Until relatively recently, I was not aware of just how rampant elder abuse is within the judicial justice system. For almost the last two decades, my life has been consumed helping as many people as I could in a way that is different from what most provide. I have informally counseled and helped thousands of people through the publication of my book, as well as in private sessions as a medium/psychic. It wasn’t until my good friend started sharing her story with me that my eyes were opened to something far more prevalent than I knew; At least on a conscious level.
I have had the privilege of knowing Diane for over five years. During that time, she has never been anything but helpful, loving, and compassionate to everyone. Doing what I do for a living generally allows me to be a good judge of character. Ironically, it is a judge and his decisions that prompted me to write this article. The choices and the attitude he has expressed have been protected by legal statutes. While they may be legal, they are far from moral, ethical, or compassionate.
This all started about two and a half years ago. Diane’s mother had given her power of attorney and appointed her health care representative. Like many families, there were disagreements with the brothers. Diane was told that her brother and sister wanted to sell her mother’s house and place her in a nursing home. Although this elderly Dorothy had some early dementia and knee problems, she was still a vibrant and aware person. She had no interest in being displaced so those two could have her money. Diane’s family suggests that she file for legal guardianship to protect her home and the life of her mother as well. She seemed to make a lot of sense.
Recounting the events that unfolded quickly is really an injustice to the elder abuse that has been incurred since then. The brothers contested the guardianship petition. Instead of reaching a mediated agreement, the judge hearing the case decided that it would be better to make decisions for everyone. He appointed a legal guardian and a health care administrator. It seems that these three have worked together before. Diane immediately turned away from what her mother wanted; that she take care of her needs if there was any reason for it. As it was, Dorothy spent many weekends at Diane’s house. It should be noted that Diane works from home and cared for her father in his later years. She would give Dorothy a change of scenery and much appreciated love and companionship. All that was about to change.
Diane rightly hired a lawyer to help overturn the judge’s decision. This attorney had handled her parents’ legal needs in the past. Not only was he familiar with the family dynamic, but he had intimate knowledge of what Dorothy wanted. He was even going to represent Diane pro bono. All he wanted to see was this old woman being allowed to live happily in her own home, or with Diane. The judge of the Supreme Court, based in Nassau County, New York, was in charge of unfairly rejecting the generosity and the lawyer’s right to represent Diane. It was the first step in a series of negatively damaging rulings against my friend.
The legal guardian requested that a reverse mortgage be approved for $275,000 on Dorothy’s six-decade home. In a public hearing, with the opposition of some, this magistrate authorized the financial decision and stated that the money would allow Dorothy to remain in her home for at least five years. It’s only been two years and all that money has been spent. In addition, social security and a couple of small pensions kept coming in. In just twenty-four months, over $325,000 had been wasted!
At the time of this writing, the judge ordered Dorothy into a nursing home. At her failure, he admits that this is against the wishes of Dorothy and her family. The legal guardian, care manager, and one other person showed up unannounced and told Dorothy that they were taking her to the doctor to check out a problem she was having. Dorothy, now eighty-seven years old, willingly accompanied them. She was pushed to a nursing home that was a long way from the only child who has been fighting for her freedom. She is scared beyond belief.
The lie to get her into the car is one of a long series of deceptive tactics used by the law enforcement officer, the health care administrator and the judge himself. There has been hearing after hearing over the last thirty months where the three of them have waged a war of libelous statements, incredulous lies and perjury against Diane. They have battled the only daughter who seeks to do what is right for her mother, and their end game has been a complete drain on Dorothy’s modest estate. Her health has been compromised and, from my outside point of view, she was made solely to line her own pockets. The tragedy of all this has been that the judge, chosen to defend the rights of all people, has led his attack on an elderly woman.
How I wish I could condense hundreds of pages of documents into a short article. There was the theft of over thirty thousand dollars worth of jewelry. Dorothy said her other daughter ran away with him and has been asking for it back. The so-called guardian of the law knows this, but he refuses to intervene. There was an affidavit from another legal entity stating that, out of all the interviews she had with people familiar with the family, Diane was seen as the most loving and generous child of the three. She states that her brother is known to have a violent temper and would be a danger to her mother. In court, the same woman appeared before the judge and said that this same man would be the best person for Dorothy to live with. In my opinion, these heinous actions by Diane’s brothers have been overlooked in exchange for your support in allowing this to continue without her objections.
As I summarize this, I would like to share with you that there was a previous time that Dorothy was locked up for thirty days in another facility. She was denied the opportunity to be asked out by Diane for Thanksgiving, nor was she allowed to attend the christening of her only great-granddaughter; something she very much wanted to be a part of. In trying to support Diane in any limited way possible, I discovered that elder abuse is a much broader problem than I knew. The National Association to Stop Guardian Abuse (NASGA) has stepped in to help with this case; one of a multitude that are drawing the attention of Congress and other law-related committees. It seems that the power hungry people who are trusted to protect the rights of our seniors are running amok and taking advantage of them, their families, etc. Justice is supposed to be blind, yet it is those in society who need not be blind to the fact that this happens all too often. If you find yourself in a position to make a difference by correcting the mistakes of these judges and tutors, make sure you don’t wait for someone else to fix it. What would you do if it was your mom or dad? if it was your family that faced this?