Continuing the discussion from EPOA Ignored by Home care service:
I had all this with my husband, the EPOA that i had for my husband started immediately when we had it drawn up with our solicitor. But that that meant nothing to the the assessor when he came over to see us. He said to my husband ’ your doctor strongly recommends you see a geriatrician’, and i said make the appointment and I’ll get him there. But he said he needed my husband’s permission. I can tell you that wasn’t easy, to get my husband to sign the consent form. He signed it in the end but it was a battle. When the geriatrician did come over, she was only with him for about 20 minutes before she agreed to do a letter to state he had advanced dementia and could no longer make his own decisions.
I think you will really need that letter to say that your grandmother cannot act on her own behalf. I’m surprised that you weren’t able to get the letter after the all assessments she had done. Even i had to resort to getting a brain scan for my husband, because i wasn’t taken seriously. It shouldn’t have to this. I had my own health problems at the time, and he needed to go into permanent care.
But this was 5 years ago. Maybe now with this new Aged Care Act it might be even more difficult to get this letter, because now they look after the rights of the person involved all well and good , but it makes life hell for the carer, as your hands are tied. Unfortunately untill you get that letter from a geriatrician you’ll be between a rock and a hard place. .