Q: How to get my Dad home to his house to pass away?
My father was in Riverside Community Hospital for five weeks, he was always cognitive and still very much is. Every time he was asked where he wanted to go by his nurses, his doctor, social worker and his Hospice Liaison, he wanted to go home to his house to pass away. My father is in heart failure, end stages of cpod, and other ailments has about six months to live.
He pleaded to go home and I went and found a small army of caretakers to take care of my Dad, yet his wife denied and refused to allow him to go home. She placed him in a board and care home and is paying $5000 per month for this service.
My father simply wants to go home, yet his wife refuses, I need to get my Dad home, what can I do?
Thank you,
A: In California, if your father is mentally competent and can express his wishes, he has the right to determine where he wants to live and receive care. If his wife is making decisions contrary to his expressed wishes, you could consider seeking a conservatorship over your father to ensure his wishes are respected. A conservatorship would allow you or another trusted individual to make decisions on behalf of your father, including where he should reside. To pursue this, you would need to file a petition with the local probate court and provide evidence of his wife's decisions being contrary to his desires and best interests. If granted, the conservator would have the authority to move him back to his home. However, conservatorships are serious legal actions and can be contested. Given the complexity and potential emotional challenges involved, you may want to consult with an attorney experienced in elder law or conservatorships to guide you through the process. Documenting conversations and actions related to this matter will also be crucial.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.