We just had a Super Blue Moon, and my phone rang with several calls from people whose loved ones with dementia had just had breakdowns. It sometimes seems like a full moon really does influence behavior. I’m a skeptic by nature, so I’ll never be sure if the connection is real or coincidental. However, one thing I do know causes “breakdowns” are UTIs, and each person I talked to mentioned that their loved one also had a UTI. The other thing they all had in common—they had refused to sign any legal documents.
I do not enjoy giving families bad news. When a loved one is unable to make decisions and is beyond the point where we can use the Probate Code’s presumption of competence to help, we have no option but to file a Conservatorship. Conservatorships are expensive, and I never know how costly they will be. I don’t recommend them lightly.
I am on a mission to avoid having to give another family the bad news that they have to file a Conservatorship. If you think your loved one may have dementia, give me a call right away. Let’s see if we can get them to sign all the documents needed to avoid a Conservatorship. While I can and do file Conservatorships, I always hope I won’t have to.
