The link below is horrifying, but really should be read by everyone concerned about elder abuse. It involves state agencies that declare an elderly person ‘incapacitated’ and appoint a guardian who takes over that person’s care and gives the guardian unlimited access to the older person’s bank accounts.
While I was an investigative reporter for the NBC affiliate in Denver I reported on several such cases. Then, attending my 50th class reunion last month, I spoke to a longtime neighbor (and a good-lookin’ gal, too!) about a different kind of theft. Seems that a sibling was executor of her parents’ rather substantial estate and that sibling stripped out all the assets. My friend didn’t get a dime of what her parents left her.
State governments and the courts look the other way when these financial crimes are committed. They just don’t seem to care. When an old person is involved it’s just easier not to have to think about the abuse.
With all that in mind, please, please don’t neglect reading this linked web post. And apply it to your own situation and where you might find yourself some day.
(link to article on ‘theft by guardian’)
