Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Contact 13 Investigates: Guardian Gouging?

This story will make you sad. It'll make you feel scared and helpless.

And it could happen to anyone. It's a family tragedy where an elderly couple is yanked from their home. Their daughter is left in the dark.

And the person put in charge by Clark County admits to serious mistakes uncovered by Contact 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears.

It can happen in the blink of an eye.

Life as you know it changed forever.

Darcy Spears: Did you feel like you and your wife were kidnapped out of your own home?

Rudy North: We were kidnapped and raped. Both. Maybe not literally, but Rudy and Rennie North feel like they were violated--stripped of the life they were living together for 60 years. He cared for her through her cancer and claims they were doing just fine.

Maybe not literally, but Rudy and Rennie North feel like they were violated--stripped of the life they were living together for 60 years.

He cared for her through her cancer and claims they were doing just fine.

Until a knock on their door in the Fall of 2013.

"They said they were officers of the court."

Rudy says "the officers" gave the couple three options.

"One: We call the police. Two: We have you go to a psychiatric ward."

Choice three? An assisted living facility.

April Parks
The people who came for Rudy and Rennie were private professional guardian April Parks and a member of her staff.

"Mr. and Mrs. North were not in a good situation when we initially got the guardianship," says Parks. "There were lots of concerns about what was going on with them health-wise."

Parks says a hospice company referred the couple to her out of concern that they could no longer care for themselves.

Darcy Spears: Were they allowed or given the choice to stay in their home?

April Parks: At that time they were not. They were not given the choice.

Full Article and Source;
Contact 13 Investigates: Guardian Gouging?

7 comments:

StandUp said...

April Parks should be charged with elder abuse as well as her assistant and the hospice company that referred the Norths to Parks.

Mary said...

Gouging is the word for it, both monetarily and emotionally.

Well done Julie. I am sure you are so proud of your parents too.

BInberg said...

IN MY OPINION: April Parks is a psychopath on the loose who needs to be CONSERVED post haste she is a threat of harm to others - proven case by case what more is needed?

KARMA X 1000 April Parks!

honeybear said...

Binberg, you nailed it. Parks was on her best behavior during this interview but she wasn't fooling anybody.

stop guardian abuse said...

Yuck...bottom feeders. Must take someone without any trace of conscience to prey on our elderly.

Anonymous said...

In September of 2007 I was visiting my Mother at her residence when the doorbell rang. It was April Parks with my estranged son from Ft.Lauderdale, Florida, demanding that we open the door or she (Parks) will call the police. Parks immediately acted like a prison guard, instead of a Guardian for the elderly; she threatened and accused my husband and I of drugging and abusing Mother. We attempted to explain that we had just reconciled a few days ago, but Parks was not interested. She snatched my sleeping Mother out of her bed, demanded the house keys and car keys (including our car), evicted us out of my own Mother's home, and for one week I was frantic because I did not know where Parks had taken my Mother. I had just reconciled with Mother after not seeing or speaking to each other for almost 4 years. My joy at our reconciliation turned into my worst nightmare and I frantically scrambled to find where Parks had taken Mom, so I had no choice but to hire an Attorney, who was of absolutely no assistance to me or Mother. Parks had thrown my poor Mother into a Mental Ward at a hospital on Lake Mead blvd., in North Las Vegas. To make a long story short, Parks dipped into Mother's account which consisted of several hundred thousand dollars, on a daily basis, until most of that money was depleted, however, Parks knew Mother had numerous investments which yielded dividends on a monthly basis, therefore, she continued spending until we hired an Attorney, who was successful in getting Mother out of the Temporary Guardianship, several months later, at a further great expense to Mom. I am now attempting to hire an Attorney on behalf of my late Mother, and wish to be anonymous at this time.

NASGA said...

Anonymous: We hope you have spoken to the authorities about what April Parks did to your Mother. Please also consider joining NASGA and work with us toward reform. If we don't fix the system, the system will continue to allow persons like Parks to harm our elderly and disabled loved ones. We're so sorry for what your family has endured and especially that this investigation of Parks came too late to help your Mother.