One of the uncomfortable realities of your parents growing older is that roles may end up changing. When you were younger, your parents took care of you. But now if your parents are senior citizens, you may find that, more and more, you are the one taking care of them. As the years go by, many adult children in Delaware are faced with the uncomfortable notion of filing for guardianship of their elderly parents. According to Forbes, it is a good idea to start the process of guardianship by obtaining a power of attorney if possible.
Of course, sometimes this is not possible. The only way to get power of attorney is if a consenting (and mentally present) adult is willing to give it to you. In some cases, elderly parents are not willing to hand over power of attorney for multiple reasons. It is easier to get guardianship if you can get power of attorney first, but if you cannot, you may need to go ahead and file anyway. Particularly if your elderly parent has been diagnosed with dementia, extreme stubbornness is not uncommon.
In the event that your elderly parent requires nursing home services but refuses to go, you will need to petition for guardianship in order to move her there. Even if your parent agrees to move into a nursing home, you may need guardianship in order to authorize medical authorities to dispense certain types of medication in the event that your parent refuses to take them. This is most common with antipsychotic medications.
Establishing guardianship can be an expensive and emotionally wrought process. It is far easier to do if there is a plan in place prior, which is why comprehensive estate planning is so important.