which initially involved a short stay in hospital and then transfer to a local nursing home into a double room which my Mum shared with him. Sadly he passed away at the beginning of July.
What has since transpired is that my eldest brother, without even speaking to me, had managed to talk my Mum into signing power of attorney over to him back in November last year. My Dad obviously wasn't too sure about this as he had insisted on being joint poa, not that it did any good really. My Mum has very mild dementia, she simply has a very short term memory issue. As a trained Dementia carer I have personally nursed many, many people who live at home alone with support from family and social work (often without family!)
Mum is still in the nursing home, in the same room that my Dad died in. She cries very day because she wan't to go home. I have had a meeting with the social worker and my eldest brother and the social worker said that she would not have an issue with Mum going home with a care package in place but my brother won't let it happen and he refuses to give a reason why, other than to say "It's not going to Happen" and "It's my decision and don't you forget it". I have explained to Mum that my Brother won't let her go home because she has signed the poa giving him the right to say what happens to her but she insists that is not what she was told she was signing and she firmly believes that it was to make my brother responsible for her estate once she has passed away. My brother has also managed to recruit my other brothers to gang up on me (the little sister!) and whilst husband and children are all fully behind me I cannot see a way of stopping this draconian process. My Mum is locked in a home that stinks and is at risk of being harmed by other residents. I can't even take her out for a cup of coffee without getting permission from big brother. She wants to go home, she is a strong, independent woman who is far from being gaga and it breaking my heart seeing her locked away like a criminal. Please! is there anything I can do? Can I challenge the poa? I would just add that the Doctor who signed the poa certificate is a personal friend of my brother. I have tried to keep this brief and really would appreciate any useful advice and soon.
Thank you for reading this.
I will try and condense this as it is quite lengthy otherwise.
My Step Dad's health started to fail over the past few months which initially involved a short stay in hospital and then transfer to a local nursing home into a double room which my Mum shared with him. Sadly he passed away at the beginning of July.
What has since transpired is that my eldest brother, without even speaking to me, had managed to talk my Mum into signing power of attorney over to him back in November last year. My Dad obviously wasn't too sure about this as he had insisted on being joint poa, not that it did any good really. My Mum has very mild dementia, she simply has a very short term memory issue. As a trained Dementia carer I have personally nursed many, many people who live at home alone with support from family and social work (often without family!)
Mum is still in the nursing home, in the same room that my Dad died in. She cries very day because she wan't to go home. I have had a meeting with the social worker and my eldest brother and the social worker said that she would not have an issue with Mum going home with a care package in place but my brother won't let it happen and he refuses to give a reason why, other than to say "It's not going to Happen" and "It's my decision and don't you forget it". I have explained to Mum that my Brother won't let her go home because she has signed the poa giving him the right to say what happens to her but she insists that is not what she was told she was signing and she firmly believes that it was to make my brother responsible for her estate once she has passed away. My brother has also managed to recruit my other brothers to gang up on me (the little sister!) and whilst husband and children are all fully behind me I cannot see a way of stopping this draconian process. My Mum is locked in a home that stinks and is at risk of being harmed by other residents. I can't even take her out for a cup of coffee without getting permission from big brother. She wants to go home, she is a strong, independent woman who is far from being gaga and it breaking my heart seeing her locked away like a criminal. Please! is there anything I can do? Can I challenge the poa? I would just add that the Doctor who signed the poa certificate is a personal friend of my brother. I have tried to keep this brief and really would appreciate any useful advice and soon.
Thank you for reading this.