Expert: Ivan Goldberg, M.D. - 3/2/2007

Question
I have a friend who's mother she suspects is mentally Ill.  She is on medicare and has several health issues but is good at manipulating her doctors.  She recently had a suicide attempt, but insists it was just a mistake (taking a bottle of pills).  She refuses to do an MRI to make sure everything is ok as far as her brain...her doctors' have suggested this and she (the daughter)would like to rule out any sort of tumor etc.. Her mother is quickly declining and is living in California with her parents (the daughter's g'parents). She is not sure what her next step is or what she can do to "force" her mother to get treatment and a diagnosis.  Can you help?  Thank you!

Answer
Hi . . .

I have no idea what the law sin in California but in New York if the daughter were to petition the court to force the mother to undergo treatment at a hospital, and two doctors agreed that the mother was a danger to herself and needed such treatment, the mother  could be committed to a psychiatric hospital against her will.

Best regards . . .

Ivan
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