Her condition sounds like you could get conservatorship over her assets for her protection.

> The last stroke impacted her ability to
> speak clearly, and I believe she has a hard
> time thinking clearly as well. She tends to
> push away members of her blood family, and
> bring in an inner circle of
> "friends", who seem more
> interested in taking things than being of
> help. She gives them family titles like
> "my adopted Granddaughter", who
> called her "Grandma". This is a
> woman in her late 20's that lived in the
> house and spent all of her time partying (as
> documented in her own "MySpace"
> account).

> I have control over a large chunk of her
> money, which I manage along with a
> professional who I have known and worked
> with for years. I'm not sure that she
> understands that she could actually access
> these funds if she wanted to. For now, she
> has been happy getting monthly payments from
> the fund.

> We try to help her as much as we can, but
> she is at an age, and mental condition where
> she might just sign over the deed to the
> ranch (and she does own a ranch) to the next
> crook that stops at her door.

> It is not an unusual situation,
> unfortunately. There are a lot of people who
> prey on the elderly, and it can be difficult
> to protect someone from these criminals and
> themselves.