# Getting another authorized user on Mothers account



## emmt (1 Aug 2011)

Looking for a bit of legal/sensible advice

The situation is this:
Mother has just been diagnosed with mild Alzheimers. Large family so we are taking turns to look after her in her own home as much as we can. We think moving her out would do her more harm than good at this stage.

Anyway, only one other of the family is joint signee on her account and has now decided that she CANT and WONT have anything more to do with the caring. Lets just say she has her own issues and if we could sideline her, probably best for all.

So, we're hoping to get someone else onto the account as joint signee but as Mum is now on Alzheimers XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, I dont think she'd be classified as of sound mind to sign the required documents. 

But we really need to get someone else onto the account. 

Solutions:
1)We have Mums bank card and pin and get £££ out for her when she wants so could take money out of the account gradually and store it for her elsewhere but joint signee could disagree to this. Not sure how much she monitors the bank balance.

2) Mum doesnt act like she has Alzheimers and we could possibly get her to sign another joint signee declaration in a bank but existing joint signee could also argue this.

All the rest of the members of the family are in total agreement and surprisingly for a large family are all pulling together on this one. it isnt a case of where theres a will, theres a relative.

Any sound advise really welcome...any way we can pass joint control of Mums money to a sister who we all trust and who has Mums best interests at heart. 

Thanks in advance


----------



## emmt (1 Aug 2011)

Should also add that discussing it with existing joint signee is futile, unfortunately...


----------



## putsch (1 Aug 2011)

Been there!

Early stage Alzheimers doesn't mean that your Mum can't understand and give instructions. The bank's duty is to be satisfied she understands and agrees with the particluar instruction she is giving. I have brought mine to a meeting with the Bank to have me on her accounts - it was a bit touch and go with Mum smiling up at me and saying "oh whatever putsch thinks" but the bank could see that it was in her interests - I did not then or at any time since discuss her diagnosis with the bank.

Another time we had to sell some of her shares - they were with two different brokers firms both of which insisted on discussing it directly with her over the phone. It was nerve racking.....she could tell them her name and date of birth but she didn't know her address and again her instruction to them was "whatever my daughter says". Anyway we got the job done, sold the shares and that money is now paying for her care!

We siblings didn't all agree either so there were issues there too. You will find your own solutions - just take it step by step and be sure you are acting in Mum's best interests.


----------



## irishmoss (1 Aug 2011)

We were in a similar position but got my mother to write a simple note authorizing xxx member of family to be allowed access to her account. This is not the same as a joint bank account as she would then lose her DIRT rebate as far as I know.

Mum went with sibling to bank and everything went fine even though my Mum had dementia.

Your problem though seems to be your sister and your unwillingness to discuss this. As she has declared she cant look agter your Mum how about you or your other willing sibling going to the bank with your Mum and open up a new account. If she has savings there might be a better account out there with a higher yield which might be a usefull excuse for the bank move


----------



## emmt (2 Aug 2011)

Thanks so much for these personal experiences, putsch, irishmoss. I was so worried when I wrote the thread because I thought we were in a very bad position.

Going to approach the bank now with more confidence and see how it goes. Feeling more positive now.


----------

