This week, mental health professionals are evaluating Patrick as part of his court-ordered stay. It is the only good outcome, resulting from the threats that he shouted at his mother and I Sunday evening and Monday morning. It has been a long and lonely road for him and us both, but we made it this far. Hopefully, the doctors will quickly diagnose and identify a treatment that will assist him in recovering from the conditions that he developed—psychosis, multiple personalities, hallucinations, rage, and paranoia among them.
Unfortunately, nobody can really guess as to how long his recovery might take and Mary and I no longer want to be in a position where we are unable to help make sure that he gets care. His finances are a shambles. His college education a mess. And most important, ensuring whatever healthcare he is ordered, he gets.
Since he is so severely ill, he isn’t able to make any of these decisions himself. So, Mary and I are petitioning the court for Conservatorship and Guardianship. The advantage of petitioning the court now is that the medical evaluations that the court will rely on will be current. We expect that the evidence of his disease will be clear to the physicians and ultimately the court. A second reason is that his mother and I will then be able to take steps to ensure a clean transition to his long-term care after this short-term intervention.
Although we are eager to see Patrick fully recovered, we have no illusions that there will be a magical cure in short order. More likely the route is a transition out of full guardianship/conservatorship to less limiting arrangements as he starts to return to himself. Our hope and prayer that Patrick returns and with his sanity, restoration of his rights.
I am so grateful you have this moment to obtain guardianship. I hope it goes thru smoothly and you are able to ensure Patrick has the best chance possible to recover and heal.