An elderly woman placed in a nursing home wants to move back to her home but is being kept against her will.

A family member explained that his aunt had always said she wanted to live in her home and did not want to go to a nursing home.

However, unknown to some of her relatives, one of her nephews made the arrangements for her to go to the home.

When one of her children objected to her being placed in the home, and actually went to take her out, he was told that her nephew had given strict instructions for her to remain in the home.

According to one of the relatives, the nephew conducts all her business and has even rented out her house.

The son admitted that he had lost contact with his mother for a number of years as she was living in England. A few years ago, she made the effort to contact him and he went to visit her.

"My mother is in her right mind and I cannot understand why one of her nephews took it on himself to put her in a nursing her," her son said.

"When I heard she was in the nursing home, I went to visit her and she told me she did not want to stay there. I got permission to take her out of the home, to spend a day with me, but the permission was revoked. I was told her nephew had given strict instructions that no one should remove her from the home.

"Now, it is my mother, and I don't know what legal right my cousin has over my mother. I have made enquiries of my mother as to who gave my cousin the authority, and my mother said she did not tell anyone to put her in the home.

"My mother wants to get out of the home and she is being held at the home against her will. This is not really fair to my mother, who is getting a pension from abroad, can more than take care of herself financially. My mother bought a house in which to live and enjoy the fruit of her labour, so I cannot understand why she should be forced to stay in a nursing home.

"I have other siblings living abroad but I am the only one in Jamaica, and I am quite prepared to oversee my mother's welfare and to get a caregiver to assist me to take care of her. Why should my 90-year-old mother, who is in her right mind, be forced to live in a nursing home when she does not want to live there? I really want to honour my mother's wishes but I am being hindered from doing so. How can I really handle this situation?' he asked.

You could get a doctor to examine your mother to prove that she is in her right mind. Once the doctor certifies that she is in her right mind, you could get a lawyer to write to the owners of the nursing home, informing them that your mother is being held against her then you should get a court order to compel them.