I've been caring for my mother for a year and a half and things where ok. She has been diagnosed last year with stage 2 dementia, but I'm sure it's worse. She has changed in the past few weeks and has gotten almost hostile with me, distrusting. She lives in a mobile home on my property. She bought it when she got here and put both of our names on it. She recently has been threatening to leave, and is talking in circles, almost gibberish and lying. I'm pretty sure she knows something's wrong so she acts distrusting, won't go anywhere with me, won't let me make her a Drs. appt. She still has a set of keys to her van. I do have POA, but paying her bills is as far as I've gotten. I feel like I may need to see an attorney to protect myself, I need to let someone know what's going on. Please help advise me on what steps to take so I go about this the correct way so it's less painful for all of us. She hardly lets me step foot in her home anymore and treats me like someone she doesn't like. I'm so hurt, and at the same time scared that I may get in trouble if she complains I don't treat her right.
There was recently someone on here who got in big trouble by paying bills by forging the signature on the checks, but if you have a valid and active POA and can sign them as yourself, POA for Mom - you may need a letter or two documenting inability to manage for herself depending on how the POA is written, and if you do not have medical POA with HIPAA release you probably should go the route of getting guardianship, but check in with the lawyer or estate planner to be sure.