To the Honorable Walt Minnick, US Congressman.

My wife has Alzheimer's.

I have guardianship of her, you know the stand before the judge, trade a pile of cash for a paper with his signature and a stamp or two, that kind. I naively thought that would cover all contingencies.

Our health care clinic says that the Social Security has the wrong date of birth for her and that I should check with the local SS office and straighten it out.

I entered a whole new world. I am not remotely anti government, but wow.

They don't recognize my guardianship. They don't recognize a POA. All they recognize is her signature. Right now she could sign her name, but that is a short term deal. The lady said I could take a paper home and have her sign it, even with an X, and bring it back in. I said I could do that right there.

She hesitated and said that would not work.

They gave me a form for getting a new SS number. That is the last thing I want or need. And, interestingly on that form there is no place for her to sign. I as her guardian was asked to sign.

Now my question. What am I to do long term. When she is really totally incapacitated, am I shut out of her records for the rest of her life? Do I forge her signature?


Her name is Miriam Bertha Spears Griffith
Birthday January 18, 1937

Dave Griffith guardian