How hard is it to get guardianship?
How hard was it to get guardianship of your loved one with dementia? I am amazed at how slow and difficult the process has been. First we applied and waited one month for a hearing. Second we were not allowed to speak at the hearing and only mom spoke. She didn't want a guardian. Third we were held over for trial, three weeks later we still do not have a trial date. Fourth we applied for Temporary Emergency Guardianship after a wandering incident. It took one week to get the answer, and another week to get the court order. A hearing was set for 4 weeks later. Still waiting for that, and still do not have a trial date for the first guardianship and conservator held over to trial.
Now that is just the court stuff. Getting paperwork done and capacity letters from doctors took months until we found the right doctor at the Senior Health Center. They also got mom to sign an advanced directive, no one else could accomplish that. She won't sign anything!
In the meantime I am trying to manage my life, my business, and my mother's dementia as she insisted on living alone. Last week after another police incident I made her come to my house and I refuse now to take her home. Time moves so slowly in this world of dementia management.
The whole thing took about nine months and it was uncontested.
I get that the courts have to be careful of people's civil rights and all - but some of the hoops we had to jump through were nuts. We submitted doctors reports, autism specialist reports and school reports - all documenting my sons level of impairment and the fact he is totally non-verbal. Still, he had to be seen by two separate psychiatrists- without me present. Do you suppose they thought he had been faking it for 18 years?
Hang in there - and good luck!
Only time will tell for use when this will be complete.