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By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
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We have concerns about a relative living alone and is starting to fail mentally. Can't remember to eat, prepare meals, is needed more and more help. We want to get more help for her but POA does not. How do you get around the POA?
these are such sad and tragic experiences ...it would not occur to me and the APS worker to have gone to such extreme measures unless a person was really in danger
Unless that relative is declared incompetent, a POA is limited to what he or she can do. I have DPOA for my mother, but she refuses to get additional help she needs. She has not been declared incompetent by her doctors even though he thought her living alone was not a good idea. I cannot force her to do anything against her will at this point in time. I would not want APS coming down on me because of my mother's choices.
CarolLynn makes a number of good points which I absolutely agree with. I would add, however, that that the consequences can be much more severe than just further degeneration. A good friend of mine was taken from his wife/caregiver of 46 years, denied contact with selected friends and family and was killed in a memory care facility within 60 days (his health was just fine until he was incarcerated). You would be absolutely shocked (as I was ) to find out how far APS authority (by law) exceeds their individual competence.
The STATE and even the COUNTY you are in, and their protocols is what determines how a governmental agency reacts when they are reported to. Many civil employees, doctors, social workers, teachers and therapists are considered "mandated reporters", meaning they MUST report a problem portrayed to them, but again depending upon the protocol list of what is a problem.
As already suggested, you should be cautious about the first steps you take in handling the problem. It is generally wiser to attempt to make inroads with the POA as well as keeping excellent documentation about time, date, what you said and what his or her response was, etc. This documentation could become the foundation of more intervening action should that become necessary.
Some counties are somewhat lax and layback in their approach to problems with seniors while others have a zero tolerance policy on what they perceive as abuse and move very quickly to make examples of "offenders". This often DOES mean the courts getting involved, taking over and many times having a non-family "neutral" party appointed, who then CAN, and often DOES, make decisions for your loved one without ANY family input.
This can even include moving them out of their home and into a facility. This can be a blessing if the person was not being well taken care of but, if they could have been taken care of at home and are moved anyway, it can be a very disorienting travesty and it can lead to further degeneration of the person.
As a social worker I made home visits with APS. Options were discussed. No one was removed from the home in those situations. Perhaps in my state the regs are different. Good luck again.
I, as parents POA, was told by eldercare attorney, when issues started to crop up and others started to question what was happening at their home...(and I live 5 hours away....) that a minimal home visit plan from an agency caregiver, would keep APS at bay if someone called them to report. If there is no agency involvement and APS is called and thinks things re not going well, they can have people removed from their home, and then the judge and other agencies decide what is going to happen and where they are going to go, if not back at home. They will try to get family to take them in, if they can find family. So if you report and you are family....then WILL expect you to get involved. The person who has the POA needs to understand that their responsibility is to assure the others are safe that they are responsible for...and perhaps they need help understanding that even 4 hours/week of a caregiver coming in, would safeguard both those needing care and the POA who is responsible. And elder care attorney can advise. I am glad I have one to help me!
Give heed to purplesushi commentary! If you feel the need to continue, best to talk to a representative of your local area agency on aging first. Locate the nearest one at www.n4a.org/ . I do recommend keeping a good record of all contacts, dates and reasons for concerns to protect yourself, the elder and even the POA caregiver during ensuing actions if APS gets involved.
You don't say if you are involved in the care of your relative or not, or how involved the POA is in the relative's care. Is there a caregiver at least part-time now, or is the POA in denial about how much help the relative requires? Before reporting the POA to elder care services (which you don't want to do unless absolutely necessary), please make sure he/she is aware of the laws in your state and what can happen to him/her if the law gets involved. Let the POA know that if "someone" should report them, that the relative can be removed from the home which will be extremely traumatic for her. Better to have care set up now to prevent that from happening.
The name of the agency may vary from state to state - Department of Elder Affairs, Department of Children and Family Services, Adult Protective Services, etc. There may be a 1-800 line which you could call and share your concern. You may also have the opportunity to request local law enforcement to make a health and welfare check. This call would likely be better on the non-emergency line instead of 911.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
As already suggested, you should be cautious about the first steps you take in handling the problem. It is generally wiser to attempt to make inroads with the POA as well as keeping excellent documentation about time, date, what you said and what his or her response was, etc. This documentation could become the foundation of more intervening action should that become necessary.
Some counties are somewhat lax and layback in their approach to problems with seniors while others have a zero tolerance policy on what they perceive as abuse and move very quickly to make examples of "offenders". This often DOES mean the courts getting involved, taking over and many times having a non-family "neutral" party appointed, who then CAN, and often DOES, make decisions for your loved one without ANY family input.
This can even include moving them out of their home and into a facility. This can be a blessing if the person was not being well taken care of but, if they could have been taken care of at home and are moved anyway, it can be a very disorienting travesty and it can lead to further degeneration of the person.