Monday, November 5, 2012

FL: IG Probes Hiding of Records by Department of Elder Affairs

In September 2012, the State of Florida opened an investigation by the Inspector General’s Office, Department of Elder Affairs, into allegations that the State’s top official overseeing the nearly 1,000 registered professional guardians practicing in Florida conspired with public guardians to conceal hundreds of records in a guardianship abuse case.

What happens when a state turns its back on its own laws and on its most vulnerable citizens? The State of Florida can answer this query, based upon newly-revealed e-mails in which the State’s highest official overseeing thousands upon thousands of guardianships of incapacitated elders concealed from a Ward’s estate hundreds of documents from a public guardianship agency under her supervision.

Guardianship agencies are licensed by the State by submitting minimalistic corporate papers that require brief time to prepare. To become a public guardianship agency in Florida, the agency must sign contracts with the State, which contracts specifically require every agency to keep meticulous paper and electronic records on each of its Wards for at least six years, but what happens when all of an agency’s records on a Ward disappear well before the six-year period has ended?

Holocaust Survivor Al Katz’s family knows the answer to this question. In seeking the records from his public guardianship agency that controlled his life and assets for months, Al’s family was told all of his records had been shipped to the State capital, Tallahassee, and none (except for two pages) had been retained by the agency, Aging Safely of Bradenton, Florida. Likewise, the agency claimed that it never kept a single electronic communication concerning Al and his guardianship.

It is believed that Al Katz’s case is the first one in the nation to have indisputable evidence that high-level state officials actively obstructed justice and covered up crimes against a state Ward.

Full Article and Source:
IG Probes Hiding of Records by Department of Elder Affairs

See Also:
NASGA: Al Katz, IN/FL Victim

10 comments:

StandUp said...

Congratulations Katz family for having this evidence and pushing for accountability!

Nancy said...

If the Dept of Elder Affairs did this, then heads should roll and the IG should hold the responsible parties accountable.

Anonymous said...

Sounds CRIMINAL to me!

honeybear said...

I am so happy for the Katz family. Looks like justice may be coming for Mr. Katz. Nothing will make up for what they put him through, but justice is a good start.

Sue said...

Florida is not the only place where criminal acts by state officials are guilty of cover up why? Follow the $ and the votes. Those who are responsible MUST GO and lose all their benefits and serve time in prison.

If we don't demand accountability and responsibility, we are setting ourselves up for certain doom.

This is the type of news that isn't broadcase

"It is believed that Al Katz’s case is the first one in the nation to have indisputable evidence that high-level state officials actively obstructed justice and covered up crimes against a state Ward."

Stan said...

Each and every person in the Department of Elder Affairs who participated in hiding Al Katz' guardianship records, must be fired.

Betty said...

Good news for the Katz family and for all victims in Florida!

Lisa said...

I am praying for justice for Mr. Katz.

Mike said...

Nothing's worst than the Holocaust, but I just bet Mr. Katz felt like he was right back there when he was guardianship.

Anonymous said...

Unacceptable and those who engaged in deceit and deception motive and intent it's all there now what will Florida do about this?

I agree with Sue this is not the only case, far from it.