Gisela was an active vibrant woman, adored by her allergy patients at Kaiser Permanente. Known as the most gentle allergy technician, patients insisted Gisela be the one to administer their treatments.
Gisela was deeply in love with Eraldo, her companion of seventeen years. They traveled the world together until his death in 2007. Gisela moved back into her San Jose home where she raised her two children. Gisela’s son completely updated the home, and the two shared the home comfortably for several years.
Gisela’s idyllic life became a nightmare in 2010. While at Kaiser Hospital recuperating from an injury, Adult Protective Services (APS) took control of Gisela’s life. The Santa Clara County Public Guardian (PG) was appointed conservator on April 4, 2010.
The PG imprisoned and isolated Gisela at Villa Fontana, a San Jose residential care facility that turns a blind eye to elder abuse and neglect. For over two years, Gisela has been denied nearly all contact with the outside world. The PG and Villa Fontana denied Gisela some of her most basic personal rights and dignity.
Sobbing about missing her children, Gisela told an unauthorized visitor in April 2012, “I pray every night for God to take me”. Gisela’s world is dark, silent, and very lonely.
Source:
NASGA: Gisela Riordan, California Victim
14 comments:
Isolation is Torture. Guardians and conservators who isolate should be charged with a crime.
Gisela Riordan speaks for all of those who are forced into facilities against their will and shut off from the love and comfort of their families.
The Santa Clara Public Guardian escaped the scrutiny of The Mercury News when it did "Loss of Trust." Loss of Trust dealt with financial loss.
Loss of freedom and basic civil rights is just as important of an issue.
Thank you for posting, NASGA.
I am praying for you Gisela, that you'll get to go home with your son and enjoy the rest of your life.
The Public Guardian should be ashamed to treat you this way.
I am so sorry you are going through this.
Villa Fontana should be sanctioned heavily. The Public Guardian should be fired.
They wouldn't put up with treatment if it were their loved one...
Hearbreaking and so very wrong. This broken system is tearing families apart. I fear Gisela Riordan, another California Victim, is being harmed mentally and physically every day of her life from the stress she is forced to endure. What happened to her golden years?
Isn't this elder abuse? Is anyone watching the suffering? Does anyone with power give a darn?
We care Gisela, we care a lot about you and all those who are disreagarded and eventually discarded.
God Bless you Gisela.
Smart move to get Mom on tape. I know it's difficult to do this taping your loved one but it's the only way to get the evidience, the truth out and it's best to do whatever it takes while you are able. Perception that the guardianship / conservatorship system is a good system that has the ward's best interests at heart are fooling themselves many are in the protection industry are in this for self serving reasons: power, control and profit.
They can fool themselves but they can't fool us no siree we're on to them big time and they know it.
I hope the people who are causing harm and suffering are held accountable and responsible for their actions and inactions.
The protection industry is big business and that's the bottom line it's business with mega profits that's why I can't understand the 'not for profits' some of these guardianship outfits are using to avoid taxes. Someone needs to do some serious digging.
Good Luck to you Marcus and your Mother. With many thanks to NASGA for being the only organization in the USA that has the courage and the volunteers who work 7 days a week with the dedication that is needed to get the message out to warn society about the dark side the truth of about the guardianship racket before it happens to them.
Gisela’s family and elder advocates approached every government organization tasked with protecting elders. San Jose Police, Adult Protective Services, Community Care Licensing, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman all turn a blind eye. San Jose City Council, Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, Assemblymember Jim Beall, and State Senator Joe Simitian ignore elder abuse in their jurisdictions.
Other families should take heed. Personal rights and civil rights are a fallacy. Any individual with a moderate estate can be a target. With the stroke of a pen, assets are seized and the victim is under complete control of the Public Guardian.
Why and how did they take this woman and lock her up? And how is this allowed to go on?? Has there been any politician advised of this crime?? This "Public Guardian" needs to be arrested and jailed for this horrific crime. when I first heard this story, the telephone number of this person was printed. I called and asked her why Gisela was being isolated and denied the rights to see her children. This woman told me she was not isolated and her children could see her anytime. Then when they tried to see her they were not allowed. What about picketing Villa Fontana?
Gisela loves her son. What Mother doesn't love her son?
The Public Guardian should find a way to make visitation happen for Gisela - no matter what they have to do to get it done.
I have a son. I can't imagine someone else keeping him away from seeing me whenever HE wants to call or visit. My first reaction is I would turn into a mother bear. Anyone who has ever found themselves between Mother Bear and her Cubs will get an idea of what is coming. How is it that government is taking control of the elders? And to make it unacceptable and UNAMERICAN is to turn a blind eye and deaf ear to those who are presenting credible evidence of abuses - those who know, those who knew and did nothing must go they are failures and worse a threat to all Americans.
WHO KNEW - WHAT DID THEY KNOW - WHEN DID THEY KNOW ABOUT IT - AND WHAT IF ANYTHING DID THEY DO ABOUT IT?
Linda is right, right on spot every person declared a ward of the state generates $, follow the $.
People CHURNED into products to feed the conservatorship and guardianship system.
Another sad case involving isolation. These people have no conscience.
Isolating an elder individual from family and friends should be made a criminal acg.
The **** nerve of these people tearing mother and son apart do they do this to father and son also? people need to open their eyes to the real news that will adversely affect their lives these people are the threat the real terrorists who get you by shock and horror when you least expect it i could say more of what I'm thinking but its a for sure thing my entire comment would be denied being posted due to inappropriate language but know this I'm mad as you can imagine no words to express the sadness in my heart.
Conscience? No conscience they are addicted to power and control and along with that is profit in some manner.
We are reading our futures unless this stops if not who is next?
Anyone think this system works in the best interest of the ward, works the way it was intended decades ago?
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