Catherine Falk claims her 81-year-old acting legend best known for his playing detective “Columbo "requires full-time custodial care for his health and safety" and is no longer able to protect himself against "fraud or undue influence," according to papers filed with a Los Angeles court.

In other words Peter Falk’s daughter is seeking to obtain a conservatorship over the actor’s estate as she claims he suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. An eventual conservatorship would give Catherine legal control over Falk’s assets. A court hearing has been set for January.

Falk further asserted that her father can neither "recognize his physical needs" nor "communicate those needs to others who can meet them." She also added that he is unable to recognize the ones he used to be familiar with, but still he sometimes remembers events that never took place.

Ms Falk added that her father also sustained a head injury six months ago as a result of a car accident where he "lost control" while driving and claimed he can no longer "recognize familiar people, places and things".

Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia. Generally it is diagnosed in people over 65 years of age, although the less-prevalent early-onset Alzheimer's can occur much earlier. An estimated 26.6 million people worldwide had Alzheimer's in 2006. Symptoms include confusion, irritability and aggression, mood swings, language breakdown, long-term memory loss, and the general withdrawal of the sufferer as their senses decline. Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death.

In the papers Catherine also expressed concern that the star of The Princess Bride "can easily be deceived into transferring away property" and feels that a conservatorship will protect Peter from "fraud or undue influence." Falk's representatives have not yet responded to the matter.

Peter Michael Falk was born 16 September 1927 and he is an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series named after the main character, but he also starred in films such as:”The Princess Bride,” “The Great Race” and “It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.”

He has been Academy Award-nominated twice, and won the Emmy Award on five occasions and the Golden Globe award once. His daughter, Catherine Falk, announced on December 15, 2008 that Falk is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

In 1961, he became the first actor nominated for an Oscar and an Emmy in the same year, receiving best supporting nominations for the movie “Murder, Inc.” in 1960 and the TV show "The Law and Mr. Jones" during the same year. He followed up in 1962 by being doubly nominated again for supporting actor for the movie “Pocketful of Miracles”in 1961 and  best actor for "The Price of Tomatoes," an episode of "The Dick Powell Show" 1961. He won the latter.