Financial Abuse

Hello Everyone,

I am so happy that I found this site, because I am going through with my Mom.

Here's my story.

My step father passed and I took off of my job for one month, flew to CA from Georgia, handled all of the arrangements, packed my Mom's house up, had a garage sell, put her home up for sale and brought her back to GA with me. Two months later, my sister-in-law passed and I we had to fly back to CA and, of course I had to bring my mother along. She wanted to visit her friend while we were there, and pulled a fast one on me. When I called to state that I was on my way to pick her up, she had her friend to tell me that she didn't like GA and was staying in CA. I was livid as our flight was leaving out the very next day and I had paid for all of the airfares to return back to GA.

After returning, I made arrangements to get her house off of the market so that she could move back in it, as she had a reverse mortgage and as long as she's living she can remain in it mortgage free. Well my brother and his wife moved into the house to take care of her which was a good thing.

I am her Power of Attorney for healthcare and finances. My brother is a functional drug user and only his wife works. All his life, my Mom has given him money and taken care of him. I had to lock down all of her accounts and I distribute money to her on a monthly basis. She fights against me at every turn and I am the villan. Two claims have been filed agains my brother to the Elderly Abuse Agency. Once is where my Mom transferred $30,000 over to his account and he spent it all in a one month period with nothing to show for where the money went. I filed that claim. The other claim was filed by the bank, where my Mom secretly opened up an account, as the representatives stated that my brother would bring her in their regularly trying to get her to get money for him. His wife's has a low self-esteem and everyone is in denial that my brother needs help.

Okay, now there's always an issue about her finances and it has torn our family apart. but I know that I am doing the right thing in protecting her monies as all she does is gamble's it away playing bingo and gives it to my brother. She fights against me at every angle and says that I am stealing her money. I pay her bills and I have an account for everything that's used.

I had my Mom tested and she failed the memory test and also has dementia. I now have a Declaration of Incompetence, but really can't do anything with it unless I get a conservatorship which is approximately $3,000 and I don't want to use her money in that way. The Elderly Abuse Division told me to keep doing what I am doing and that my Mom has reverted back to a child like stage and doesn't realize that I am only trying to help her and protect her assets.

Every month, after she received her SS check, I have to rush to the bank and pull half of it before they get to the bank. It's unreal. My brother and his wife don't have any rent to pay, therefore I don't understand why my Mom has to use any of her money. I pay all of her bills and anything else that she needs, but I don't send the money to them to handle any business because he'll spend it on drugs.

Does anyone out there know if there's anyway that I can open up a savings account in my Mom's name to have her monies directed there so that she can't get to it?