Has anyone dealt with Adult Protective Services?

[OnTheBrink]

Here's the situation:

 

EX's grandparents live alone in another state. There is no close family to them and they don't want to move. They can care for themselves, cook, clean, bathe, etc. The problems is, Ex's grandmother has Parkinsons and some other health issues. She's under the care of a doctor and has been following his prescribed treatments.

 

Enter in EXMIL (Ex's mother). She has decided that Grandmother needs to go off her meds and drink noni (sp?) juice and that will cure her Parkinsons. There has been NO consultation with Grandmother's doctors at all; MIL just decided that after conferring with her own "practioner" (of questionable credential and has never seen Grandmother at all) that Grandmother just needs more iron and noni juice. So, MIL has flown out there, talked Grandfather into buying copious amounts of noni juice and has taken Grandmother off her meds. Grandmother reports feeling weaker. MIL explains this away by saying the noni juice is "detoxifying" her.

 

I WANT TO SCREAM!!!!!! EX called me up, very concerned about this and I suggested calling Adult Protective Services before MIL kills Grandmother. Is that the right place to call? What can be done to protect the Grandparents from their insane daughter?

 

I don't say she's insane because she believes in alternative medicine, there is far more to it than that. She's decided that SHE has the cure for Parkinsons, and she has other grandiose ideations of her abilities and knowledge. She is very unstable and has been for years. I'm truly frightened that she's going to kill or seriously injure Grandmother with this insanity and Grandfather is desperate, frightened and tired and is buying into what MIL is telling them. Five years ago, he'd have called her insane and tossed her out.

 

What can be done? Does it have to be a relative who reports this? Can I call someone and ask for an intervention?

[Jean in Newcastle]

Yes, call Adult Protective Services. Also call MIL's doctor and tell him.