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#4139
Bev
Participant

First, thank you for your Post/Response.  My mother, most of the time, is alert and oriented.  She still lives in the house I grew up in;l does all her own housework, including outside work (mowing, trimming, etc.) and will NOT accept any help.  In fact, she gets rather feisty and sort of angry whenever assistance is offered.  My husband thought about “fixing” the car so that it wouldn’t run, but she’d just call AAA or a local mechanic to come fix it, without us knowing about it.  No way of getting hold of the keys from her.  I’ve attempted to talk with her about giving up driving and she out very defensive and started an argument with me.  It was exactly one month after this argument that she had the accident, where the police gave her a written warning.  I’m not looking for someone else to do a job that is my responsibility, what CAN I do.  Her car is locked in a garage that can’t be accessed unless she is home and would definitely hear if someone goes in there; she has a couple of sets of car keys and I don’t know where they all are; she won’t accept any assistance for anything to do with herself, her home, shopping, etc.  I am honestly concerned about her having another accident and possibly harming someone else and/or herself, but she has been given the right to drive, and her doctor, the police and the motor vehicle department have not revoked that right.  I’m sorry you feel that I am avoiding my responsibilities, but I can’t help someone who doesn’t want my help.  And we have even told her, numerous times, that my husband or I are always available to take her anywhere she needs to go, to no avail.  Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.