He has been sleeping in the parks till he gets thrown out, he was staying with me for over 6 months and our house caught a fire. I have nothing, I'm disabled in a chair. I'm his daughter. I have been trying to get an emergency Voucher, section 8, anything. It's been 5 months, they haven't helped him. I'm still waiting for our house to be fixed. He wants to live in the same area (Hannibal, Mo) or surrounding towns. I've needed my 4th back surgery and my shunt is a Greenfield filter implant in my vena cava b, it's recalled (plus it's pressing on my main artery). My knee on my only good leg has also been recalled. I was almokst killed in a severe auto accident 23 yrs ago (ran off of blacktop by a truck at night, they never stopped). God I need help. My dad, after he pays his bills using his SS, has like 120.00 for the rest of month. He doesn't have any additional income. I need someone's advice PLEASE. His Dr. said stop to sleeping in your truck, that's what's causing all the blood clots. I'm scared to death, all I can do is make calls and pray I can find better advice than the housing authority in Hannibal, MO. I would think an 81 yr old man with dementia and Alzimer's who is homeless would get snn emergency voucher. My Lord he's gonna die sleeping in his truck. He needs a place to live, he's been homeless over 5 months. God Bless.
Thanks for updating us that your Dad lives in one state, Missouri, and that you live in Illinois.
That the hospital is not calling APS for guardianship of the state is irresponsible of them.
You Dad needs that call to be made so that the state can take guardianship and place him in care. You are not in a position to do so.
I am so very sorry.
If he has a medical diagnosis somewhere in a chart, then at least APS will have this to go by. Otherwise, I'm not sure they deal with people they think have mental illness.
Even if APS was willing to get involved, would your Dad cooperate and leave his truck and everything and go with them to a facility? Once APS is in the mix, and then he gets a court-ordered legal guardian, they call all the shots.
When he takes himself to the ER, why is he going there? What is his "medical emergency"? When he goes to the ER, does the hospital call you? If so, and it happens another time, tell them he is an unsafe discharge and then ask to talk to a hospital social worker to discuss getting him discharged into a facility. But again, ERs do not diagnose dementia. If he doesn't seem like he's cognitively impaired they will probably continue to release him.
Until he has a more profound (and true) medical emergency, I don't think there's much that can be done. You need to focus on your own situation and health. I wish you peace in your heart as you are on the sidelines of this situation.
In your PM to me you said that you do not live near Dad . Dad wants to remain in Missouri and you are in Illinois . So it seems Dad went to Missouri after the fire at your home ??
I will tell you a story about a woman who ‘s son became mentally ill and homeless , and he was about a 6 hour car drive . He had been a passenger in a car accident . His best friend who was driving was killed . He never got over it . He had severe survivor guilt . He finished college , then was not able to hold down a job. His Mom tried to get him to come back home , he refused . She tried to keep tabs on him as well and help him , to no avail . Then she lost track of where he was . She said she finally “ had to leave it up to God “.
I DO know that you are not alone, as there are many without housing now living in our streets. I am so very sorry you are going through this and hope you are visiting shelters, senior centers, calling the Adult Council or Agency on Aging. It is clear you have often been hospitalized as has your father. Are they simply releasing you to the streets?
You have my sympathy but I wouldn't have any idea of help for you other than what I am mentioning. As to your father, now homeless, paying bills, please do understand that they cannot collect his social security. Housing is now more important than bills, so if you and he together can find minimal housing, say in a trailer park, that would be good for you. I think you must be on SSDI and if you can pool your resources together it may at least get you a roof over your head.
My heart goes out to you.
I agree with calling APS. Maybe also try contacting your local Council on Aging or Senior Center. Maybe they can point you in a direction you haven't thought of.
Next time he’s at the hospital , if you can ……talk to a social worker and try to tell them he’s an unsafe discharge . But if he’s not that far along in his dementia they will not place him . They will discharge him . The bar for competency is getting lower . If there is not a medical reason they will discharge as well . These days they have gotten wise to unsafe discharge which I have tried for two different family members . Hospitals are also resistive to doing cognitive testing . They discharge and say to follow up with neurologist for diagnosis.
Unfortunately , there are a number of homeless seniors with dementia and/or mental illness .