U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar believes America needs to do more to protect its senior citizens and disabled from abuse and neglect by their guardians.Toward that end the Minnesota Democrat — who held a roundtable meeting on the issue Friday at Duluth’s Keystone Bluffs Assisted Living Residence — has introduced legislation aimed at protecting seniors and vulnerable people.
She bases the need for such protection on her experiences as Hennepin County attorney, on governmental reports and on the tribulations of people like Deanna Van de North.
Van de North of St. Paul told the audience at Friday’s roundtable how her mother’s guardians moved her from an assisted-care facility in the Twin Cities to her farm in rural Minnesota. The guardians hired unlicensed caregivers to care for the 82-year-old woman, who was suffering from dementia and diabetes. Over five years the guardians wrote checks to themselves or to “cash” on the woman’s account totaling more than $60,000.
They restricted family visits — not even telling most family members of the woman’s death until after her body was cremated.
Klobuchar’s bill, the Guardian Accountability and Senior Protection Act (S.F. 1744), would provide money to help state courts improve procedures dealing with adult guardianship and conservatorship. It would also authorize a pilot program for conducting background checks on people wanting to be appointed as guardians or conservators.
Only 13 states, including Minnesota, require such checks.
Finally, the bill would promote using technology to better monitor, report and audit conservatorships of protected people.
“We have all these amazing tools; let’s use them,” Klobuchar said.
“We had a horrible experience,” said Van de North, who hailed Klobuchar’s legislation.
“It’s great she has brought the issue to the forefront,” she said. “There are crooks out there, and they are going to take advantage of people.”
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Klobuchar Pushes Bill to Protect Seniors at Duluth Roundtable
Good beginning, but that's all - now they've got to make it work.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see Klobuchar's interest but she's barely scratching the surface.
ReplyDeleteCome on, more money to improve the procedures? Doesn't that just make conservatorships even more profitable to the court system? Why not focus on implementing the procedures already in place, making violators accountable for their wrongdoings and enforcing punishment via HUGE money fines on all violators. Take away what motivates violators in the first place, their compensation. It's just that simple.
ReplyDelete@conservatorships
The Guardian Accountability and Senior Protection Act, from what I have seen, totally ignores court-appointed professionals.
ReplyDeleteI think Klobuchsar's bill is the same thing Kohl was trying to get through basically -- training and certification.
ReplyDeleteAnd I thought lawyers were already trained.
trained in trickery
ReplyDeleteI thank Senator Klobuchar's efforts from a Federal prespective however the States are still in control. One need not look far to see what happened in Arizona when a group of citizens that have been victimized by the system became active in probate reform. The Supreme Court of Arizona made the decision to restrict access to all probate court records. The minutes of the court hearings are no longer accessible and the case history's are next. Let's put together a federal bill that is in favor of the disabled individuals and their families, not in support of big business and the for profit fiduciary companies.
ReplyDeleteHi my name is charlotte Engle i was apart of stoping a lady here in minnesota from abusing my father but it did not work intell after passed away this bill needs to reach beyound states evey state has this problem these gardian have the judges and lawyers backing them up i know i have not got over my dads death because i know he was failed by the system he didnt have money but he had life wich she toke from him she controled everymove he did and for that i wish we as people can find away to let it be heard hey STOP they are taking people life away and money i wish i could tell my dad story to the world cause i would i want to help make a change
ReplyDeleteCharlotte:
ReplyDeleteYou can make a difference. JOIN NASGA and work with us for reform!
Join by going to our main website, www.StopGuardianAbuse.org, to the Join NASGA Advocates for Reform Page.
We hope you'll join us!
My brother is severely disabled and my parents have both passed on. We are not able to care for my brother to the extent he needs. Who knows of a great assisted living center that can help us with our brother?
ReplyDeletebryanflake1984| Diamond Willow Assisted Living