So my mom is really sharp on her good days, and my dad just goes along with whatever she says. I don't think I'd successfully get conservatorship over their money even if I could pay all the legal fees. I don't think it's necessary either at least not yet. I'm looking into an income manager account at Edward Jones and refilling a pre-paid Visa for her every week with an allowance and begin saving the rest in an emergency fund essentially just like a representative payee. Is it difficult to become a rep payee for SS benefits? I'm already DPOA. Has it made life easier for everyone? Did it cause tension between you and a loved one? Does it prevent them from opening new credit accounts? Tell me basically everything about your process and result of becoming a rep payee.
Don't get me wrong, freezing credit is a good thing in general. Mine has been frozen for more than a decade, but it's not a air tight solution. Also, be aware that their are more than the 3 big credit bureaus most people think of. The last time I checked their are 5 widely used ones.