I have been there, done that, and lived it, approximately 10 years.

 Including having to go to court and get Guardianship of my parent. I too had to take her car and keys away from her, after I got Guardianship, I did not have the legal authority before hand.

In order for me to get guardianship I had 5 years of documented records of her behavior's, action's, etc.. Which were undisputable. It was very aversarial as the parent did not think there was anything wrong with her, do she fought the Guardianship action. Even thou the attorney the court assigned to her could fully see the situation for what it really was. In her lucid moments she loathed-hated-despised me and spared not one word of what she thought about me.  In her less lucid moments she didn't know who I was.... 

The actual day of the final hearing where the desision was going to be made she decided NOT to show up, period. There was complete agreement between the Attorney's and the Judge and the Court did assign me as her Guardian. Still  months and months later,, she refused to believe I had the legal authority over her, and went ballastic when I sold her vehicle.

There is very little joy or happy times in this type of situation and I can guarentee it only gets worse. Much worst.

I didn't read "blame" into USA's post,, only what he experienced and was told he had to do by the "legal community".  Expoding at USA refering him to a nimrod isn't the best either. I do believe he has his own scars from his experience with his parent's situation. I for one have no doubt  USA also "second guessed" his actions.  "Am I doing the right thing, making the very best decision for the parent?"  "How should I proceed from this point?"  And the list is endless...  

There are no "right answers" likewise there are no really "wrong answers" either.  It is almost completely a situation of choosing the "best answers" from a long list of "awful decisions to be made."  There is almost no proactive responses, everthing becomes reactive.  Ever action, every decision, every plan.  And it has to be fluid enough to be changed with secondary decisions as most of the time 1/2 way through reacting to one decision, the entire situation changes and the "best of the bad decisions" also has to change.

The above aside,, perhaps modifying Your post there JDH would also be appropriate ??  USA is like wise entitled to wear the "Been there-done that" badge too,,   Don't you think ?? 

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