Senile Stepmother

I'm retired in Florida, concerned about my elderly stepmother in Chicago, Ill. At age 88 she is becoming psychotic, hallucinating people around her trying to kill her, paranoid they're taking her things. Her son lives 30 minutes away and does little to help her. Once, she fell to the floor and lay half a day before her son found her. He is leaving town with his family on a 2-week vacation, leaving her alone. I'm concerned he will find her dead when he returns. She fiercely fights the idea of a nursing home and would have to be taken away screaming. Her son will not challenge her on this. He says if she is found dead it will be "on HIS conscience" so I should not be concerned about this. He is sole heir to her estate of approx. $80,000. Is there anything I can DO to help her?

Doris Roman said:

I'm retired in Florida, concerned about my elderly stepmother in Chicago, Ill. At age 88 she is becoming psychotic, hallucinating people around her trying to kill her, paranoid they're taking her things. Her son lives 30 minutes away and does little to help her. Once, she fell to the floor and lay half a day before her son found her. He is leaving town with his family on a 2-week vacation, leaving her alone. I'm concerned he will find her dead when he returns. She fiercely fights the idea of a nursing home and would have to be taken away screaming. Her son will not challenge her on this. He says if she is found dead it will be "on HIS conscience" so I should not be concerned about this. He is sole heir to her estate of approx. $80,000. Is there anything I can DO to help her?

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I believe your only course of action is to petition the courts to get guardianship of her. and the estate. Then you will be able to either get her help or put her into a home.