TexasCHLforum.com

surferdaddy wrote:Thank you all for the suggestions and information. I don't want it to seem like my FIL is babbling or anything of that nature. He is an incredibly intelligent man and talking with him in a normal relaxed setting you wouldn't perceive anything the contrary. He simply has moments which he refers to as his "senior moments." He did not grow up in a "gun culture," I did, and his transgressions regarding gun safety are very aparent to me.

I couldn't agree more that an individual who poses an imminent danger to himself or others should not be handling firearms. I do, however, see the potential to restrict ones rights in this matter; perhaps in a politically motivated way. I would have to be absolutely sure that he were mentally incompetent before I would entertain carteling his life in any way. This incident has expectedly sounded alarms and I will be paying much more attention. If I begin to suspect that he is progressing to a more dangerous state I will indeed suggest medical intervention. I know that medical attention can help mitigate certain age related symptoms and I definitely want him to have access to this care.

Sensitive subject for sure but one in which inattention could complicate with possibly dire consequences.

Surfer

SewTexas wrote:I'm not sure how you can do this....but at BAMC, in San Antonio, there is the Nuero-psychology department, there, they will do what they call "memory tests". Now, what you are looking for, really is two tests, one this year and one in one year, that will give you the amount of...."degeneration", for lack of a better word. But the test this year would give you a decent result because they would compare it to other 80 year old men.

Now, that is BAMC, what your wife needs to do, since she's his daughter, is to talk to his doc and see if he can refer her dad out to someone to do such a test....to at least get a baseline dementia test. Then you will have something to talk with him about. He's not going to talk to you about anything, if he's anything like my father-in-law was, without some type of test results. Also, if there is some dementia, you will want to be able to sit with him and write out a plan, ASAP!!!! please!!!! ask me how I know....I dare you...

surferdaddy wrote:A battery of mental tests may be in his future, I'd sure like to see his foggy-ness slow and prove to be merely a symptom of advanced age. I'd sure hate to see the state strip him of his rights; at the same time, we are getting a bit concerned.