Bill addresses decision-making for Ohioans with developmental disabilities

by: Ava Boldizar

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A bill in the Ohio Statehouse seeks to establish a presumption that all adults with developmental disabilities are capable of making their own decisions unless otherwise determined by a court. 

Senate Bill 35, sponsored by Sens. Michele Reynolds (R-Franklin County) and Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland), was introduced in January. Along with declaring that adults with developmental disabilities should be presumed capable of managing their affairs, the bill would legally establish a “less restrictive” alternative to guardianship, called “supported decision making” (SDM), according to Reynolds. 

SDM allows individuals with developmental disabilities to retain their legal decision making authority while receiving support from chosen advisers who can help them understand, make and communicate their decisions. The bill would allow the advisors to be formally chosen through a written plan, or chosen informally.

In a guardianship, a family member or other entity is in charge of an individual’s affairs and ultimately makes decisions for them, when a court finds that person is incapable of making their own decisions due to a mental disability, according to the nonprofit Disability Rights Ohio.

“This legislation addresses a significant need in our current system,” Reynolds said at the bill’s first hearing in February. “Many adults with developmental disabilities find that full guardianship is more restrictive than necessary, while complete independence may not provide adequate support.”

Under the bill, entering into a SDM plan could not be used as grounds for a court to find that an adult is incapable of managing their own affairs. Adults with developmental disabilities who use a SDM plan would be allowed to act independently of their advisors and end the plan at any time. The bill additionally clarifies that adults with developmental disabilities could not be forced into a SDM plan.

Reynolds said that the approach recognizes that “disability exists on a spectrum” and that many adults with developmental disabilities are capable of making their own decisions. Twenty-three states have enacted similar legislation, according to the lawmakers.

“Supported decision making protects adults with developmental disabilities from exploitation because they maintain control over their own lives and decisions,” Cirino said.

If the bill were to pass, the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities would develop example SDM plans and educational materials. 

The bill had its second hearing earlier this month, where 13 entities testified in support of the legislation, including the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio and the Ohio Association of County Boards of Developmental Disabilities (OACB).

“Unfortunately, in many instances, guardianship represents an all-or-nothing decision for the courts to make when they are asked to balance a person’s health and safety with their ability to make decisions about their own future,” said Jake Dowling, a legislative affairs manager with OACB. “Supported decision making offers a middle path that preserves both.”

Greg Carter, the parent and legal guardian of an adult with developmental disabilities, told NBC4 he questions how the legislation would affect those currently under a guardianship arrangement.

“A parent who has been a part of their child’s life all along should not have to jump through any hoops to continue in the role of decision maker for their loved one simply because the calendar turns a page,” Carter said. “I question the motivation and need for a [policy] such as this.”

While a hearing for opponent testimony has not yet been held for the legislation, some critics of the concept have come out against a recently introduced budget bill including language that would codify SDM in Ohio law.

Caroline Lahrmann, an Ohio mother, testified against the budget bill (HB 96) saying those with developmental disabilities can already have friends and family assist them with decision making without new legislation. Harris Capps, a parent and legal guardian, echoed the same sentiment, calling sections of the bill addressing SDM “unnecessary” and “redundant.”

“SDM as policy could result in a degradation of Ohio’s guardianship system while providing more opportunities for frivolous lawsuits,” Capps said.

Current Ohio law requires those with developmental disabilities to be able to manage their financial affairs if they are able, participate in decisions that affect their lives, and select a parent or advocate to act on their behalf.

Cirino introduced a similar bill in the last General Assembly that did not pass before the end of the legislative session. SB 35 was assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee and currently has one Republican cosponsor. 

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Bill addresses decision-making for Ohioans with developmental disabilities

There's 1 Thing No One Seems To Be Talking About Regarding Gene Hackman's Death

by Shauna Sweeney

Gene Hackman was found dead in his home on Feb. 26. Vera Anderson via Getty Images

When the news broke about the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, my stomach dropped. It’s a deeply tragic story in and of itself, but as more and more information was released to the public, there was one thing no one seemed to be talking about: This situation is every family caregiver’s nightmare come to life.

Hackman, 95, and reportedly diagnosed with advanced Alzheimer’s, was found dead in his Santa Fe home seven days after Arakawa’s unexpected passing. The official cause was heart failure, but the reality is much more heartbreaking — he likely died because the person keeping him safe was suddenly no longer there.

Authorities suspect he may not have even understood Arakawa was gone, leaving him alone without essential care, medication, or even basic necessities for at least a week.

This isn’t just a devastating celebrity story. The truth is, this could happen to anyone currently caring for a loved one’s basic needs. This is especially true for my family.

When my father was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, I was in my early 30s, building a career and living thousands of miles away from him. Overnight, I became his caregiver, but I wasn’t ready. The first days and months were pretty rough. I had no idea what I was doing. But I also knew that no one was going to be as motivated or committed to taking great care of him as I was.

There are millions of us out there in this position. We’re not experts — we’re family, friends and neighbors. And we’ll move mountains to ensure our loved ones get the best possible care.

At first, I failed spectacularly, missing bills, missing important deadlines, even prescriptions, while unused subscriptions stacked up. Eventually my dad and I found a rhythm. I built systems to start to bring some order back, though any family caregiver will tell you not to bother trying to get everything in order. It’s just not going to happen. We found ways to cushion the pitfalls. I got smarter. I set up daily FaceTime check-ins with my dad, hired professional caregivers, created digital records of his medications and medical contacts, and installed smart home devices to monitor his safety. I even started regularly monitoring the weather where he lives to know if there could be an emergency.

But despite all these measures, I still live with one terrifying question: What if I’m suddenly out of the picture?

A few months ago, my fear became dangerously close to reality. I was sitting at a red light when I got rear-ended — hard. My seat back collapsed, I was thrown forward, and the trunk of my car crumpled like an accordion. As I sat in a daze in the back of an ambulance getting checked out, my first coherent thought wasn’t about me — it was of my dad.

I’ve been taking care of my father for 13 years. I’m still the one who makes sure nothing falls through the cracks. It’s my role to navigate the ER, where he sometimes ends up, to ensure he’s seen on time and discharged before a shift change. I am the one on the phone pleading to get an appointment with a dermatologist to get that rash on his cheek looked at tomorrow, not six months from now. Yes, it turned out to be cancer, and the effort was worth it.

I have safeguards in place. There are people who help. But if I were to disappear — permanently — would they know everything I know? Would they fight for him the way I do? My dad’s situation is constantly changing due to his Alzheimer’s. Could someone else really step in? For me and too many others, the answer is no.

On most days, I like to think of myself as superhuman — strong enough to be a good mom, a good boss and a good daughter. Yet, I know I am one accident, one diagnosis, one natural disaster away from our house of cards collapsing. Each day, I face knowing just how fragile the system is and how close we live to a crisis.

This fear is not mine alone. More than 54 million Americans — mostly unpaid and untrained — juggle caregiving responsibilities every day alongside their own personal and professional lives. By 2030, when every baby boomer will be 65 or older, that number will skyrocket. And yet, most caregiving in this country happens in a fragile, makeshift way, held together by love and hope.

For the majority of people, their approach lacks structure, backup plans, or a system of what to do in an emergency. The Hackman-Arakawa tragedy is not an anomaly. It’s at many of our front doors.

During the Los Angeles wildfires, an elderly man and disabled son were left alone after his primary caregiver son was hospitalized the week prior. Without immediate care or anyone to step in, the two were not evacuated in time, which ultimately led to both of their deaths.

Hope is not a strategy.

Every family should have a contingency plan. Who steps in if the primary caregiver is gone? Who has access to medical records? Who knows the daily routines, the medications, the little details that keep a vulnerable person safe?

Technology can help. Smart home devices can detect movement — or the lack of it. Emergency check-in alerts can notify family if something seems off. Digital tools, like shared apps, can keep medical and financial information in one place, accessible when it’s needed most.

For me, setting up a system wasn’t just about making my dad’s care easier — it was about protecting him and others like me.

I don’t say this lightly, but if Gene Hackman had a shared emergency plan or even something as simple as an automated weekly check-in system, he might have been found much sooner. Someone could have stepped in.

We can’t afford to ignore this growing crisis within our own families. In just five years, the number of Americans needing long-term care will double. At the same time, professional help is only becoming more expensive and harder to find.

Families will bear more of the burden than ever before. We must stop treating family caregiving as an informal, individual family responsibility, and recognize it as a national priority requiring education, structured support, planning and investment. We urgently need better policies: better workplace accommodations for caregivers, financial support to ease the burden, and expanded access to professional caregiving services.

On a personal level, we need to stop pretending this can be figured out later. Later is too late.

To me, the deaths of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa are a wake-up call. He was a two-time Oscar-winning legend. He had resources. He had family. But that didn’t save him.

Caregiving is a responsibility we all share — as families, as communities, and as a country. If we don’t act now, personally and systemically, the consequences will be devastating — not just for individuals but for an aging nation on the brink of crisis.

And, if you’re caring for someone you love, you’re already doing an amazing thing.

But please ask yourself: What if something happens to me first?

If you don’t have an answer, it’s time to make one.

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There's 1 Thing No One Seems To Be Talking About Regarding Gene Hackman's Death

Wendy Williams begs medical guardian to 'get off my neck' as she insists she's not mentally incapacitated

Wendy Williams' team has said she was diagnosed with progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia in 2023

By Emily Trainham 

Wendy Williams appeared on "The View" this morning to defend herself against claims that she is mentally incapacitated.

The former talk show host, who has been under a court-appointed guardianship since 2022, spoke to the show via phone about why she made the decision to undergo a competency test this week, which she'd previously said she'd passed with "flying colors."

"I needed a breath of fresh air. I needed to see the doctor, so that’s why I went to the hospital," she told the hosts of "The View" about the independent evaluation.

She added, "It was my choice to get an independent evaluation on my incapacitation, which I don’t have it. How dare they say I have incapacitation. I do not."

Williams, who has been living in the memory care unit of an assisted living facility for nearly a year, was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday. In the facility, she claimed that she's not allowed to have visitors, and that she typically stays in her bedroom. She said she's not permitted to leave her floor of the facility.

Host Sunny Hostin shared that the show had received a statement from the care facility's legal team that she hadn't been kept from her family and has received excellent medical care, which Williams continued to deny.

The former "Wendy Williams Show" host also complained about her guardian and the judge involved in her case, saying, "I need them . . . to get off my neck. I can't do it with these two people again."

"I don’t want a guardian . . . It’s been over three years, it’s time for my money and my life to get back to status quo," she insisted.

Williams, along with her caregiver, Ginalisa Monterroso, explained that the guardianship was first put into place in 2022 after her bank froze her account after noticing some unusual spending. She agreed to being appointed a guardian, because she believed the arrangement could help her get her finances under control, but soon afterward, she says the guardian took control of her life.

"At this point in my life, I want to terminate the guardianship and move on with my life, if that's possible at all," she said. 

Earlier this week, Williams was taken to a hospital after a 911 call was made to her assisted care facility in New York.

"On Monday, March 10, 2025 the NYPD responded to a welfare check at 505 West 35 Street," the New York Police Department said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. 

"EMS responded and transported a 60-year-old female to an area hospital for evaluation."

According to the New York Post, Williams had thrown a handwritten note that read "Help! Wendy!!" out the window.

One day after being rushed to a New York hospital, she spoke with Rosanna Scotto on a live segment of "Good Day New York" to discuss the outcome of her competency tests, which she says she'd requested herself.

Williams said she passed her tests with "flying colors."

"Everybody knows factually that Wendy is not incapacitated," Monterrosa, who was also present during that interview, told Scotto.

During an appearance on "The Breakfast Club" that same morning, Williams further explained why she had pleaded to go to a medical facility and be evaluated by an independent doctor. 

"The police showed up. I'm exhausted. I wanted to go to the hospital to talk to the doctor," Williams told the hosts. 

Monterroso said that they have been laser-focused on trying to get "some kind of motion" into the TV personality's guardianship case. 

"We were pretty stuck at one point, waiting for the lawyers to break through and get some type of trial," Monterroso said while on "The Breakfast Club." "I did two things. I wrote a letter to the Adult Protective Services and explained to them Wendy's situation. She was isolated and needed an investigation."

"Yesterday morning, during our morning calls, I told Wendy, 'We will be calling the police and telling them that you're isolated.' I pleaded with the police as if Wendy was my child. ‘Please, you need to get her off this floor. She is confined.’"

Williams said that during her chat with law enforcement, she told them, "I am not incapacitated as I've been accused [of]."

"This floor that I live on is the memory unit," Williams explained. "The people who live there don't remember anything, unlike me. Why am I here? What is going on? It's a cry for help."

Earlier this year, Williams denied that she was cognitively impaired and admitted during an interview with "The Breakfast Club" that her guardianship felt like a "prison."

"I am not cognitively impaired, but I feel like I am in prison," Williams said in January. "I’m in this place with people who are in their 90s and their 80s and their 70s. . . . These people, there's something wrong with these people here on this floor. I am clearly not."

"Where I am . . . you have to get keys to unlock the door to press the elevator to go downstairs, first of all. Second of all, these people here, everybody here is like nursemaids, so to speak," she said. Williams admitted that she isn't privy to what medication she's given. "Excuse me, doctor, can you tell me what this pill is for?"

In February 2024, Williams' team announced that she had been diagnosed with both progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.

Full Article & Source:
Wendy Williams begs medical guardian to 'get off my neck' as she insists she's not mentally incapacitated

See Also:
Wendy Williams Hospitalized Amid Battle Over Guardianship, But It's Not What You Think

Madison County Man Faces Charges of Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults

MADISON COUNTY – A Jackson businessman has been indicted and arrested, following a joint investigation by special agents with the TBI Medicaid Fraud Control Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, and investigators with the Jackson Police Department.

In July 2024, following a referral from Adult Protect Services, authorities began investigating allegations of financial exploitation of vulnerable adults who were in the care of a Jackson homecare facility.  During the course of the investigation, agents developed information that the owner of the company, Antonio Juan White, was responsible for taking unauthorized life insurance policies out on dozens of persons in his care, listing himself as the beneficiary.

On March 3, 2025, the Madison County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Antonio White (DOB 06/29/1979) with 35 counts of Financial Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult. White was arrested in Jackson on March 4^th and booked into the Madison County Jail.

The charges and allegations referenced in this release are merely accusations of criminal conduct and not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.

NOTE: The TBI’s Medicaid Fraud Control Division receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $10,782,912 for federal Fiscal Year 2024-2025. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $3,594,302 for Fiscal Year 2024-2025, is funded by the State of Tennessee.

Source:
Madison County Man Faces Charges of Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults

Missouri couple charged with financial exploitation of elderly veteran, accused of selling home

 A Missouri couple has been charged with financial exploitation of an elderly veteran, accused of withdrawing funds and selling his home without his knowledge, according to court documents.

Source:
Missouri couple charged with financial exploitation of elderly veteran, accused of selling home

Betrayed by Ho$pice and Healthcare: Stories from the Deathbed

by Marsha Joiner

Imagine your Mom is fixing her hair and putting on lipstick on Sunday and two days later, she is in a drug induced coma. Hospice says it is the dying process, but she wasn't dying when the toxic drugs were started with no knowledge or consent. You are denied taking her to a hospital for help and she dies.

Or what if your Dad spilt coffee on himself and is taken to hospice respite facility for a shower and is dead in two days?

Or your husband goes to the hospital for dehydration and is given a diuretic and dies from dehydration and a drug overdose, arriving home in a coma with a bloody mouth, and his gold tooth was ripped out?

These are just a tip of the iceberg of the true stories in this book. We will all die one day but it should be when it is your time and not when someone else decides your life is of no value. Everyone should have the right to write their last chapter.

This book is an eye opener exposing the truth of hospice and sheds light that healthcare philosophy changed from meeting patient's needs to meeting society's needs. What you read in this book may save your life. It is a must read before family members blindly trust what the medical and hospice industry say. They are a multibillion-dollar industry and it's all about money. The government saves money, the medical facilities and staff make money, and your loved one pays the highest price with their life.

This book will answer questions you never thought to ask. For example, did you know a drug overdose has the same symptoms of someone dying, because now they are dying? You will see the dark reality of what happens behind closed doors of an organization that is to 'do no harm' and is supposed to provide compassionate care. There is a wealth of information and research put in one place for you to see the real dangers. Is it worth the risk not to find out before it's too late? I wish I had known what I know now and saved my own Mother. Knowledge is power.

Source:
Betrayed by Ho$pice and Healthcare: Stories from the Deathbed

Hospice worker accused of exploiting patient, steals $7K

by Skyler Shepard

On March 7, deputies arrested the 57-year-old woman, who now faces exploitation of an elderly person, fraudulent use of personal information, grand theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, and uttering a forged instrument. (HCSO)

TAMPA, Fla. (CBS12) — A hospice worker is accused of financially exploiting a hospice patient under her care.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) said deputies responded to a delayed fraud report on March 4 on Clubhouse Circle, where the victim, receiving hospice care, reported being defrauded by a home health assistant.

The sheriff's office said the fraudulent activity reportedly began on January 28. The suspect, identified as Shawn Livingston, allegedly persuaded the victim to use Zelle for service payments and manipulated the transactions to transfer money to her accounts, pay her creditors, and make payments to Carnival Cruises, stealing more than $7,000.

"The actions of this individual are unacceptable and despicable. Preying on a hospice patient, someone who relies on others for care and support, is a heartless and disgraceful betrayal," said Sheriff Chad Chronister.

On March 7, deputies arrested the 57-year-old woman, who now faces exploitation of an elderly person, fraudulent use of personal information, grand theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, and uttering a forged instrument.

"We are committed to protecting our most vulnerable residents," said Sheriff Chronister. "Let this serve as a clear message: this kind of abuse has no place in our community, and we will do everything possible to bring those responsible to justice."

Full Article & Source:
Hospice worker accused of exploiting patient, steals $7K

Wendy Williams Hospitalized Amid Battle Over Guardianship, But It's Not What You Think

The daytime talk show host has been embroiled in this fight for years, but she just might be getting closer to freedom.

By Shanelle Genai 

Just when Wendy Williams was supposed to be getting ready for her return to daytime television later this week (more on that later), she’s instead having to deal with a trip to the hospital. But don’t be alarmed...it’s not for the reason you might think.

As we previously told you, thanks to her persistent outcries and subsequent action by her court-appointed guardian Sabrina Morrissey, Williams was set to undergo another medical evaluation to determine whether or not she she has frontotemporal dementia. That diagnosis is the one the very things that caused her to be remanded to an assisted living facility in New York City for the last three years that she previously described as a “prison.”  

Now, on Monday (March 10), it appears as if she’s finally had her tests as police were spotted outside of her facility were seen escorting her from her facility to Lenox Hill Hospital for the evaluations. In videos captured by TMZ, Williams was mostly quiet as she dodged questions about how she was feeling and her upcoming interview on “The View” on Friday. ABC announced the news that she’d be coming onto the show as a guest via telephone over the weekend.

This sighting also comes just after two local agencies were reported to be looking into Williams’ guardianship. The first agency was Adult Protective Services who reportedly had an interview with Williams and her niece Alex Finnie, according to TMZ. The New York Police Department also pulled up on Williams prior to them escorting her to her appointment to do a welfare check on her and her condition.

Per ABC News, two officers and a sergeant showed up to the facility in response to a 911 call of a woman in distress. However, when they arrived, Williams was reportedly calm and was able to walk with the officers and out of the building.

If the results of Williams’ second evaluation prove that she isn’t suffering from dementia—this could call the legal validity of the guardianship into question as Morrissey was only taking over things due to Williams’ alleged failing mental state. Moreover, if those results are brought in front of the judge and the guardianship is finally called off, this could be the start of a long-awaited comeback for Williams.

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Wendy Williams Hospitalized Amid Battle Over Guardianship, But It's Not What You Think

Wendy Williams hospitalized amid guardianship investigation

By David Matthews

The NYPD and Adult Protective Services are investigating Wendy Williams’ guardianship after performing a wellness check at her adult care facility in Manhattan on Monday that ended with her hospitalization.

Police responded to the assisted living facility around 11:16 a.m. They determined that Williams did not need any help but remained at the scene as EMTs arrived and Williams threw notes out a window to the assembled press.

The city’s Adult Protective Services is also looking into the circumstances of Williams’ stay at the facility, where she is reportedly in a memory unit and barred from leaving, according to TMZ.

She was transported to Lenox Hill Hospital for an independent cognitive examination around 2 p.m., the gossip site reported.

Williams’ guardian claimed last November that the former talk show host was “permanently incapacitated” due to her dementia diagnosis. She was diagnosed with primary aggressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia about a year after being placed under a legal guardianship and put in a care facility in 2022.

In a January interview on “The Breakfast Club” radio show, Williams said she is “not cognitively impaired, no, but I feel like I am in prison.”

Last month, Williams made a legal filing to have the guardianship ended and has vowed to go to a jury trial if necessary. She has previously complained she is not suffering from any health issues and that her diagnosis was made in bad faith.

ABC reported on Sunday that Williams will give a phone interview on “The View” later this week.

Full Article & Source:
Wendy Williams hospitalized amid guardianship investigation

See Also:
Wendy Williams says she passed competency test with ‘flying colors’ after being rushed to hospital