VENT & Power of attorney info neended

Mom called me this morning all upset as she finally was balancing June bak statement but Dads SS check and pension checks have not been deposited.
After many fruitless calls to the pension fund and other places it turns out that dad got a letter sometime this spring stating a request for me to be POA??
Anyhow the direct depost ss money got changed to checks and he has deposited/cashed them ??? al local CU. The pension checks also stopped being deposited (how???) and he was also doing the same with them. He is almost 77 and a bit forgetful mom usually handles the $$$. So After this heat waves moves through I'll drive there on Wed so get some of this info straightened out.
In addition mom was writing checks out of bank acct and cannot transfer money from that banks savings to checking (I'm calling) and will wire from local bank.
She wants to close this out of state bank acct but doesn't have online acct (no computer)or atm card or no local brnach office (3 hrs away) So I have to figure out how to do this and get that acct closed and money transferred to local CU acct.
Of course I'm not authorized to talk to bank/SS office/Pension fund and get this straightened out
WHAT A MESS!!!!!!
But does anyone do POA for finances for parents??? This would be so I can check up instead of mom as sometimes this stuff seems to overwhelm her too. With the privacy laws dad had to get on the phone and doesn't understand some of this stuff (did I mention he hates taxes, government etc...!!)
Sorry had to vent... but if anyone deals with this please any advise would be good!!

I'm no expert and have never done it myself. I just wanted to post and tell you I hope you can get everything worked out.

I also recommend a limited power of attorney to specifically deal with this. Like, when I went to Mexico with my youth group my parents signed over a limited power of attorney for that trip, so that someone actually there could approve medical treatment if something happened rather than trying to get ahold of parents and track people down.

So you could get one written up to deal with these bank accounts and finances and stuff specifically. I haven't the slightest how you go about doing it though.

I had POA for my Dad for six months before he died. In the UK it is easy, I collected a form from the solicitor, Dad signed it and one of the nurses witnessed his sig, took it back to the solicitor who gave me the POA cert. which meant I could deal with all his banking, bills, put his house up for sale etc. I got it all done in one day as my Dad lived the other side of the country. (not distances like the US but still a three hour journey, on a good day.)
Hopefully it will be equally simple your side of the pond.
Best of luck.
Anne

I have POA over my Mom. She and I went to the bank and filled out ALL papers needed.We also have MPOA for her.So, when she gets ill and can't make up her mind, I will be the one called and asked what to do.
As for the POA, I am on her checking,savings accounts as a co-applicant.I can check into her accounts ANY time I want to.She doesn't have the first clue about keeping records,so I have to balance it ALOT for her.I also have to take funde from the savings and place in it her checking if she messes up.
She also went and paid off her funeral and EVERYTHING is in my name.I will be the only one to make the decisions as to what she's buried in and etc.
I would call your local court house,bank and ask questions.Like I said, it was very simple for me to do it.I had to sign 2-3 papers,show my ID and my SS#.That's it.