• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Mendel Law Firm, L.P.

Attorneys & Counselors

Call Now: (281) 759-3213

  • FB
  • TW
  • IN
  • RSS
LP Payment button
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • About The American Academy
    • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
    • Mission Statement
    • Multimedia
    • Published Books
    • The Academy Fellow Designation
  • Services
    • Asset Protection & Business Planning
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Services
      • Are You A Caregiver
      • Coping With Alzheimer’s
      • Guardianship & Conservatorship
      • Hospice Care
      • Emergency Medicaid & Nursing Home Planning
      • Medicaid Planning
      • Veteran’s Benefits
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Financial Planning Assistance
    • Incapacity Planning
    • IRA & Retirement Planning
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration & Probate
  • Seminars
  • Testimonials
    • Client Testimonials
    • Representative Clients
    • Review Us
  • Resources
    • Areas We Serve
      • Baytown
      • Conroe
      • Galveston
      • Houston
      • Pasadena
      • Woodlands
      • West University Place
    • Elder Law Reports
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Galveston Elder Law
      • Houston Elder Law
      • Sugar Land Elder Law
      • West University Place Elder Law
      • Woodlands Elder Law
    • Estate Planning Resources
      • Estate Planning Checkup
      • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
      • Estate Planning Definitions
      • Estate Planning Reports
      • Incapacity Planning Definitions
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Top Estate Planning Techniques
      • Top 10 Estate and Legacy Planning Techniques
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Asset Protection Planning
      • Avoidance Tax Planning
      • Avoiding Probate
      • Business Succession Planning
      • Charitable Gifting
      • Elder Law
      • Estate Planning
      • Frequently Asked Questions for Families Without an Estate Plan
      • IRA and Retirement Planning
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Living Trusts
      • Medicaid
      • Medicaid Planning
      • Nursing Home Planning
      • Pet Planning
      • Power of Attorney
      • Probate
      • Trust Administration
      • Trust Administration & Probate
      • Trusts
      • Veterans Benefits
      • Wills
    • LGBTQ Resources
    • Probate Resources
      • Houston Probate
      • Sugarland Probate
      • Woodlands Probate
      • West University Place Probate
    • Probate & Trust Administration Resources
      • Bereavement Resources
      • How to Know if You Need Extra Help With Your Grieving
      • Loss of a Loved One
      • The Mourner’s Bill of Rights
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Trust
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Will
      • Trust Administration & Probate Definitions
    • Special Needs Resources
    • Newsletters
  • Contact Us
  • BLOG
Home » BLOG » How Do I Know When My Parent Needs A Guardian?

How Do I Know When My Parent Needs A Guardian?

June 1, 2016 by Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney

Deciding when a parent needs a guardian is never an easy decision to make. If you fail to step in, however, your parent could be physically injured or financially victimized by unscrupulous individuals who prey on the elderly. For these reasons, it is best to be proactive if you suspect that a parent’s physical or mental health has deteriorated to the point where a guardian may be needed.

The average American lives much longer now than was the case a century ago. Living longer, however, doesn’t mean that the natural aging process stops altogether. On the contrary, it often means that the elderly spend years in a long-term care facility at the end of their lives. Frequently, it also means living with Alzheimer’s or another age related dementia disease. Watching a parent succumb to the physical and mental deterioration that frequently accompanies the aging process is never easy. As a child, it is normal not to want to take away your parent’s freedom and independence by stepping in and seeking guardianship. If, however, you see signs that your parent cannot safely live alone and/or handle his/her affairs without help, stepping in and becoming a guardian is the best option. Some common signs that a guardian may be needed include:

  • Your parent forgets things on a regular basis
  • Bills are not being paid
  • Utilities are shut off for non-payment
  • Medicine isn’t taken as prescribed
  • Appointments are missed
  • You see bruises or other signs of frequent falls
  • You  parent does not appear to be bathing regularly
  • The house is not clean
  • Your parent appears unkempt
  • Your parent appears moody or depressed
  • Rapid or unusual weight loss
  • Missing/unaccounted for funds

Any of these could be a sign that your parent is no longer able to care for himself/herself without help. Not only is your parent at risk for a serious accident or health related problem, but your parent could also become the victim of fraud or outright theft. Unsavory people look for elderly individuals who are vulnerable to prey on, meaning your parent could lose a substantial amount of money if you don’t step in and take control.

Don’t think of guardianship as taking away your parent’s freedom. Think of guardianship as protecting your parent just as your parent protected you when you were younger. Talk to your estate planning attorney about the guardianship process if you are concerned that a guardian is needed.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney
Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney
Mr. Stephen Mendel is an attorney who focuses a substantial part of his practice on estate planning. Mr. Mendel’s guiding principle is to provide his clients with quality legal services tailored to each client’s specific needs and goals.
Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney
Latest posts by Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney (see all)
  • Thought of the Day - February 1, 2023
  • Thought of the Day - January 25, 2023
  • Thought of the Day - January 18, 2023

Filed Under: Incapacity Planning Tagged With: conservator, Estate Planning, guardian, Guardianship, parent

Other Articles You May Find Useful

  • Advanced Directives – Do You Need One?
  • Incapacity Planning – 5 Important Reasons Why You Need an Incapacity Plan
  • Alternatives for Property Management upon Incapacity
  • Should I Have a Durable Power of Attorney in Houston Texas?
  • What Is Incapacity?
  • What is a Guardian or Conservator in Texas?

About Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney

Mr. Stephen Mendel is an attorney who focuses a substantial part of his practice on estate planning. Mr. Mendel’s guiding principle is to provide his clients with quality legal services tailored to each client’s specific needs and goals.

Primary Sidebar

The Mendel Law Firm

Follow Us

  • FB
  • TW
  • IN
  • RSS

Blog Subscription

Subscribe to our blog to get all of the latest updates from our attorneys.

Plan For Your Future and Protect Your Legacy

There's a lot that goes into setting up a comprehensive estate plan, but with our FREE worksheet, you'll be one step closer to getting yourself and your family on the path to a secure and happy future.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

HOUSTON

The Mendel Law Firm, L.P.
1155 Dairy Ashford, Suite 104
Houston 77079
United States (US)
Phone: (281) 759-3213
Fax: 281-759-3214

Map

map

Office Hours

Monday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Footer

The Mendel Law Firm

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this or associated pages, documents, comments, answers, emails, or other communications should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information on this website is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing of this information does not constitute, an
attorney-client relationship.

© 2023 Mendel Law Firm, All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Disclaimer | Site Map | Powered by American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys