Are You Worried Someone Is Taking Advantage of Your Senior Parents?

We Understand Both Sides of This Situation

You’re concerned that your parent has someone in their life taking advantage of them, but you’re not sure what to do because you’re worried about interfering in your parent’s autonomy and independence. We understand, and we can help. In this video, Margaret Barrett explains just a few situations that we have seen and helped to resolve for our clients that helped people protect their loved ones in a bad situation.

If you’re worried about a vulnerable parent, don’t wait. Call us today to learn more about what we can do to help your situation.

What You’ll Learn From This Video

• We can help you know your options in this situation.
• We have seen similar situations before and have helped clients find peace of mind.
• It’s best to call quickly to learn your options if you’re concerned!

HERE IS THE TRANSCRIPT FROM THIS VIDEO

Margaret Barrett: If you are worried because your senior mom or dad has a friend who may be taking advantage of them, you are not alone. And we understand the concerns on both sides. Parents want to make their own decisions and maintain independence. And the courts prioritize the autonomy of adults to do that. On the other hand, children sometimes have very valid concerns about their parents’ vulnerability. If you are in that situation, tread carefully and consult an elder lawyer for legal advice.

For example, one of our clients recently came to us to make a new estate plan. He told us his two sons were worried that his girlfriend was after his money. After talking to him, we felt confident that he had capacity. He was making good decisions, and she was not taking advantage of him. But the sons made a vulnerable adult complaint to the county who opened an investigation. And the father responded by marrying the girlfriend and naming her trustee of the trust. So now she is in charge of the money that the sons will be getting after he’s gone. And maybe the investigation will surprise us and find abuse, but we don’t think it will. And in the end, the sons really made the situation far worse for themselves by filing that complaint.

Another family hired our firm because their mom’s boyfriend has been interfering with her treatment plan. He takes her out of the memory care facility without permission and convinces her to not follow doctor’s orders. She needs consistency due to her failing memory and he creates a lot of inconsistency. These adult children may need to go to court to get guardianship of their mother so that they can protect her and make sure she gets the medical treatment that she needs.

Another client had an old work friend who kept visiting him in his new memory care facility. This friend kept telling him that he didn’t belong there and he could go back home. He even facilitated helping this man hire an attorney to go to court against his daughter. They also planned to take him out of the facility and move him back to an unsafe home. So his daughter had to hire us and go to court to get guardianship conservatorship of her father, so that the work friend’s visits could be limited and managed so that her father is at peace and safe in the memory care facility that his doctor says he needs.

So if you are worried about your parents’ vulnerability and the influence of a third party, we can help you. Your next best steps are going to depend on your situation. We can help assess your parents’ vulnerability and explain the pros and cons of the different options that you have to try to protect them. Call us today and we can get started on the process.