I am 43 and have been caring for my Mother and Father for 4+ years. I have been constantly harassed by Clark county Adult Protective Services. My Mother recently passed away after being held in a hospital bed for 2 weeks longer than necessary because APS told the hospital not to release her because they thought our home was unsafe. When they finally released her she came home sick with her first ever bed sores because they would not carry her to the bathroom like she had been going at home because they considered her a fall risk and forced her to go to the bathroom in her bed. She stopped eating because she hated the food and they rarely gave her water. She died from being there too long and it is because of Clark county APS. Shortly after she died me and my Father rented in an apartment and sold the house. While I was moving his stuff back and forth from Vancouver to Seattle I had a friend of our family watch him but she did not answer my calls when I drove from Seattle to Vancouver to get him and she called APS and turned him over for abandonment. She was obviously lying but APS was too foolish and focused on accusing me of something that they listened to her over me. They then locked his bank account so I got a job immediately to cover the rent but it’s a 2 bedroom apartment and too short of notice so I may not be able too on my income alone. We had the money from the sale of the house to cover rent and his SSI plus the money I made for taking care of him that was paid by the state, but all of that is gone over a misunderstanding and I may have no option but to default on the lease he and signed for the apartment and put everything in storage until this is a sorted out. They took the original APS agent of of the case. Her name is Taylor and they put a supervisor Andy on the case and he is rude during the very few conversations we had. I have been writing state officials every day to complain and they are telling me that the Superior Court is involved and they are petitioning for Guardianship. What should I do to get my Fatger back? I am Durable Power of Attorney but he is being held at an undisclosed location by APS and I have not seen or heard from him in a month.
What was the reason for selling up Mom & Dad's house & moving into a rental apartment?
Was the house old, needing costly repairs? Too many stairs or unsafe in other ways?
A fresh start in an area wirh more home help?
Or moving away from a house crammed with too many collections or belonings?
If you truly felt everything was OK with your situation living with dad, I'm surprised this "family friend" did what she did. Did you have any sense that she felt your father should be in a facility and not under your care before you had him stay with her?
If you wish Dad placed anywhere near your being able to access him for visits I would cooperate as much as you can make yourself, with all authorities, and would appear at any hearings.
We cannot know the truths of this situation, but it seems that APS has made a referral to the courts for guardianship by the State of your Dad. This is seldom done, and almost never done without reason. We cannot know why this is so, but it is so.
Fighting this would require your hiring an attorney and likely would require many thousands of dollars. You must know that the State has unlimited access to legal advice; I think you will not get an attorney to take your case for any price, though he/she would want up front payment to do so. That simply isn't doable for many, indeed for most.
I wish you and your Dad the best. I believe your cooperation at this point will get you farther than your fighting this. You will, if you cooperate fully, be able to visit your Dad at the least.
Find out what protections your state has in place. If you cannot afford a lawyer, maybe try a legal aid organization?
I'm sorry I don't have any substantive advice to offer. I hope you receive lots of replies from others.
APS terrifies me. The performance of APS should be judged using the same tools that are used for medical interventions: for every one vulnerable adult who is helped, how many are harmed?
I'm sorry for your trauma, which I imagine is not unlike that experienced historically by others whose loved ones have been "disappeared."