My husband had passed away three years earlier. Legally speaking, the only immediate family my father-in-law had left was his daughter, Diane. And Diane had always prioritized spa getaways and wine tastings over anything that resembled responsibility.
I went back into his room and draped another blanket around his shoulders.
“You okay, Pop?” I asked quietly.
He blinked at me, unfocused. “Cold,” he murmured.
I wasn’t about to leave him like that.
I called the front desk, told them I’d be staying overnight, then drove home. I grabbed a small space heater, his thick wool socks, a framed photo of his late wife, and a heated blanket he loved.
Back at the facility, I made him tea, massaged his hands with warming balm, and stayed until he finally fell asleep.
The next morning, I asked to speak with the director.
“I understand policies and paperwork,” I said evenly, “but this crosses into elder neglect. There is no excuse for leaving an elderly man freezing because someone doesn’t want a higher utility bill.”
The director looked uneasy. “You’re not listed on his legal file. Our authority is limited.”
That’s when something shifted in my mind.
I went home and started searching through old boxes. That’s when I found letters my father-in-law had written to my husband years ago. One stood out.
Diane doesn’t want the house. If anything happens, I trust you and Anne to make decisions for me.
That mattered.
The house had been sold months earlier to help pay for his care. Diane had handled the transaction, insisting she had everything under control. My husband and I had offered help before he passed—but she’d brushed us off.
I called a lawyer friend, Colin, a soft-spoken older man with decades of experience.
“It’s possible to challenge her proxy status,” he said, “but only if we prove neglect—or that your father-in-law wants someone else.”
“He has good days,” I said. “Not many, but they’re there.”
“Then we act fast.”
