Opinion ID: 1652699
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Order of Long-Term Custody

Text: Mr. Adams's counsel next asserts that the probate court did not err in granting DHS's petition for custody. Stating that the case is one of first impression, counsel urges this court to adopt the same standard of review used in termination-of-parental-rights cases, that of clear and convincing evidence. He further contends that the evidence presented supports the circuit court's order of long-term custody. [4] Our standard of review for probate orders is well-established. This court reviews probate proceedings de novo, and the decision of the probate court will not be disturbed unless clearly erroneous, giving due regard to the opportunity and superior position of the probate court to determine the credibility of witnesses. See Buchte v. State, 337 Ark. 591, 990 S.W.2d 539 (1999) (reviewing an order of involuntary commitment). See also Campbell v. State, 51 Ark.App. 147, 912 S.W.2d 446 (1995) (observing, in review of an involuntary-commitment order, that when the burden of proof in the trial court was by clear and convincing evidence, the standard of review was whether the trial court's finding is clearly erroneous). After reviewing the evidence in the instant case, we cannot say that the circuit court clearly erred in granting the petition for long-term custody. Pursuant to the Act, the probate court may order long-term custody with DHS if the court determines that: (1) The adult lacks the capacity to comprehend the nature and consequences of remaining in a situation that presents an imminent danger to his or her health or safety; (2) The adult is unable to provide for his or her own protection from maltreatment; and (3) The court finds clear and convincing evidence that the adult to be placed is in need of placement as provided in this chapter. Ark.Code Ann. § 9-20-117(c) (Repl.2008). Here, the circuit court made the requisite findings. Thus, the question presented is whether the circuit court's findings were clearly erroneous. They were not. A review of the hearing before the circuit court reveals the following testimony. Sunny Rutledge, an Adult Protective Services case worker, testified that on February 13, 2008, DHS was contacted and informed by a senior-care facility in Forrest City that Mr. Adams was ready to leave the facility, and that they didn't believe that he was able to leave on his own. Ms. Rutledge stated that while Mr. Adams did not want to be discharged to a nursing home, the facility did not think him able to take care of himself, and, further, he had no family willing to take care of him. Ms. Rutledge testified that prior to that, Mr. Adams had been in a nursing home in Harrisburg, and that, upon leaving against medical advice, Mr. Adams went to Cross County, where he was incarcerated for writing hot checks. [5] She stated that while in jail, Mr. Adams went off all of his medications, and upon being concerned when Mr. Adams's legs began to turn black, the jail sent Mr. Adams to the senior-care facility. Ms. Rutledge testified that, while at the senior-care facility, Mr. Adams was evaluated by Dr. Jerry Pang. In a letter by Dr. Pang, which was submitted to the circuit court as an exhibit, he stated that [a]fter evaluating Mr. Adams, it is my opinion that Mr. Adams lacks capacity to fully comprehend the consequences of his behavior. Mr. Adams is an insulin dependent diabetic and also has coronary artery disease and hypertension. He requires close supervision to ensure that he takes medications as they are prescribed and that he receives proper nutrition for his diabetes. Furthermore, he lacks the capacity to manage financial matters as has already been demonstrated by his writing the checks with insufficient funds. Ms. Rutledge further testified that Mr. Adams had admitted to having problems with his short-term memory, and that in an evaluation, also submitted to the circuit court, he was diagnosed with dementia. Ms. Rutledge stated that, while in a Manila nursing home, Mr. Adams struck a nurse and was asked to leave. She said that no such problems had occurred at Mr. Adams's current facility, but that he had called her before the hearing, sounding delusional and stating that he did not want to go to court in Mississippi County because his ex-wife was having sex with the Judge. Ms. Rutledge testified that some of the consequences posed to Mr. Adams by not taking his medications as needed were a very high risk of having another stroke and the possibility of losing his legs due to severe complications from his diabetes. Ms. Rutledge recommended that Mr. Adams remain in nursing-home care. She further testified that she did not feel that he was able to protect himself from abuse or neglect; that if he was on his own, he did not have the capacity to understand that he was putting himself in a situation that would be putting him in imminent danger; that she believed that he should remain in his current facility and that it was the least restrictive alternative for him; and that his son and daughter would still be able to visit Mr. Adams at that facility. Ms. Janice Woods, an Adult Protective Services nursing consultant and a registered nurse, testified that she had conducted a two-hour assessment of Mr. Adams's mental status and performed a mini-mental status examination. She stated that while he was aware of the type of medications that he was taking, she did not think he fully grasped the concept of what would happen if he did not take his medication. Specifically, she stated that upon not taking his medications for two months and being admitted to the hospital, his blood sugar was 264 and a normal value would be anywhere from 80 to 110 depending on the machine that you were using to calibrate it. His urine creatine level was 1.9, which with high blood sugars sometimes you can wind up with renal failure. He had a white count of 11.17 indicating that he had an infectious process going on. And his blood pressure was 173 over 83. He had a three plus pitting edema in his legs. They were very swollen and he also had cellulitis and was placed on antibiotics for that. She commented that in those circumstances, renal failure, amputations due to the cellulitis, or another stroke due to heart dysrhythmias could result. She further related to the court the following: Anytime he's been out of the nursing home and even in the nursing home he's had either legal issues or issues with combative behavior. I believe one of the nursing homes he struck a residen[t] there. At the Manila nursing home he argued with the nurse, according to the records, because he was insistent that he was not taking his furosemide, which is Lasix and when the nurse tried to explain it to him, he argued that he wasn't taking it and the nurse turned around to leave and he grabbed the nurse in a head-lock and started hitting the nurse in the back of the head multiple times. Finally, she testified that she believed that it was in Mr. Adams's best interest to remain where he was currently placed, and that based on her evaluations of him, she did not think that he had the capacity to understand that he would be placed in a situation that might cause eminent danger to himself[.] Mr. Adams then testified in his own behalf and disputed the testimony of the prior witnesses. He testified that he did not try to write a check for a house and that he was going to borrow money from the nursing home, who had a plot for him and also a monument and it was eleven hundred and something dollars. He later clarified his statement, based on a certificate from Roller Funeral Home, saying that he believed the funeral home was going to give him money to cover his check. He further admitted that there were pending hot-check charges against him. After reviewing the evidence before the circuit court, we cannot say that the circuit court clearly erred in awarding long-term custody of Mr. Adams to DHS. Accordingly, we affirm the circuit court's order. We further grant, pursuant to the Anders no-merit procedures adopted in this opinion, counsel's motion to withdraw. Affirmed; Motion to withdraw granted.