Battle over Casey Kasem's health care heats up

SEATTLE -- Former radio star Casey Kasem's wife and her attorneys were delivered a court order from California on Friday afternoon, giving his daughter expanded power over his health care.

The "Top 40" radio personality had been staying in Kitsap County with his wife, Jean, and a family friend, according to the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office. Scott Wilson, spokesman for the Sheriff's Office, confirmed the court order was delivered early Friday afternoon.

The order says, "Casey Kasem lacks the capacity to give informed consent to any form of medical treatment because he is unable to respond knowingly and intelligently regarding medical treatment."

It gives his daughter Kerri Kasem "the power to exercise exclusive authority" to make health care decisions on Kasem's behalf.

A spokesman for Kerri Kasem confirmed she is in Washington state to get her father.

Casey Kasem's children launched a nationwide search for Kasem last week. They were concerned for his safety after he was removed from a nursing home in California.

Kasem, 82, has been in poor health in recent years. Daughter Kerri Kasem's court filings state her father is suffering from a form of dementia that had previously been incorrectly diagnosed as an advanced form of Parkinson's disease.

Casey Kasem gained fame with his radio music countdown shows, American Top 40and Casey's Top 40, and was the voice of Shaggy in the cartoon Scooby-Doo.