So my mum is 88 and clearly has dementia, although we've no diagnosis. She was admitted to hospital last Tuesday (Sainsbo delivery man called ambulance - hero) after a fall (we think). This is her 4th admission in about a year - all fall related. Each time they say she has capacity, discharge her with a care package which she dismisses. Anyhow, this time there seems to be clear consensus that she is not safe to be at home without support - finally (GP saw her in July, thought she was fine; social care team saw her in August, nothing to see here - I had just been home for the weekend, so house was orderly etc).
Anyway, all that aside, they won't discharge her until she agrees to care, and she won't, so they are going to do a capacity assessment next week, which will then (assuming they decide she cannot make her own decisions) open the way to my making an application to become a court appointed deputy (she wouldn't agree to POA even though I raised the issue repeatedly from her 80th birthday on). Does anyone have any experience of how long this takes or what is involved? I assume it's straightforward - I am her only child - actually only living relative - so no-one else would have an interest in her affairs.
This is all the more difficult because I don't live in the UK (a flight away) and am trying to manage all this around my job, partner's job and my kids.