“I hope you don’t get shot.” We’ve worked hard to safeguard Mom from Sonny, who is schizophrenic and has been in and out of the mental health system. He’s had multiple 5150 holds and has been in jail a few times after fighting with people he believed were “enemies.” Despite this, Mom keeps trying to help Sonny. She’s been showing signs of dementia and was recently hospitalized with sepsis from a UTI. While her other children were arranging to move her into Memory Care, Sonny came into the hospital and took her home against medical advice.
I’m working with the family and the attorney filing the Conservatorship to try to get her out of the house where Sonny now lives. Sonny isn’t letting anyone in or out, which prompted the comment, “I hope you don’t get shot.” Dealing with mental illness is incredibly challenging, especially when a parent is declining. Parents always want to help their children, but when a parent is vulnerable and the child is mentally ill, it creates a perfect storm that is predictable yet difficult to avoid.
My client (Mom) and I did what we could to minimize the damage from the storm. We knew it would come in like a hurricane, threatening to destroy much in its path. Right now, we’re in the eye of the storm, but there’s a team of professionals working together to keep Mom and Sonny safe. I’m confident that when this is over, everyone will be safe and the damage will be minimal.
If you have a child like Sonny and want to prepare for the storm, give me a call.
