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Mom has dementia and is uncooperative. We have a helper, but that has not been helping. She is fighting everything. She needs assistance with medication, making decisions, and help with a balanced diet.
Aside from her home, which is paid off, she has a small pension and social security. However, I need to sell her house to assure she is a high quality home.
Suggestions on the process or if there is a helpful service that helps with this, please feel free to point me in the right direction.

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As Guardian you make the decisions. Its no longer what Mom wants its what she needs. When I placed Mom in an AL, the RN made the assessment and Moms PCP made out the paperwork. You should be able to sell her home. I had POA and was able to.

You can consult with an Elder Lawyer. I would think you got paperwork from the Court telling you what you can and can't do.
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Julie, if you are a guardian appointed by a judge, did they not provide you with the resources to know what you need to do in situations that impact your mom? That's where I would start my inquiries.

If you are talking about how to get her admitted to a facility; you need to get a needs assessment done, every facility will require this document, I prefer using the county counsel on aging as an independent assessment, every facility will do one but, it is not uncommon for their assessment to change once you have forked over lots of money. Sometimes they say she has to leave and all that money is nonrefundable per the contract signed, just a heads up.

She will need a current clean TB test also.

I would encourage you to find a few senior placement specialists, they have facilities that they work with and having more than 1 will give you more options for placement.

When you see one that you think will work for your mom, go several times and at random times to see if what you were shown during the sales pitch is consistent. Use all of your senses to decide if it is a place that is caring for it's residents or just storing them. You will know the difference. These places should never smell and there is no excuse for it except lack of care.

May The Lord give you wisdom, guidance and strength to find a good fit and in getting her moved. This sounds terribly hard to deal with for you.
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You cannot sell your mother's home unless you are a fully powered POA with a very good POA document that specifically allows you to legally sell her home, put the funds in her name in her account with you as her POA. This will require a good POA by an attorney, not something pulled off online, and so your starting point is an elder law attorney office with two letters from your mother's assessing doctors to say that she is no longer competent in her own decision making.

If this isn't already done, and mom's dementia is so severe she doesn't understand a POA, she cannot confer one upon you or anyone else. That would mean you require conservatorship or guardianship. Again, an attorney issue. I wish you the very best of luck in getting this done.
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newbiewife Aug 6, 2025
Alva, OP says right up front in the question that she already has guardianship.
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Is her combativeness a new behavior? If so, I would first take her in to get tested for a UTI, which is treatable and could be causing this behavior.

Which "process" do you have questions about: selling her house? Or finding an appropriate facility?

As her guardian, contact a realtor. You can get recommendations by joining Nextdoor.com, which is an intranet of non-anonymous people in your Mom's actual neighborhood and surrounding community.

Nextdoor.com is also a great place to ask for opinions and recommendations for local facilities. I use it all the time. It's a great resource and wealth of information.
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When you shop for facilities, ask if they take in Medicaid residents even though she is self pay. When Medicaid paperwork is needed, she will already be an established resident and she will be high on the wait list
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Yes start by visiting places you’re interested. When you’ve picked your top choice(s) they will tell you exactly what needs to happen. For example in California there is a standard assessment form the facility will give you that must be filled out by a doctor. Even if you already have a formal diagnosis. Then the facility will send their own evaluator to meet with her in person. Facilities also require a recent negative TB test. They will guide you through everything.
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Start visiting places you’re interested in, or ask on your local Next Door for recommendations from people in your area. Once you know where mom will be moving, and have the information on costs from the business office, the director can well advise you on how to best make the move happen. Do not discuss any of this with mom, or with anyone who might talk to her about it, no sense upsetting the plan. Many have taken a family member for an outing that went to the new place, usually at a meal time, and made the transition then. You can also have her room decorated with familiar items from home by having it done beforehand. Good for you in recognizing the current plan isn’t working and wanting to keep mom safe and cared for. I wish you well in the process
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