Liz Lazarus Releases New Psychological Thriller Raising Awareness of Guardianship Abuse

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May 28, 2026, 14:15 GMT 

 

Inspired by Real Events, "Dawn Before Darkness" Arrives May 26

After a ten-year ordeal regarding guardianship of my mom, I saw firsthand how broken the system can be. It’s important for families to know that this kind of thing can — and does — happen.”

— Liz Lazarus

ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, May 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As conversations around elder care, conservatorships and guardianship abuse continue to grow nationwide, author Liz Lazarus is using fiction to shine a light on a frightening reality many families never see coming.

In her latest psychological thriller, "Dawn Before Darkness," published this week, Lazarus connects a suspenseful stalking plot with a real-world issue affecting aging families: the risk that guardianship and conservatorship proceedings can become a legal battleground.

Published by Mitchell Cove Publishing, the novel follows Dawn Smith, a veterinary technician in rural South Carolina, who ends a relationship after discovering her new boyfriend has lied to her. When he begins stalking and harassing her in increasingly invasive ways, Dawn seeks legal protection. But the threat soon expands beyond her own safety when he uses the guardianship and conservatorship system to target Dawn’s vulnerable mother, forcing Dawn into a fight for control over her mother’s wellbeing. The result is a thriller rooted not only in psychological tension, but in the terrifying plausibility of institutional manipulation.

The novel was inspired in part by Lazarus’ own prolonged legal battle involving guardianship of her mother.

“We’ve all heard heart-wrenching stories about the court system taking children away from their parents, presumably because the adults were unfit in some way,” Lazarus said. “What I didn’t understand is that it’s also possible for the system to take the oversight of aging parents away from their adult children.”

Lazarus said her own experience revealed how difficult these cases can be for families.

“After a ten-year ordeal regarding guardianship of my mom, I saw firsthand how broken the system can be,” Lazarus said. “It’s important for families to know that this kind of thing can — and does — happen.”

While the novel is fiction, Lazarus uses the thriller form to explore issues around elder care, legal vulnerability, manipulation, stalking and the emotional cost of trying to protect a loved one when institutions built to protect the vulnerable fail.

In addition to drawing from her own guardianship battle, Lazarus interviewed women who survived stalking and harassment in order to build the psychological profile of the novel’s antagonist. “I wanted to fictionalize stories that showed how helpless victims felt and how little could be done to really protect them,” she said. “Dozens of volunteers came forward. I ended up interviewing ten women and combined their accounts to create my super villain.”

Lazarus balances the novel’s themes with emotionally grounded relationships and vivid details from veterinary medicine, another major element of the story. The novel’s clinic scenes, involving neglected pets, emergency procedures and “compassion fatigue,” grew out of conversations with real veterinary technicians. “These professionals make difficult decisions every day. Animals are mirrors of our own humanity, and in the novel, Dawn’s decisions at work reflect her overall struggle, trying to do the right thing, but coming up against limitations of what she can and cannot do for the animals under her care.”

Early reviews have noted the novel’s blend of suspense and social relevance. Midwest Book Review called "Dawn Before Darkness" an “immersive thriller” that is “replete with action, discovery, challenge, and tests of one woman’s strengths and convictions.” Rick Black, Founder of CLEAR, Center for Estate Administration Reform, praised Lazarus’ “accurate depiction of how easily the elderly can be trapped and how helpless their family can feel as they fight to protect a loved one.”

Terry Shepherd, author of The Jessica Ramirez Thrillers and host of In Conversation with Terry Shepherd, described the novel as depicting “a bureaucratic nightmare,” in which “the antagonist does not strike with fists but with filings, motions, and insinuations,” adding that the novel is “chilling precisely because it is so plausible.”

"Dawn Before Darkness" is Lazarus’ fourth novel, following "Free of Malice," "Plea for Justice" and "Shades of Silence." Her novels feature intelligent female protagonists confronting legal and emotional danger while navigating timely social issues.

"Dawn Before Darkness" is available beginning May 26, 2026. Learn more at www.lizlazarus.com.

ABOUT LIZ LAZARUS
Liz Lazarus writes fast-paced psychological thrillers featuring intelligent female protagonists confronting legal and emotional danger. She graduated from Georgia Tech with an engineering degree and earned an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. She has worked as an executive at General Electric’s Healthcare division, as Managing Director at a consulting firm and as Head of Operations for a healthcare start-up. She was raised in Georgia and now splits her time between Atlanta, Georgia and Bozeman, Montana.

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Liz Lazarus Releases New Psychological Thriller Raising Awareness of Guardianship Abuse

Suspended Jefferson County probate judge accused of election interference in new lawsuit

Story by Joseph D. Bryant

A candidate who lost when she ran for the State Legislature is accusing embattled Jefferson County Probate Judge Yashiba Blanchard of impropriety during the recent election and wants a circuit court clerk to intervene.

Mara Ruffin Blackmon, who ran for House District 57, said issues warrant “immediate investigation and preservation of records to protect voter confidence and the integrity of the electoral process,” according to her complaint filed this week in the Bessemer Circuit Court. 

Blackmon in her May 22 court filing, contends that Blanchard’s association with Rep. Patrick Sellers, whom Ruffin challenged in the Democratic primary, created a conflict that prevented her from being fair.

Sellers, a Democrat from Pleasant Grove, defeated Blackmon with 61.14% to 32.79% to win a second term.

“The lawsuit is frivolous,” Sellers told AL.com Wednesday. “There was a very expressive and declarative win. We need to get back to business as usual.”

AL.com’s efforts to reach Blackmon and Blanchard were unsuccessful this afternoon.

Blackmon’s complaint lists Blanchard and Sellers by name as defendants along with unnamed election chief inspectors.

The filing is the latest controversy connected to Blanchard, and was lodged just a day after Blanchard was suspended from the bench following a 120-page state complaint that accuses her of several infractions, including bullying and other misconduct.

The probate judge is also the chief elections official in Jefferson County.

“Plaintiff alleges that Judge Yashiba Blanchard maintained a relationship with Defendant Patrick Sellers that raises concern regarding impartial election administration,” Blackmon writes.

For example, Blackmon notes that Judge Blanchard has hired two of Sellers’ sisters to her staff, including Deputy Probate Judge Jacqueline Knox, who leads the Bessemer office.

“Plaintiff alleges that these overlapping relationships are relevant to concerns regarding: impartial election administration, poll worker supervision, staffing assignments, election management and public confidence in the neutrality of election operations,” the complaint reads.

Specifically, Blackmon alleges that Blanchard invited her to dinner in January where she offered to pay Blackmon’s campaign expenses if she withdrew from the race against Sellers.

Blackmon also challenges the appropriateness of using Sellers’ church in Birmingham as a polling place, along with alleged impropriety at other sites in Birmingham and Midfield.

“Plaintiff further alleges that individuals serving as poll watchers or otherwise associated with polling activities escort voters into precincts and transported ballots to vehicles outside polling locations,” Blackmon says in her complaint.

Blanchard has been sidelined from her public duties following the state report alleging numerous violations of judicial conduct unrelated to Blackmon’s lawsuit.

While not directly related, Blackmon, in her complaint, said the state investigation should “raise additional public confidence concerns regarding election administration, impartiality, oversight and procedural integrity.” 

Full Article & Source:
Suspended Jefferson County probate judge accused of election interference in new lawsuit 

See Also:
Jefferson County judge suspended, complaint says she called herself “ultimate authority”

Glamorous judge accused of bullying, intimidation and delaying cases so she could take her DOGS for a walk 

Woman accused of shooting two attorneys failed in caring for elderly mother, court documents show

Newly uncovered court documents reveal that prior to her arrest for shooting two lawyers outside a courthouse, Gwendolyn White was stripped of her mother's guardianship following multiple county investigations into caretaker neglect. 

By Shaun Gallagher, WRAL reporter  

Shortly before being arrested for allegedly shooting two lawyers outside of the courthouse, Gwendolyn White expressed the reason she continued her legal fight during a hearing over the release of body camera footage.

“My job right here is to get justice for her, whether you like me or not,” White can be heard during an audio recording of that hearing.

The court case had nothing to do with White’s mother. It was part of an ongoing legal battle with Rolesville Police Department over body camera footage from an incident near White’s home in 2021.

But White’s mother, Elleen, is a heavy focus of her online footprint. Specifically, her concerns that her mother’s death was caused by improper care.

But newly discovered court documents show the County believed Gwendolyn White was the one failing her mother.

Wake County Health and Human Services (WCHHS) filed a case in 2024 to find a third-party guardian for Elleen White. It cites a specific incident the month before.

Gwendolyn White dropped her mother off at the hospital in October 2024 for an issue. Nine days later, it was resolved and she was ready to be discharged but says White, “was unwilling to allow [Elleen] to come home and unwilling to work with the hospital on other discharge options.” The document continues saying, “Gwendolyn White was either unwilling or unable to agree to placement options." 

Gwendolyn White’s interactions with other facilities prevented other locations from taking in Elleen according to the court documents.

“No skilled nursing facility is currently willing to accept [Elleen] as a resident due to Gwen's documented behavior and disruption in [Elleen's] care," the document reads.

This was the fourth time WCHHS was contacted in a year and a half over, “concerns about caretaker neglect and the fitness of the caretaker to continue serving in that role,” according to court documents.

Gwendolyn White has a well-documented social media presence, claiming her mother’s death was due to poor care, including an online fundraiser calling for justice for elder abuse and neglect. It’s a fundraiser that had raised roughly $440 before last week’s shooting. It’s ballooned to over $6,000 as of Friday afternoon.

The fundraiser reads, “The Daughter has never neglected her mother period in 39 years and wouldn’t.”

However, the county court's decision indicates it disagrees with White’s sentiment.

It assigned a third-party guardian to Elleen White’s care, saying, “Elleen White is at imminent risk of harm given her daughter’s refusal to permit mother’s discharge or participate in good faith in planning said discharge.”

White’s mental health in a criminal case was also cited in these court documents related to her mother’s care.

A court order was entered on May 3, 2024, “finding Gwen was not capable of proceeding to trial” in a misdemeanor stalking case. The court ordered White to participate in the Community Based Restoration Program at Elwyn Health Resources for examination and treatment until necessary to help White gain capacity to proceed if possible.

It’s a ruling White disagreed with, saying her son lied about her mental health and that “false information was entered into her medical record,” which she was trying to have removed. 

Full Article & Source:
Woman accused of shooting two attorneys failed in caring for elderly mother, court documents show

Man from California convicted of trying to scam a 92-year-old woman in Pelham

Source:
Man from California convicted of trying to scam a 92-year-old woman in Pelham

Long-Term Care Pharmacy Crisis Hits Nursing Homes

By Lee Pruitt

Takeaways

• Long-term care (LTC) pharmacies — not retail drugstores — are essential to medication safety in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
• Medicare drug price changes took effect January 1, 2026, cutting key LTC pharmacy reimbursements. Without a fix, pharmacies may cut staff and services or close, raising risks for residents.
• A bipartisan bill was introduced in 2025, but as of spring 2026 it’s still stalled.

When Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, part of the goal was to lower prescription drug costs for Medicare patients. For millions of seniors in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, though, a little-noticed side effect of that law is starting to hinder their access to those drugs.

The Pharmacies You Haven’t Heard Of

Long-term care (LTC) pharmacies are specialized pharmacies that have no walk-in customers or front-of-store merchandise. Their sole purpose is to serve the roughly 2 million Americans who live in nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, and hospices.

They do far more than fill prescriptions. The typical nursing home resident takes an average of 13 medications. Organizing and administering them safely requires support that goes well beyond what a retail drugstore provides.

LTC pharmacies specially package medications to prevent errors, conduct monthly reviews of each resident’s full medication regimen, and maintain emergency kits and after-hours coverage. They also coordinate medication management when residents transfer in from hospitals — a critical step, since errors during those transitions are a common cause of avoidable hospital readmissions.

These critical services come at a cost. Dispensing medications to LTC residents is costlier than dispensing to retail customers, due to the specialized packaging, regulatory requirements, frequent deliveries, and mandatory 24/7 staffing. Unlike retail pharmacies, which can offset thin prescription margins with sales of snacks, greeting cards, and cosmetics, LTC pharmacies have no such cushion. Their revenue largely comes from Medicare Part D prescription reimbursements — making them uniquely vulnerable to changes in how Medicare pays for drugs.

Why LTC Pharmacies Are Essential

The people that LTC pharmacies serve are often among the most medically complex patients in the health care system. Nursing home residents commonly live with combinations of dementia, heart disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory illness, and other serious conditions. Many are physically unable to travel to a pharmacy, unable to manage their own medications, or both. For these individuals, an LTC pharmacy is essential to their daily care.

LTC pharmacies also play an important role for people with disabilities who live in long-term care settings but are not elderly. These residents may have complex medication regimens stemming from physical or neurological conditions and rely on the same specialized services.

The safety implications are substantial. Medication errors are among the most common and serious adverse events in long-term care settings. Having a dedicated pharmacist review each resident’s monthly medication list and be available around the clock for consultations provides an important safeguard against potentially dangerous mistakes. When LTC pharmacies function well, they help keep people healthier, prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, and improve quality of life for vulnerable patients.

LTC pharmacies also provide support to the nurses and aides working in these facilities. Facility staff rely on LTC pharmacies to supply medication carts, maintain emergency kits, manage complex delivery schedules, and handle the administrative burden of prescription management. Without LTC pharmacies, the workload on already-stretched staff would increase substantially.

The Inflation Reduction Act and an Unintended Consequence

The Inflation Reduction Act gave Medicare the authority, for the first time in the program’s history, to negotiate prices directly with pharmaceutical manufacturers for certain high-cost drugs. The resulting “maximum fair prices” took effect on January 1, 2026, and are estimated to reduce costs for selected drugs by roughly 38 percent to 79 percent. For Medicare patients who take those medications, that’s a genuine benefit.

For LTC pharmacies, however, it is a financial gut punch. The problem lies in how their business model works. LTC pharmacies have long relied on the margins from brand-name drug reimbursements to cross-subsidize the losses they routinely take on generic drugs, where reimbursement rates are notoriously thin.

Eight of the 10 drugs selected for the first round of Medicare price negotiations are brand-name medications heavily prescribed to nursing home residents. When the reimbursement rates for those drugs dropped sharply on January 1, 2026, LTC pharmacies lost part of the financial cushion that kept them viable — with no offsetting compensation for the specialized, federally mandated services they provide on top of dispensing the drugs.

The Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC), the leading advocacy group for LTC pharmacies, estimated that the financial hit would be unsustainable. Without a way to make up for the lost revenue, 60 percent of its member pharmacies would be forced to close locations, 90 percent would lay off staff, and 80 percent would have to reduce services and increase fees.

A separate analysis found that pharmacy closures could ultimately cost taxpayers up to $4.8 billion in increased health care costs over the next decade, as nursing home residents lose access to the medication management services that help keep them out of the hospital.

The Bill That Wasn’t Passed in Time

In August 2025, a bipartisan group of House members introduced the Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act. Lead sponsors — Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Brad Schneider (D-IL) — proposed a targeted fix: a temporary $30 supply fee paid to LTC pharmacies for each prescription dispensed under the new Medicare negotiated prices in 2026, with a slightly higher inflation-adjusted fee in 2027. The bill would also require a federal study on the long-term sustainability of LTC pharmacy reimbursement under Medicare. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) in November 2025.

Major provider and pharmacy groups endorsed the legislation and urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to act. These efforts have not yet yielded a solution.

The Crisis Is Here

January 2026 arrived without a fix in place, and the consequences have unfolded as predicted. “We are witnessing the collapse of America’s long-term care pharmacy infrastructure in real time,” the SCPC has stated. “These aren’t projections — these are decisions LTC pharmacies are making right now because small and mid-size LTC pharmacies cannot survive under the current reimbursement structure.”

Both the House and Senate versions of the bill remain in committee as of spring 2026, with no floor vote scheduled. Advocates are still pushing for passage. However, the bill would now need amending to make any relief retroactive to January 1. Staff layoffs have already begun at pharmacies nationwide, and service reductions are expected to follow.

The painful irony is that the people most harmed by this situation — long-term care facility residents who depend on LTC pharmacies for safe, reliable access to the medications that keep them healthy — are among the Medicare patients who were supposed to be helped by the Inflation Reduction Act.

Lowering drug prices is only part of the equation. Getting that drug safely into the hands of someone who can’t drive to a pharmacy, can’t manage their own medications, and can’t wait until morning is a challenge that requires its own infrastructure. Congress created the rules that require that infrastructure to exist. So far, it has declined to ensure that it can survive.

Created date: 05/26/2026 

Full Article & Source:
Long-Term Care Pharmacy Crisis Hits Nursing Homes

Elder Fraud Unit arrests NC woman for grand theft and money laundering

May 22, 2026

Case #: 2026-001198

A Charlotte, North Carolina, woman was arrested this week for her alleged role in scamming a 66-year-old Bradenton man out of at least $100,000. 

May 18, 2026, Elder Fraud Detective Jim Curulla, with assistance from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, arrested Elizabeth Ann Hildbrand, 51, on charges of Grand Theft and Money Laundering. Hildbrand is awaiting extradition to Manatee County. 

The victim filed a fraud report with BPD in February 2026. He reported investing approximately $300,000 over two years with an online company called "Tesla 1." The victim realized he'd been scammed after attempting to withdraw money from his "Tesla 1" investment account. 

The victim reported communicating via text messages and the Telegram app with two individuals acting as "brokers," including Hildbrand. Financial records indicated the victim transferred a total of $87,651 through wire transfers and cashier's checks to bank accounts owned by Hildbrand. Additionally, the victim purchased Apple gift cards totaling $22,500 and provided the card numbers and PINs to the "brokers." He also mailed an undetermined amount of cash. 

Subpoenas for Hildbrand's financial records indicated she deposited much of the victim's money into her accounts and subsequently made numerous cryptocurrency transactions. 

Following her arrest, Hildbrand agreed to speak with Detective Curulla. She stated she believed she was romantically involved with "Elon Musk" and agreed to help the billionaire purchase cryptocurrency. Hildbrand said she later realized she had become the victim of a romance scam; however, investigators determined she continued to accept money from the Bradenton victim and transfer the funds into cryptocurrency. 

The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report shows that Cyber-related crimes cost Americans nearly $21 billion last year. Actual losses are likely significantly higher because many scams go unreported. Investment scams and romance scams ranked among the top five most commonly reported and costliest online scams. 

In 2025, cases investigated by BPD's Elder Fraud Unit accounted for approximately $8 million in reported losses. So far this year, the unit has investigated losses of at least $750,000 (as of May 1, 2026).  

For information on the Bradenton Police Department Elder Fraud Unit, as well as resources to protect yourself against common scams, visit Bradentonpd.com/Elder-Fraud-Unit. 

Source:
Elder Fraud Unit arrests NC woman for grand theft and money laundering 

VFW Applauds Federal Court Ruling Against Veterans Guardian

Federal judge confirms VFW’s long-held position that unaccredited claims companies are unlawfully profiting from veterans

May 26, 2026

 

WASHINGTON – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) welcomed a major federal court ruling in North Carolina finding that claims consulting company Veterans Guardian violated federal law by preparing and presenting veterans’ disability claims to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) while charging fees and operating without VA accreditation.

In its order, the court stated, “The evidence is undisputed that Guardian is not accredited, that on behalf of veterans it prepares claims forms, that in those forms it presents disability claims for decision by the VA, and that it charges fees for doing so. These actions violate federal law.”

“This is one of the clearest judicial statements we have seen confirming that these companies are acting unlawfully,” said VFW General Counsel John Muckelbauer. “For years, the VFW has argued that unaccredited claims companies cannot avoid federal law simply by calling themselves ‘consultants’ or ‘coaches.’ The court looked beyond the marketing language and focused on the conduct itself.”

The ruling directly rejects the industry’s long-standing argument that fee-charging claims companies operate outside the VA accreditation system because they are not technically representing veterans as “agents.” Instead, the court determined the company’s activities constituted claims representation under existing federal law.

The decision also reinforces the VFW's long-standing position that current federal statutes already prohibit unaccredited entities from charging veterans for assistance with disability claims preparation and submission.

According to materials filed in the certified class action, plaintiffs alleged Veterans Guardian collected more than $250 million from veterans during the class period, underscoring the scale of the issue nationwide.

“This decision should serve as a wake-up call,” said Muckelbauer. “The court made clear these facts were ‘undisputed.’ That matters. It demonstrates that the law is not unclear or outdated, as the industry has repeatedly claimed. Veterans deserve qualified, accredited representation — not companies exploiting loopholes and charging illegal fees.”

The VFW calls on Congress and the VA to use the ruling as a basis for stronger enforcement actions against unaccredited claims actors and to continue opposing state-level efforts aimed at legitimizing fee-charging companies operating outside the VA accreditation framework.

The VFW remains committed to protecting veterans from predatory practices and ensuring they receive free, accredited assistance when navigating the VA claims process.

Read the full federal court decision. 

Full Article & Source:
VFW Applauds Federal Court Ruling Against Veterans Guardian 

Toronto woman found guilty of manslaughter of elderly mother in elder abuse case

A Toronto woman has been found guilty of failing to provide the necessaries of life, criminal negligence for days on end, causing death and manslaughter in relation to the death of Vasiliki Atanasovski – her elderly mother. 

It's a disturbing case of elder abuse that Eva Samonas still denies. 

Global News crime specialist Catherine McDonald reports. 

Source:
Toronto woman found guilty of manslaughter of elderly mother in elder abuse case 

Widow defends wrongful-death claim against Iowa nursing home

by Clark Kauffman 

New allegations of wrongdoing have emerged in the latest wrongful death lawsuit involving a Pleasant Hill nursing home.

Court records indicate Parkridge Specialty Care of Pleasant Hill has been sued three times in recent years for wrongful death. The most recent case, filed in August 2025 by the estate of Maris Bergis, seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from the home’s corporate owner, Care Initiatives of West Des Moines, for alleged dependent adult abuse, recklessness, negligence and wrongful death.

The lawsuit alleges Parkridge “negligently cared for Bergis and violated numerous regulations, laws, rights, and industry standards, causing (him) personal injury, illness, harm, and a decline in health.”

According to the lawsuit, Bergis was admitted to Parkridge on Sept. 1, 2023, for what was initially planned to be a 48-hour stay following his hospitalization for pneumonia. Upon admission, he was allegedly alert, awake and oriented, and Parkridge was tasked with providing physician-prescribed breathing treatments and monitoring him for difficulty with breathing and any signs of anxiety, confusion or restlessness.

During the course of Bergis’ stay at Parkridge, the staff at the home allegedly failed to administer the breathing treatments. The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing subsequently cited Parkridge for its care of Bergis, finding that it had delayed providing necessary medical care and treatment.

While the lawsuit does not indicate when, where or how Bergis died, it claims the “gross negligence, and/or recklessness” of Care Initiatives and Parkridge “were the cause of Bergis’ decline in health, injuries, damages and untimely death.”

State inspection reports indicate Bergis was alive, but was increasingly nonresponsive, late in the afternoon on Sept. 4, 2023, which was three days after his admission to Parkridge. The inspection records indicate Bergis was sent to a hospital by ambulance at his spouse’s insistence, but they provide no information as to the hospital’s diagnosis or treatment outcome.

Widow: ‘Staff frequently failed to respond’

In recent case filings, Bergis’ widow, Leila Bergis, recounted in a sworn affidavit her version of what transpired at Parkridge during her husband’s stay at the facility.

“When he arrived at Parkridge, he was not in a diaper,” she stated. “However, he called to go to the restroom once, and they did not come quickly enough, so he urinated in his pants. After that, they put him in a diaper – not because he was incontinent, but because they were not attending to his calls for assistance to use the bathroom … On multiple occasions, Maris and I used the call light to request assistance. Staff frequently failed to respond in a timely manner. Many times, staff took more than fifteen minutes and up to at least 30 minutes to respond.

“On one occasion, I arrived at Parkridge and found Maris in bed with his clothing soaked in urine. I called for staff to assist him. Although staff changed his undergarments, they did not bathe him or otherwise clean him… After Maris’ stay, while cleaning out his room, my daughters and granddaughter discovered a pair of his sweatpants in a dresser drawer that were soaked with urine.”

In her affidavit, Leila Bergis described the physician-ordered breathing treatments her husband was to receive while at Parkridge.

“The Parkridge staff did not set up Maris’ breathing treatment equipment or have the albuterol — the medication — in his room,” she alleged. “The equipment sat unplugged underneath the TV. Because of this, Parkridge did not give Maris the breathing treatments that were ordered by his physician. Even if I wanted to help give him a breathing treatment while he was at Parkridge, I couldn’t. This is because Parkridge did not have any albuterol in the room.”

Attorney: ‘They stripped Maris of his dignity’

She said that one day she arrived at the facility and found her husband “partially out of his bed and struggling to breathe. I demanded he be taken by ambulance to the hospital. When the paramedics arrived, Maris was barely breathing. At that time, a nurse attempted to cover up Parkridge’s neglect by administering a breathing treatment as if it was part of their routine care. This was the first and only time Parkridge ever attempted to provide him with a breathing treatment.

“When Maris arrived on September 1, 2023, his prognosis was to come home. However, in about three days, Parkridge treated him so poorly and neglected him so badly — by letting him soak in his own urine and failing to give him prescribed treatment — that we had to rush him out of Parkridge by ambulance to the hospital.”

Care Initiatives has denied any wrongdoing, and is seeking to have the case dismissed due to the plaintiffs’ failure to file a certificate of merit signed by an expert witness who can attest to Parkridge’s alleged failure to meet the standard of care expected of the home.

In response to that argument, the Bergis family’s attorney, Matthew M. Sahag, has filed a brief with the court arguing that Care Initiatives is claiming “you need an expert to say it’s wrong to strip a man of his dignity – leaving him to sit in his own urine while he struggled to breathe. The Iowa Supreme Court says otherwise. So does common sense … They stripped Maris of his dignity and now ask this court to believe that ordinary Iowans cannot understand that.”

The court has yet to rule on the motion to dismiss the case, and a trial in the matter remains scheduled for Oct. 4, 2027.

Two other wrongful-death claims

In recent years, two other families have sued Parkridge and Care Initiatives, alleging wrongful death:

In August 2024, the family of the late Kerry Morris sued, alleging that Morris died at age 58, one week after being admitted to Parkridge for what was supposed to be a temporary stay to assist with recovery from a leg amputation. The lawsuit claims that on the evening of Aug. 23, 2022, two nurses failed to respond to a certified nurse aide’s request that they come to the assistance of Morris, who was in respiratory distress at the time.

In March 2025, with Care Initiatives attempting to force the matter into arbitration, the parties reached a settlement in the case and the lawsuit was dismissed with no public disclosure of the terms of the deal.

In June 2024, the family of Neuang Boun Sisamouth sued Parkridge and Care Initiatives, alleging that on June 20, 2022, the staff at Parkridge failed to respond to her deteriorating condition, despite dangerously low blood sugar levels. Licensed Practical Nurse Dezaree Major failed to call 911 as ordered, and there was a 90-minute delay in transporting Sisamouth to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later, the lawsuit claims. A trial is scheduled for March 29, 2027.

In 2022, the Iowa Board of Nursing alleged Major was working at an unspecified Iowa nursing home in 2021 where, for five months, she falsified various medical records and performed nursing services beyond the scope of her license.

Full Article & Source:
Widow defends wrongful-death claim against Iowa nursing home