Protecting Mentally Ill From Financial Abuse

Recently, while my daughter was Baker Acted, I tried to take her $30 paycheck to her to sign so I could drop it in her bank account. The pdoc at the facility quickly said she could not sign any legal instrument during her stay as this was for her protection. I was glad the pdoc said no because I had not even thought about that and realized it was to protect my daughter.

In a similar situation, my father who has Alzheimer’s was in a different mental health facility because he was hallucinating and having delusions and became aggressive. He didn’t recognize family and thought they were intruders. The facility heavily medicated him because he became aggressive with the nurses. During this Baker Act, my step mother and half brother had my father sign a quit claim deed on his house which added my step mother to be equal owner and then last month she sold the house and never told me. My father has no will filed and my step mother is keeping the money for herself. This whole thing is weird to me because my father was married to this woman before I was born and remarried her again a couple years ago (I think he married her a second time because of the Alzheimer’s as he was reverting back in his years when he was previously married to her). He is now in an assisted living facility paid for by medicaid. It’s hard for me to know what my father’s intentions were with his assets but I don’t think he intended for this to happen. I think that he would want them to be divided in a reasonably fair way between his wife, my half brother, half sister and me. My step mother knew very well that he had Alzheimer’s when she remarried him so it is pretty clear what her intentions were. Maybe I shouldn’t say that but that is what it looks like.

Look how my daughter was protected over a little paycheck, but my father had no protection of a huge asset at the facility he was in.

It was my understanding that Medicaid would not pay for an assisted living facility.

Jayster

Because I am mentally, my parents wrote me out of their will. It was my understanding before my parents died that the siblings getting the money would help me out. But NO!

I asked my brother about it, and he said, “Money is something people like to steal.”

In her defense, the sister who I presume stole so much money seems to have alcoholism. One can understand that might adversely affect her judgment.

Jayster

I think it is important to have trust fund where the money is only given monthly for living expenses. We have signed our trust funds and We have 3 kids but my son who is ill will benefit more than the other two. He also has his sister who will be his power of attorney who has the right to switch things if necessary. It’s important that We do this to protect our kids so We don’t wait until We are no longer able to do it. We the parents are their advocates.
@lil, I think your Dad should have done his will long time ago. We are not even retired and We have done what is necessary . Good luck to you. Hope you can talk to someone who is an expert in this matter and work out something.

Nope they are paying for it. At least that is what my half brother says.

That is sad. Not sure if you can do anything unless your dad had any kind of a will, or written letter.