Tonight, Monday, November 10, 2008, I went out to see my dad ([name and city edited for privacy reasons]) about 7:15 p.m. I saw his wife standing at the kitchen sink when I pulled in, and I pulled around back as I always do. By the time I got out of my car, she had turned the lights off in the kitchen and went into my dad's bedroom. I rang and rang the doorbell but she (Rose Ann Andris Powell) would not come unlock the door. I went around to his bedroom window where the curtains are open on occasion, but they were not tonight. I then went to the back door again and was looking in the big picture window and she came to the back door to look out and see who was there. When she saw me, she just stood to the side of the door (like I didn't see her in the mirrors directly across from the back door) and would NOT open the door so I could go in and see my dad, who is bedridden with Alzheimer's. She is from the loving [edited for privacy reasons] Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in [city edited for privacy reasons]. Just wondering if anyone else has ever had this kind of experience?
I was locked out of my dad's house AGAIN tonight!
by Melody Blankenship 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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crazyblondeb
Can't you feel the love??
I'm really sorry you are going thru this. Would a call to their elder's help?? After all, you are a concerned daughter.
Or maybe to adult protective services?? Just out of concern???
just a thought.
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Honesty
Call the authorities and see if you can have a uniformed officer escort you into the house to do a welfare check on your dad.
It happens all the time here in East Tennessee.
The local Sheriff's Department here is more than happy to help relatives who are not allowed access to their ailing family members.
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halcyon
I do believe the wife, being the closest relative, has all the power.
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Dogpatch
Wow, that's pretty sad Melody. Let us know how it turns out. My prayers are with you.
Randy
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JWdaughter
Her actions are suspicious and if you call whoever is in charge of 'elder protection' (Like CPS) and let them know her actions, they can check on your dad. That is messed up. Sorry for you and for him. She is evil-Karma will get her.
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Hope4Others
I'm so sorry to hear this, I think concern is warranted..
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Melody Blankenship
I will be calling Adult Protective Services in the morning at 8:00 a.m. AGAIN! It seems that the staff over here is very short-handed at the present time and I am quite sure they won't be able to check on his welfare for a few days though. Just last week here in Beckham County, OK, a three-year old boy was KILLED (beaten to death) when the judge placed him back into his mother's care because that was the recommendation of the Child Protective Services. The mother was at work when her boyfriend beat his head against a wall or the floor. My dad is just being starved to death. His wife would not even let him have an apple on Sunday Nov. 2 when he asked for one. This happened while he was in the hospital, no less! When I went to see him on Monday morning, I asked him if he wanted anything when I came back and he said he would like a hamburger. I did take him one when I went back up there about 7 p.m. and it upset his wife something terrible. She even went down to the nurse's station and came back with the doctor. I'm sure she told him that I had given him a burger and to scold me. He opened my dad's chart and said it looked like everything was looking pretty good except that his blood-sugar had dropped down to thirty-something the night before! I told him maybe that wouldn't happen tonight as he'd just had a burger. His wife was NOT a happy-JW camper!
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nameless_one
This sounds like a dire and terrible situation, I'm sorry you (and your father) are going through this. If APS isn't being any help, can you do as another poster suggested and call your local Sheriff's office to request a welfare check? A uniformed police check could move things faster than waiting on APS (it sounds like you've tried APS before and encountered red tape and slowness?). Also, since your dad was hospitalized just within the past week, and apparently his doctor was made aware of some of his wife's weird behavior even then (?), can you go to the doctor and tell him what's happening and maybe get some intervention that way?
If this woman is starving him and isolating him from help and family, that qualifies as elder abuse. APS is supposed to help in a situation like this obviously, but if that's not happening maybe getting the police and/or his doctor involved could get things moving more quickly to get some help for your dad.
I'm sorry this is happening, my thoughts are with you.
***Edited, after reading more carefully. -
carla
I'm sorry about your situation. Yes, by all means call the authorities!! Keep calling them as you are his only real advocate. I notice you mentioned the hall she goes to? Perhaps the elders need a few calls from complete strangers as to why one of their members are keeping family from visiting and why she is trying to kill him? That would bring terrible reproach upon the org would it not? Maybe local special interest story here is warranted about the system and it's lack of care for the elderly, the jw's lack of love, etc...