National Association to Stop Guardian Abuse

Monday, August 17, 2026

AG Nessel Celebrates More Than 24,000 Downloads of Fillable Power of Attorney Forms

August 14, 2026

LANSING – In the year since free, fillable Power of Attorney forms became available for download on the Elder Abuse Task Force’s webpage, Michigan Attorney General is celebrating more than 24,000 downloads. The forms were prepared by the Kimble Center for Legal Drafting at Cooley Law School to make it easier for Michigan residents and their family members to appoint a trusted individual to make important financial and medical decisions on their behalf if they become unable to do so.

“Power of attorney laws put crucial protections in place, but those safeguards only work if POA forms are accessible to those who need them,” said Attorney General Nessel. “It is great to see tens of thousands of downloads of these forms after the first year, and I hope this form is useful for our Michigan families for many years to come.”

“The Kimble Center is so gratified to see these remarkable numbers,” said Cooley Law School Professor Emeritus Joseph Kimble. “We went to great lengths to make sure that these forms are legally accurate and at the same time very easy to fill out. Users will see that at a glance. We are grateful to the Attorney General for helping us make these forms available to so many Michigan residents. What a terrific public service.”

In 2024, the Elder Abuse Task Force successfully advocated for legislation that updated Michigan’s Power of Attorney statute under the Uniform Power of Attorney Act. Attorney General Nessel released a public service announcement later that year explaining the law. While the law includes a statutory form, it is not downloadable or fillable. The forms on the Department of Attorney General’s website are fully compliant with the statute.

The available forms include:

Finances Power of Attorney (PDF): This form lets users decide who makes financial decisions for them if they can’t make them for themselves.
Medical Power of Attorney (PDF): This form lets users decide who makes health-care decisions for them if they can’t make them for themselves.

Since August 2025, the Finances Power of Attorney form has been downloaded 13,284 times, and the Medical Power of Attorney form has been downloaded 10,951 times from the Department’s website.

Michigan’s Power of Attorney statute is one of the major accomplishments of the Elder Abuse Task Force. Michigan's Elder Abuse Task Force launched in 2019 and consists of more than 55 different organizations in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors – all working together to combat elder abuse. The more than 100 individuals on the Task Force are divided into seven committees working diligently to accomplish nine initiatives (PDF), including requiring certification and training for professional guardians.

Another achievement includes the adoption of a Vulnerable Adult Incident Report form for investigations by law enforcement across the state, including the implementation of related trainings. The Task Force has trained hundreds of police officers, prosecutors and Adult Protective Services workers. The training videos have been viewed thousands of times. In addition to the vulnerable adult incident report and associated trainings, the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act was passed that ensures mandated reporting for financial institutions on suspected fraud or exploitation. Financial advisors and securities brokers were also added as mandatory reporters in a separate law.

More than 100,000 older adults in Michigan are victims of elder abuse. They experience abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Michigan residents seeking elder abuse resources are encouraged to call 800-24-ABUSE (22873), or 855-444-3911 to report suspected elder abuse.

The forms can be found on the Elder Abuse Task Force webpage.

###

Source:
AG Nessel Celebrates More Than 24,000 Downloads of Fillable Power of Attorney Forms

Former Monroe County official sentenced for stealing from disabled wards

By STAFF REPORT

PARIS — A former elected Monroe County official was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to charges including financial exploitation of a disabled person, felony stealing, and filing false documents.

Senior Judge Rick Roberts sentenced Jessica A. Chase, 49, of Paris, under Section 559.115 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, according to the Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Chase served as Monroe County’s elected public administrator from Jan. 1, 2021, through Feb. 7, 2023. In that role, she was appointed legal guardian and conservator for disabled residents under the county’s care. Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney Nicole Volkert alleged that during her time in office, Chase stole money from the custodial accounts of disabled people she was responsible for protecting.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation after a criminal complaint was filed by one of Chase’s wards. Sheriff Joe Colston said the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office assisted in the investigation. A separate federal civil investigation by the Social Security Administration remains pending.

An insurance policy covering the Monroe County Office of Public Administrator previously paid a settlement to victims to cover the amounts taken from their accounts.

As part of Wednesday’s sentencing, Roberts also ordered Chase to pay $12,000 in restitution to cover legal costs incurred by Monroe County.

“Jessica Chase violated her oath of office,” Volkert said. “She stole money from the most vulnerable people in our community.”

Full Article & Source:
Former Monroe County official sentenced for stealing from disabled wards

Sunday, August 16, 2026

Former Monroe County public administrator pleads guilty to exploiting elderly and disabled residents

by Taya White

SCOTLAND COUNTY — The former Monroe County public administrator accused of stealing from elderly and disabled residents accepted a plea deal Wednesday.

Online court records say Jessica A. Chase pleaded guilty to one count each of filing false documents, stealing $750 or more and financial exploitation of an elder or disabled person.

In 2024, Chase was charged with six counts each of forgery and financial exploitation, 12 counts of stealing and seven counts of filing false documents for allegedly stealing from the accounts of many elderly and disabled Monroe County residents during her time as public administrator. Chase was the conservator for these residents.

Chase was sentenced to serve a total of 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections and to pay $12,000 in restitution to the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was moved from Monroe County on a change of venue to Scotland County.

Full Article & Source:
Former Monroe County public administrator pleads guilty to exploiting elderly and disabled residents

Woman arrested for stealing from elderly

Source:
Woman arrested for stealing from elderly

Saturday, August 15, 2026

These Places Banned Subminimum Wage. Here’s What Happened To Workers With Disabilities

by Michelle Diament

Charlie McGrory, left, who has Down syndrome, and his brother Andy, who is also his job coach, bag groceries at Hy-Vee in Winona, Minn. in 2018. Charlie McGrory previously worked at a sheltered workshop, but transitioned to integrated employment as a result of a 2014 federal law that prioritizes helping people with disabilities find jobs in the community. (David Joles/Star Tribune/TNS)

More than a dozen states have moved in recent years to stop employers from paying workers with disabilities less than minimum wage. Now, it’s starting to become clear how that decision is playing out on the ground.

A first-of-its-kind analysis finds that eliminating what’s known as subminimum wage employment does not lead to a significant drop in the number of people with disabilities who are employed, the hours they work or their wages.

Within two years, subminimum wage employment fell by about 2,000 workers per state, according to findings published in the June issue of the journal Labour Economics. At the same time, income from government welfare programs declined by more than 12%.

“The biggest takeaway from our study is that the employment fears that have kept section 14(c) in place at the federal level are not supported by the national data,” said Michelle Yin, an economist at Northwestern University who led the study. “The policy does exactly what it is designed to do, that is sheltered workshop employment falls, … but workers do not disappear from the labor force. They remain employed, and by different measures, they become more economically self-sufficient.”

The study offers a new look at a practice that has persisted for nearly a century. Under a federal law dating back to 1938, employers can obtain special 14(c) certificates from the U.S. Department of Labor allowing them to pay workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour.

Since 2015, however, 17 states have enacted legislation eliminating 14(c) certificates, according to the Association of People Supporting Employment First. The Biden administration sought to take things a step further by ending the program nationally. In 2024, the Labor Department proposed plans to stop issuing new certificates and phase out 14(c) over three years.

Now, the winds appear to be shifting. The Trump administration withdrew the Labor Department plan last year and the House Committee on Education and Workforce advanced a bill in May designed to make it easier for young adults with disabilities to enter 14(c) employment.

For the study, Yin and her colleagues looked at administrative data from the Department of Labor and the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey from 2009 to 2024 on 15 states that eliminated subminimum wage employment. Each state ended subminimum wage on a different timetable, but notably, the patterns the researchers observed were remarkably similar across states no matter their size or political leanings.

However, Yin admits that the outcomes aren’t entirely rosy for everyone.

“The aggregate results likely reflect two groups moving in different directions,” she said. “Workers with higher productivity and more labor market experience appear to find competitive employment. Workers with the most significant disabilities and the least experience outside sheltered settings may exit employment rather than transition. The averages look encouraging, but averages can mask who gets left behind.”

That’s where the approach a particular state took matters, Yin said. In states that prioritized supported employment, job coaching and vocational rehabilitation alongside eliminating subminimum wage, individuals were more like to transition to new employment, while states that neglected to build such infrastructure left some workers without appropriate options.

Still, Yin says the findings broadly support moving away from subminimum wage.

“The feared employment collapse has not materialized in any of the 15 states we studied,” she said. “The transition from subminimum wage to competitive employment pays for itself when the investment is in place.”

But Hugo Dwyer, executive director of VOR, which supports the availability of subminimum wage employment, said the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

“We need to somehow look at the human side, and measure satisfaction and the opportunity for personal growth,” he said, adding that it’s important for individuals with disabilities to have choices.

“No one has to work in a sheltered workshop if they don’t want to,” Dwyer noted. “But they are right for a certain cohort of individuals who have a combination of skills that exceed those exercised in day programs and challenges that make it difficult for even the most patient employer to accommodate them.”

Full Article & Source:
These Places Banned Subminimum Wage. Here’s What Happened To Workers With Disabilities

Mistreatment and Abuse by Guardians and Other Fiduciaries

What is abuse by guardians?

While courts make efforts to ensure that guardians are trustworthy, some guardians have taken advantage of people in their care. The mistreatment could be financial, physical, emotional/psychological or any other type of abuse of an older person or person with a disability. Guardians also may neglect the people for whom they have a responsibility to provide care. These perpetrators of abuse can be anyone serving as a guardian (family members, trusted others, non-profits, professional guardians, agencies).

There is currently limited information on the number of guardianship cases involving abuse. The U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging and the U.S. Government Accountability Office have highlighted the problem and cited anecdotal information. The National Center for State Courts has found that most reports on the problem of exploitation by guardians lack empirical data. Reports of fraud or other malfeasance by guardians have most often involved financial exploitation, but other types of mistreatment are also reported. Abusive acts by guardians may meet the definitions for various state and federal crimes, depending on the facts of the case. Guardians might be charged with such crimes as elder abuse, embezzlement, larceny, money laundering, theft, and neglect.

For an explanation of how guardianship can be a vehicle for abuse as well as a remedy, see the National Center on Elder Abuse issue brief, Guardianship: Remedy vs. Enabler of Elder Abuse.

To learn about how to spot mistreatment by a guardian and what to do about it, see the National Center on Elder Abuse flyer, What if Your Guardian is Not Doing What They Should?

How can the courts with jurisdiction over guardianship cases respond to abuse?

A court with jurisdiction over a guardianship case might uncover evidence of abuse through monitoring, or a person or government agency might need to file a complaint or petition the court to respond to the mistreatment. These courts can take the following types of actions:

Freeze assets and/or restrict accounts – Courts may take these actions to limit a guardian’s access to money and property while investigating a case or preparing to take another protective step.
Investigate allegations of malfeasance – Once allegations of abuse have been made, courts can appoint a guardian ad litem, investigator or visitor to investigate. A court can also audit an individual’s assets or order an accounting by an external entity such as a certified public accountant.
Order repayment for lost assets or property – Such orders might restore lost assets but, in many cases, the only way to recover funds is through a bond that the guardian obtained upon appointment. Sometimes courts do not require bonding when the guardian is appointed, making it more difficult to obtain repayment for losses at the hands of the guardian.
Enforce statutory rights to communication and visitation – When abusive guardians use isolation tactics, family members and others may be able to seek orders enforcing state laws that define the rights of people subject to guardianship to interact with others of their choosing.
Appoint a co-guardian or limit the powers of the guardian – This strategy may help deter or stop mistreatment by a guardian.
Remove the guardian – Removal may be the best way to stop guardian malfeasance, and petitioners might suggest a willing and suitable replacement.
Terminate the guardianship – Less restrictive options or changed circumstances might lead a court to terminate the guardianship entirely.

Besides courts with guardianship jurisdiction, who can address abuse by guardians?

Numerous federal, state, and local government entities and non-profit agencies can respond and provide services when someone suspects that a guardian is mistreating an individual. Although the court has the sole power to impose certain orders such as removing the guardian or surcharging bonds, other entities can get involved and assist victims. These include:

Adult protective services – Anyone suspecting mistreatment by a guardian should report to adult protective services. Find your state or local adult protective services agency through the Eldercare Locator. Most states have laws making certain categories of people mandatory reporters of elder or vulnerable adult abuse.
Protection and advocacy systems – Protection and Advocacy Systems are federally-mandated state-based organizations that work to protect the rights of people with disabilities, including guarding against abuse. Find your protection and advocacy agency here.
Long-term care ombudsmen – If the individual resides in a nursing home (or, in some states, receives home- and community-based services), the long-term care ombudsman can investigate and resolve complaints about abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including complaints about guardians. Anyone can file a complaint, but the resident (or an appropriate representative) must consent in order for the ombudsman to investigate and share information. Learn about the ombudsman program here and find your local ombudsman.
Law enforcement – A guardian’s breach of duty may violate criminal laws and warrant investigation and prosecution. In addition to reporting to Adult Protective Services, individuals suspecting guardian abuse should report it to law enforcement. Contact your local law enforcement agency, your state attorney general, or call 911. Some recent examples of guardianship fraud cases pursued by the United States Department of Justice include cases in Pennsylvania and Florida.
Attorneys – Separate from the guardianship system, there are various civil actions that may apply to abuse by guardians. Depending on state law, civil attorneys might bring cases alleging breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, fraud, undue influence or a private right of action for elder abuse. Remedies might include restitution (repaying money lost), voiding documents including deeds, or other monetary awards of damages.
Federal agencies – If the guardian also serves as a Social Security representative payee or VA fiduciary and is misusing public benefits, individuals may report to the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General or the VA Office of the Inspector General.
Professional licensing boards – In some states, professional guardians may be certified, licensed or registered. State boards can investigate and may revoke a license or certification. If the guardian is a lawyer, the state has a committee that takes disciplinary action when a lawyer violates professional responsibilities.

What is power of attorney abuse?

Powers of attorney give a trusted person (the agent) a great deal of authority and access to money and property, without regular oversight. Power of attorney abuse can take many forms. The agent might spend the individual’s money on items for his or her own use rather than for the individual’s needs. The agent might do things that the document doesn’t allow, such as making gifts when that power hasn’t been granted. The power of attorney document itself might be forged or fraudulent in some other way.

State laws may help to prevent or limit power of attorney abuse. For example, the Uniform Power of Attorney Act, adopted in over half the states, permits a third party such as a bank to refuse to honor a POA when the abuse is suspected, and the third party reports it to an adult protective services agency.

What are the remedies to address power of attorney abuse after it occurs?

Lawyers may help people to stop power of attorney abuse and to get money back that has been improperly taken by the agent. For example, a lawyer could:

Draft a document to revoke (cancel) the POA
Ask a court to require the agent to file an accounting to see how the agent has spent the money
File a civil action to cancel contracts or deeds that the agent should not have made
File a civil action to recoup money
Petition a court to appoint a guardian who can manage the finances if the individual is unable to manage money independently

In addition, agents under a POA may be prosecuted for abusing a power of attorney. Depending on state criminal law, power of attorney abuse might be theft, fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, exploitation or another financial crime. Through the criminal court process, a prosecutor could ask the court to freeze the individual assets to prevent further abuse and could also seek restitution (repayment of money taken).

What do we know about abuse by government fiduciaries?

Reports from the Social Security Advisory Board, the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, the Government Accountability Office, the National Academy of Sciences and other government and quasi-governmental entities over the past fifteen years have documented abuse by both individual and organizational representative payees. These incidents have prompted removal of payees from the program and, in some cases, criminal prosecution. The Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs also has investigated and substantiated allegations of abuse by VA fiduciaries.

Updated June 9, 2026

Source:
Mistreatment and Abuse by Guardians and Other Fiduciaries

Friday, August 14, 2026

Amanda Bynes Speaks Out About Her 'Controversial' Conservatorship

Amanda Bynes took to social media to air her grievances about the costs of her medical treatment and said she wants to speak to a judge about the terms of her conservatorship. The former child star said she's "been going to a treatment center that charges $5,200 a month" and there's "no reason why I shouldn't go to a therapist who takes my insurance for $5,000 less a month." Amanda then apologized to fans for talking about her case on social media "but this is what life has come to."

Note: Termination: A California judge officially terminated the 9-year conservatorship in March 2022. This video is a reminder of her situation and reaction to it.

Source:
Amanda Bynes Speaks Out About Her 'Controversial' Conservatorship