sgtswife22
New Member
My father is 89 years old and lives in Florida. I am his ONLY biological child and I live in Arkansas. I have three half-sisters and one half-brother. One of the sisters (the eldest) is technically not a sister at all, but a first cousin raised by our mother; never formally adopted. My father never adopted any of these half-siblings.
Dad was in pretty good health until February of this year when he had a mild heart attack complicated by pneumonia and pleurisy. When my husband and I visited Dad in 2011 he insisted that I look over his will and his power of attorney designation. He gave POA to one of my half-sisters that lives in Tennessee (with me being #2 on the POA). When I questioned this Dad told me he did it that way because she lived closer to him and was single with no obligations outside of work. I live further away and own a working farm with my husband. In his will he designated that all of us would share and share alike his estate - which I have no qualms about.
He did not give POA to the half-sister (let's call her Anne) that lives just a few miles from him for several reasons. #1. She has a gambling problem. #2. She is extremely reckless with money. And #3. She is raising her two teen grandsons, both of whom have several mental issues; in fact, one was just released from a state mental treatment facility yesterday. This half-sister also has a habit of borrowing anywhere from $50 to $300 from Dad each and every month.
Dad is now in a nursing home, his second one since February since the first one was providing sub-standard care. He has gone downhill rapidly and is no longer competent. Sister with the POA plans to travel to Florida this weekend and put the POA into effect.
When Dad first took sick, I offered to bring Dad into my home to care for him. This makes sense for several reasons. I am the only married sibling, living a comfortable life with my husband. We are not hurting financially. I hold a degree in medical assisting and graduated nursing school, though I am not licensed in the state of Florida. I have done quite a bit of private hospice care.
When "Anne" found out that I had made this offer to Dad she went ballistic and waged a smear campaign against me on Facebook.
Now Dad is really failing health-wise but lucid enough to let everyone know that he hates the nursing home. He tries to escape regularly. I contacted the half-sister that has POA and offered to put my life on hold to move to Florida temporarily to care for Dad in his own home. This half-sister and Anne are extremely close knit. They refused to even consider letting me care for my own father in his own home. They want him in the nursing home, having contact with only the two of them.
I have never had a good relationship with my step-siblings and what little I had is now gone. They are keeping my father from me. They have informed the nursing home that I am to be given absolutely no info. on my dad. If I try to call Dad at the nursing home and Anne happens to be there at the time, she hangs up on me. I would be willing to give them every bit of my share of the inheritence if only they would allow me to care for my dad in his last days.
Do I have any legal recourse? My husband and I are comfortable financially, but he just retired after 30 years as a law enforcement officer and we have to be frugal with money.
Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for any advice you can give me.
Dad was in pretty good health until February of this year when he had a mild heart attack complicated by pneumonia and pleurisy. When my husband and I visited Dad in 2011 he insisted that I look over his will and his power of attorney designation. He gave POA to one of my half-sisters that lives in Tennessee (with me being #2 on the POA). When I questioned this Dad told me he did it that way because she lived closer to him and was single with no obligations outside of work. I live further away and own a working farm with my husband. In his will he designated that all of us would share and share alike his estate - which I have no qualms about.
He did not give POA to the half-sister (let's call her Anne) that lives just a few miles from him for several reasons. #1. She has a gambling problem. #2. She is extremely reckless with money. And #3. She is raising her two teen grandsons, both of whom have several mental issues; in fact, one was just released from a state mental treatment facility yesterday. This half-sister also has a habit of borrowing anywhere from $50 to $300 from Dad each and every month.
Dad is now in a nursing home, his second one since February since the first one was providing sub-standard care. He has gone downhill rapidly and is no longer competent. Sister with the POA plans to travel to Florida this weekend and put the POA into effect.
When Dad first took sick, I offered to bring Dad into my home to care for him. This makes sense for several reasons. I am the only married sibling, living a comfortable life with my husband. We are not hurting financially. I hold a degree in medical assisting and graduated nursing school, though I am not licensed in the state of Florida. I have done quite a bit of private hospice care.
When "Anne" found out that I had made this offer to Dad she went ballistic and waged a smear campaign against me on Facebook.
Now Dad is really failing health-wise but lucid enough to let everyone know that he hates the nursing home. He tries to escape regularly. I contacted the half-sister that has POA and offered to put my life on hold to move to Florida temporarily to care for Dad in his own home. This half-sister and Anne are extremely close knit. They refused to even consider letting me care for my own father in his own home. They want him in the nursing home, having contact with only the two of them.
I have never had a good relationship with my step-siblings and what little I had is now gone. They are keeping my father from me. They have informed the nursing home that I am to be given absolutely no info. on my dad. If I try to call Dad at the nursing home and Anne happens to be there at the time, she hangs up on me. I would be willing to give them every bit of my share of the inheritence if only they would allow me to care for my dad in his last days.
Do I have any legal recourse? My husband and I are comfortable financially, but he just retired after 30 years as a law enforcement officer and we have to be frugal with money.
Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for any advice you can give me.
