Disabled Father Makes It Hard On Kids

**responsibleone** · 10-21-2007, 02:23 AM

I live in Arkansas with my 15 year old brother and mostly disabled father. I'm 20 years old & work a full time job. I stay with my father mainly because his disabilities make it hard on him to do simple tasks. So I cook, clean, run my brother around, etc. My job does not support us; he gets a disability check and also Social Security for himself and my little brother. I act more like his hands, or his mind when he's feeling fuzzy. Therefore, I am usually in charge of my brother, but since I'm only his sister, I can't do things like, register him for school, or sign him up for certain things, or sign papers for him when our father is having bad days. So my questions are: is this sufficient reason to become his legal guardian? Would that take all rights away from my father? Or could we somehow, 'share' guardianship? Would he still receive Social Security? Would this make me head of the household? & technically, this would make my brother my son, right?

**cbg** · 10-21-2007, 11:35 AM

The only one of your questions I can answer is the last one. No, it would not in any way make your brother your son. He would still be your brother. Guardianship does not automatically create a parental situation like adoption does.