How do we get guardianship of my mother-in-law, who lives in a care facility and is out-of-state?
How do my wife and I obtain gaurdianship of my mother-in-law, who is at a care facility in Las Vegas, while we live in Oregon?
Expert Answer
First make sure you want and need what you seek. An adult guardianship or conservatorship is a fairly drastic measure, but can be set up after a judge decides that a person can't take care of individual personal care and finances.
The person or people named to act as a conservator on behalf of the incapacitated older person will then be responsible for ensuring:
- appropriate housing
- health and medical care
- food and clothing
- housekeeping and personal care
- transportation and recreation, and
- legal counsel in all legal matters.
If a conservator is also appointed for the person’s estate will also be responsible for:
- managing all aspects of the person’s finances
- protects all assets
- applying for benefits, and
- paying bills.
Your situation is made a bit more complicated by the fact that you are divided from your mother-in-law by a fairly long distance. Your first stop for good information about free and low-cost help with a conservatorship is the Senior Law section of the Nevada Legal Resources Directory.