In Washington state, can a mental health facility take power of attornery over a client?

Question

A close friend, that is a client of Compass Health, in which he signed up for freely, is pondering the thought of taking power of attorney over him because his elderly mother wants him to move to a board and care because of her age and wants him to be taken care of after she passes. He lives in his own apartment, wants to stay there, pays his bills, but needs someone to regulate his medical prescriptions because he was in a vehilce accident at a young age, and has low dopeamine levels and is diagnosed with indifferential something or other, (anxiety), due to pressure on the brain from the accident. The mental health facility is telling him that they will get 'power of attorney' over him to move him and can't see why its just. When he is mildly angry over the fact that to his knowledge, no one has that power or that he consented to it. Now he isn't sure that the paperwork he first signed to become a client noted that in it. I'm asking for you legal help and advice. Time is crucial.

Answer 1

Without knowing what your friend signed, it's hard to say. You really need to get an attorney to go over the paperwork. Or maybe you can go over and see what it says. But look at it this way, if it's not legal then the clinic won't be granted the power of attorney.

I actually don't think that it would be able to take power of attorney because that encompasses a whole host of responsibilities. What they are probably vying for is the right to be his health proxy, which could very well be legal given his mental health.

Answer 2

I would suggest getting copies of the papers and seeing a laywer. and maybe resending the papers before they get a judge to sign his life over to them.