kidnapping of a parent

[MrsN]

This is very complicated, but my friend's father has died recently leaving her mother, aged 89 who has short term memory loss, on her own - but she has 24 hour care. The mother lives near my friend and my friend's children, they all live in the same village, and they have always visited the mother daily. Suddenly my friend's sister has swooped down and taken the mother and the carer to her own home miles away in another county (I think out of jealousy of my friend and guilt that she wasn't around enough for her parents, whereas my friend was) and is only allowing monitored phone calls. The mother asks when she is going home and is told when she likes, but nothing happens and my friend and her children are not welcome at her sister's house, so have no real contact any more, apart from the monitored phone calls. Does anyone have any ideas of how to get her back home without resorting to courts of law?

[meltoadhall]

you could perhaps find out who if anyone has power of attorney for this lady. who pays for the carer? surely she must have had some say in all this? if she is supplied by social services then they must have agreed for your friends mother to be removed from the county because it will be another department who will have to visit.

if social services are not already involved give them a call and voice your concerns.

hope some of this helps.

[electricblue]

You say they could have took her out of guilt,its a horrid way to think but in these cases some people will do that cos all they see is the money thats left when the old lady is gone,sad but true,we've had it in our own family,probably lots of people have!!

[raysparx]

I agree with electric,sounds more like the sister has realised that there might be something in it for her,more than caring about her poor old mum, and as melt says get the social services involved I know they aren't popular but we had dealings with them regarding my lovely old mum and thet were great, hope it works out for your friend she is obviously very caring.

[WendyS]

Short of contacting Social Services I can't think of any way round this. I know there's a legal process called Habeus Corpus where a person can be released into the case of a personal representative but I'm not at all sure that it could be invoked in a case such as this. Only a solicitor could advise. The only other alternative would be to get the local police force to make a visit and interview the lady on the grounds that she might be being kept there against her will.

[Alibobs]

I work for Social Services - contact them! Tell them that you have concerns that the lady in question is a Vulnerable Adult. Contrary to popular belief SS do not go in with all guns blazing but there are procedures in place to invesigate the above. The bottom line is whether the lady in question has the capacity to make her own decisions, if she has then it should be her decision where she lives. if she hasn't then what is in her best interests needs to be decided. Like meltoad says, who set up the care in the first place?