Tag Archives: GUARDIAN

What are the options if a Power of Attorney refuses to do the job of a Power of Attorney?

Q: My father has my sister as his Power of Attorney, due to having issues with the law (DUI) and not being able to take care of his own financial obligations (Bills, Mortgage, and the like). We (my two sisters and I) sat down to figure out the best person for the job, and because of her strong financial stability, it was decided that the eldest daughter should take that responsibility. That was February of 2015. By September of 2015, my sister said she was not going to have anything to do with him, and refused to relinquish power of attorney. My father is now in Foreclosure with the house, bills were several months behind, until I moved back in. I cannot afford to cover the mortgage, otherwise I would have. My father spends well out of his means, and I have no legal basis to stop him. My sister was supposed to pay all the bills, and then have a card sent, so I could make sure that all his other needs were met. I love my family, but my dad is now living in a motel room, because of having nowhere else to go. What can I do? (Ligonier, PA)

A: If your father is competent, acknowledges that he needs help, and is willing to appoint you as his agent on a new power of attorney, he can simply revoke the present power of attorney and sign a new one. As mentioned, even with the power of attorney in place, he can still handle is own finances-write checks, spend money, etc. If he is not competent, unable to care for himself or danger to himself, you may want to consider having yourself appointed as his guardian. To do this you will need to have a lawyer file a petition with the court and a hearing will be held. You need to consult with an elder law attorney in your area.

Do I have a right to know who the POA successor is?

Q: My oldest sister is POA for my mom for about 3 years now. She has made some awful business decisions and wasting money on things that aren’t needed. She refuses to do much needed repairs for mom’s home that mom still lives in and I am mom’s primary caregiver as I live here with her. And sister POA refuses to let any of her 4 siblings know anything about mom’s finances. She refuses to let any of us know who her successor is in the event she can no longer carry out the POA duties. She also has major health issues. She just says, “it’s none of you”. This is completely against my mom’s wishes. She acts as if we have no right to know anything about anything. Do we have the right to know? She has become very suspicious. (Pittsburgh, PA)

A:  I can think of no law that requires your mother’s agent on a power of attorney to inform anyone of the contents of the document. Yes, it would be nice if she would, but she is not violating a law for not doing so. If your mother is competent, she can revoke the power of attorney given to your sister. If mother is not competent or is under duress or undue influence from your sister, the only way of having sister removed as Agent on the power of attorney is by seeking to be your mother’s guardian. This will require a lawyer. You can also hire a lawyer to make a written request for a copy of the POA document. If your sister refuses to produce it, the attorney can advise you on whether to petition the court to order production of the POA. If your mother is competent and trustful of you, I do not understand why she doesn’t answer your question. Your best bet would be to consult with a lawyer with whom you can share all the facts.

A sibling wants my dad locked away in a nursing home!

Q: It is obvious that my father wants to go home. It is obvious that he would not have granted my sister power of attorney if he’d known she would do this when he was helpless. He wasn’t helpless about a week ago, but he fell out of bed reaching for something and scraped his scalp. My sister pounced on the chance to call 911 and have him taken against his will to be checked. He was admitted for observation simply because he’s very old. He resisted and was injected with Haldol for days. My sister consented to it for him despite reams of information I’ve sent her about its lethality, or perhaps because of it. The hospital made him a drooling wreck and said we could not care for him at home with his wife. In the nursing home, they use heavy doses if Ativan. At a care conference at his bedside, the staff and my sister all agreed that he could not be cared for except in a nursing home. Of course, he can’t, he’s a bag of Aricept and Ativan. If they keep giving him Ativan, he’ll become an addict. If they keep giving him Aricept, he’ll stay crazy. He’s been deemed incapable of making good decisions, so he can no longer get himself out of there. (Ben Avon, PA)

A: This is a difficult situation. I think his competency is the key. If he is competent, he can sign himself out, override the POA or revoke the POA in writing. If he is incompetent, then your only choice, if you cannot work this out with your sister, would be to file a petition to be his guardian. An order of court appointing you as plenary guardian would nullify the POA. If you can get a copy of the POA, I would review it with an elder law attorney who handles guardianship law. He or she can advise you on what would be involved in seeking to be his guardian.

Can my mother grant me a power of attorney if her domestic partner is not willing?

Q: My mother is 80 years old and showing signs of dementia. 14 years-ago a man lived in her house. Throughout those years my mother lived with uncertainty and anguish because this man is alcoholic.  am vacationing in her house now. But the man harasses me. I want to leave the house but I cannot bear to leave my mother in her situation now.  The man does not work. He claims that he is a paid caregiver of my mother. But now he controls her finances. She derives her income from a survivorship pension from her husband a federal employee who passed away in 1994.

A: This is a difficult situation. I suggest you speak with a local attorney who handles elder law and guardianship. Yes, mother can appoint you as her agent on a Power of Attorney, if she desires to and she is competent. If you feel she is not competent and being exploited, you may need to file a petition in court to be her guardian. This would give you power to have this man removed from her life. You may also want to contact Adult Protective Services to see if they will do a home visit. Their input and direction may be helpful.

How do I resign my legal guardianship of my niece which was appointed by a judge?

Q: I was given guardianship of my niece and no longer want it. I believe she is better with her mother and I want to give my sister back full guardianship of her child.

A:  I would consult with an attorney with whom you could share all the information needed for someone to thoroughly respond to this question. Was this a guardianship through Orphan’s Court or Family Court? It matters as the procedure to transfer guardianship to someone else would be different. In any event, you will need to petition the court, either Family Court or Orphan’s Court assuming that an order of court placed her with you.

Can a hospice agency decide on a back-up or secondary guardian?

Q: I am a hospice Social Worker with a patient who appointed a friend as his guardian. This friend has numerous health problems herself and is often in the hospital. Our medical director wants us to establish a secondary or back up guardian. Can our agency set this up on behalf of the patient?

A: If this patient is competent, perhaps he or she can sign a Power of Attorney, appointing someone else to act. If that is not possible, a court appointed guardian is necessary. Only the court can appoint a guardian. The process requires a written petition to be filed and a hearing to be held. Your agency will need an attorney to do this. Many agencies work with attorneys who handle this. If your agency has no attorney, you can seek one independently or call Orphan’s Court for information on how to obtain one.

How to get mom out of nursing home?

Q: My mom was placed in a nursing home by a nephew who has power of attorney over her. She has been in the nursing home for 7 years and 7 months. I have been a personal care professional for 20 years. I ‘m capable of caring for my mom. (Clairton, PA)

A: If your mother has capacity to decide where she should live, the only authority needed for her to move in with you, is hers. She can move wherever she wishes, and, she can revoke the old POA in writing or with a new POA. If she has no capacity to make decisions and is incompetent, you will need to override the POA by being appointed her guardian in court. You should review all of the facts with local counsel to see if this is advisable, given all of the facts.