Hi, I am a nursing student that has been a caregiver for a 78 yr. old elderly man for a year. His 9 children are completely out of the picture due to his difficult behaviors. I believe it's early stage Alzheimer's and latent mental illness that has never been treated (I get the distinct feeling he's bipolar and a huge reason the kids have left). He's now raging, crying and become violent with other caregivers. We managed to get so much done for him from new dentures to eye surgery in the hopes of making his life better. We are concerned about his safety and his memory decline. I have tried social services to get help and he refuses. We are trying to get him to a neurologist in hopes of getting him a MMSE and possibly meds for his memory and scary outbursts. He's refusing to go. We almost drove him to ER today due to a 3 hr. rage before getting him to an eye appointment that HE INSISTED we take him to. I've studied tons of abnormal psych and can only conclude his brain is being ravished by AD and his personality issues and/or possible mental illness are now at full throttle. The other scary issues is LOADED GUNS IN HOME. I have hidden them and he's raging about this, too. FYI he's in a wheelchair and also thinks he's still a gun instructor though he hasn't done this in over 4 years but insists he's also going to drive meanwhile he cannot walk unassisted. Any advice, please. We want to honor him staying in his home but we are truly terrified that if he doesn't get psych treatment now he'll be 302'd--and worse for being in the system. His one son says, "I want to stay out of it, I don't care if he dies".
His son can file a Petition for Guardianship. He doesn't have to be the Guardian, just petition for one to be appointed. APS can also do this.
You don't drive him to the ER, you call 911.
You need to talk to your clinical supervisor about this case. You are in over your head.
Who is paying you?
If You work for an agency, you tell them or do whatever reporting required to the agency that it is an unsafe household to send you to work at (due to firearms and owners mental state). If its family who is paying you, you send them a certified letter as to the situation. If you are doing this as part of training as you said you are a nursing student, then you contact your school or program.
If none of the above fit and it's the elder who has hired you, then you contact the police on his next outburst and tell them there are firearms in the house and you exit the house and wait for the cops. Let police /APS & courts take over.
Firearms & dementia are a tragedy waiting to happen.
His family - based on what you wrote - have abdicated any involvement as they have decades of experience with him and basically know better than get involved anymore. If he shoots you or hurts you or even kills you, you have a pretty indefensible situation as you knew he had mental health concerns yet continued to enable him. You sound young and idealistic which is wonderful but dementia and firearms need a reality check. You need to be all about your own safety first and foremost.