“Good. That helps. But we will also need an independent psychological evaluation that demonstrates your cognitive capacity, and it would be useful to have witnesses who can speak about your current mental state.”
“When is the hearing?”
“In three weeks. But before that, the judge ordered a visit from a social worker to your current residence to assess your living conditions.”
Of course they wanted to see where I lived, how I lived—to look for any evidence of personal neglect or inability to care for myself. It was part of the strategy I had heard months ago.
“Faith knows where I live.”
“Not according to the documents she presented. She alleges that she has no knowledge of your current whereabouts, which she uses as additional evidence of your supposed mental decline. She says a person in their right mind would not disappear without leaving an address for their only family.”
How convenient.
“Mrs. Thompson, I need to ask you something important. Is there any possibility that your daughter is right? Any moment of real confusion, any significant forgetfulness—anything she could use against you.”
“I’m seventy years old, not thirty. Sometimes I forget where I left my glasses or what I was going to buy at the supermarket. But my mind is perfectly clear. I sold my house because I discovered my daughter planned to steal it from me. I moved without telling her because I don’t trust her. Those are not the actions of a confused person. They are the actions of a person protecting herself.”
“Then that is exactly what we will say at the hearing.”
The psychological evaluation was three days later. Dr. Francis Williams was a forensic psychiatrist with thirty years of experience evaluating mental capacity in legal cases. He gave me tests for memory, logical reasoning, and temporal and spatial orientation. He asked me to solve math problems, recall lists of words, and explain the meaning of common sayings.
“Mrs. Thompson, your results are well above average for your age. There is no evidence of cognitive decline, dementia, or mental incapacity of any kind. Your short-term and long-term memory work perfectly. Your reasoning ability is excellent. From a clinical point of view, you are completely capable of managing your own affairs.”
“Can you put that in writing?”
“I already have. My report will be available to the judge before the hearing.”
The social worker arrived at my apartment on a Tuesday morning. She was a young woman, probably about thirty-five, with a tablet in her hand and a professionally neutral expression.
“Mrs. Thompson, I am Emily Miller, social worker assigned by the court. I need to ask you some questions and observe your current living conditions.”
“Please, come in.”
She toured the apartment slowly, taking notes. She checked the kitche
