Ohio Supreme Court reprimands judge for Facebook posts relating to guardianship case

By Bernise Carolino

The Supreme Court of Ohio has publicly reprimanded a judge for professional misconduct in connection with social media posts relating to a pending guardianship case. These statements were found inaccurate, inappropriate, and inflammatory.

A judge of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, Probate Division was implicated in the handling of a guardianship and conservatorship case that predated his tenure. This case involved an 83-year-old widow who had three adult children.

In 2014, the court deemed the widow incompetent, terminated the conservatorship, and appointed the attorney who had served as her conservator as her guardian. In 2015, the court appointed another attorney as successor guardian. Over the years, two of the widow’s children raised numerous complaints about the appointed guardian and the guardianship process in general.

In January 2019, a reporter inquired about the guardianship case. The judge authorized an assistant court administrator under his supervision to respond to public inquiries. The administrator informed the reporter that the widow had been removed from her home due to “a squalid, unsafe living environment” and that her son “was not properly caring for her.”

In October 2022, the widow’s son posted on the court’s Facebook page a comment criticizing a magistrate involved in the case. The judge’s response to this comment accused the son of failing to take care of his mother and letting her live in deplorable conditions. The judge’s response also claimed that a neighbour called senior services and that the widow was a victim of elder abuse.

The record of the guardianship case showed that the actual reason for the widow’s relocation to an assisted living facility was her guardian’s belief that she would benefit from better supervision and the activities available there.

Judge reprimanded

At the disciplinary proceeding, the judge stipulated that his and the assistant court administrator’s statements were misleading, inaccurate, and unsupported by the case record. He also admitted that he failed to refresh his memory about the facts of the case before making the replies on social media.

In Ohio State Bar Association v. Winkler, the Ohio Supreme Court accepted the recommendation by the Board of Professional Conduct to publicly reprimand the judge.

The board found clear and convincing evidence that the judge violated numerous provisions of the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct. These violations included making public statements that could impact the outcome or the fairness of pending matters and failing to promote public confidence in the judiciary's independence, integrity, and impartiality.

The board deemed the judge’s multiple offences, as well as the vulnerability of the victims and the harm caused by the misconduct, to be aggravating factors.

The board also accepted the presence of mitigating factors, including the judge’s previously clean disciplinary record, evidence supporting his good character and reputation, his cooperation during the disciplinary process, and his prompt actions in removing the Facebook posts. The board noted that the judge acknowledged his misconduct and apologized to the son.

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Ohio Supreme Court reprimands judge for Facebook posts relating to guardianship case

Jason Neufeld, Esq. Appointed Co-Chair of the Elder Law Practice Section

On behalf of President Aaron J. Horowitz, the Broward County Bar Association (BCBA) is delighted to announce the appointment of Attorney Jason Neufeld to the position of Co-Chair of the Elder Law Practice Section. This esteemed appointment is effective from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.

Miami, FL (PRUnderground) September 5th, 2024

Serving as Co-Chair is a prestigious honor that recognizes Jason Neufeld, Esq. as a leader within the Broward legal community. In this pivotal role, Jason will collaborate closely with BCBA staff, judges, and community and business leaders to enhance knowledge and professionalism in elder law.

“Jason Neufeld has demonstrated exceptional dedication and expertise in the field of elder law,” said President Aaron J. Horowitz. “Their appointment as Co-Chair reflects their leadership and commitment to advancing our legal community. We are confident that Jason will excel in this role and contribute significantly to our mission.”

As Co-Chair, Jason Neufeld, Esq. of Elder Needs Law in Aventura, FL, will lead a dynamic and active section, working to provide crucial services to the Bar Association, the practice of law, and the community at large via the section’s pro bono activities. This role offers a fulfilling opportunity to drive positive change and foster professional development within the field.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Jason Neufeld, Esq. and express our gratitude for their leadership and service to the BCBA and the broader legal community.

About the Broward County Bar Association (BCBA)

The BCBA is dedicated to supporting legal professionals in Broward County through education, advocacy, and community engagement. Our mission is to promote excellence in the legal profession and enhance the delivery of legal services to the community.

About Elder Needs Law

Elder Needs Law, PLLC is a Florida law firm specializing in the unique legal needs of elders. Medicaid planning, estate planning, guardianship, probate, elder law, and asset protection are some of the main areas in which Elder Needs Law can assist their clients. For more information on how they can help you or your loved ones, you can visit their website.

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Jason Neufeld, Esq. Appointed Co-Chair of the Elder Law Practice Section

Judge Orders Guardianship Firm to Return Thousands It Took From an Elderly Woman for Services It Never Provided

New York Guardianship Services had billed Judith Zbiegniewicz $450 a month for court-ordered care, but a judge found the company provided “minimal services, if any” for years, including at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

by Jake Pearson

A New York judge has ordered one of the city’s most prominent guardianship companies to return thousands of dollars to an elderly woman for the court-mandated care and oversight it failed to provide her.

Supreme Court Justice Lee Mayersohn wrote in an Aug. 8 decision that the company, New York Guardianship Services, billed Judith Zbiegniewicz monthly but provided “minimal services, if any” for years, including at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

During that time, Zbiegniewicz, who was living under guardianship for depression and anxiety, said she and her husband spent a night on the streets, moved into a city shelter and finally found affordable housing on their own.

Zbiegniewicz and her decade-long journey through the state’s broken guardianship system were the subject of a ProPublica investigation earlier this year. The reporting showed how that system, which is plagued by chronic delays, lax regulation and minimal oversight, has failed to protect thousands of aging and sick New Yorkers who judges have declared incapable of managing their own affairs.

The people most affected are poor wards like Zbiegniewicz who have no friends or family willing to look after them — a group dubbed “the unbefriended” in industry parlance. To care for this group, the city relies on a network of nonprofits. New York Guardianship Services represented itself as one such group and was assigned by the court to be Zbiegniewicz’s guardian.

Despite its representations, NYGS, which serves hundreds of wards, is not actually registered as a nonprofit with state and federal authorities, ProPublica found.

For roughly a decade, the company paid itself from Zbiegniewicz’s bank account, even as she complained about deteriorating living conditions. The problems that she described — living with bedbugs, rats and no heat — persisted for years, and NYGS did little or nothing to fix them while it collected monthly stipends from her limited funds. She said that she eventually tried to reach Mayersohn to flag the neglect and hold NYGS accountable but that her attempts were unsuccessful. The judge’s secretary, she said, simply referred her calls back to the guardianship company.

That changed in June though, after Zbiegniewicz attended a hearing to formally dispute NYGS’ accounting — protests she had previously articulated in a letter to the judge. During a court appearance, she complained to Mayersohn about her time as a ward of NYGS. She said she told him that there was “no excuse for what they put me through.”

Mayersohn’s decision, informed by that hearing, requires the company to return $5,400 to Zbiegniewicz for some of the fees it took between January 2019 and July 2022, a stretch in which she effectively lived on her own outside the guardianship.

The order separately requires the bank that owned the rat-and-bedbug-infested Queens home where NYGS placed Zbiegniewicz to honor a prior housing court settlement, which it has yet to pay. Under the deal, the bank owes Zbiegniewicz $5,000. If it doesn’t pay, she can seek to reclaim the money in court, though Zbiegniewicz said she was skeptical that the effort and cost of doing so would be worth it. An attorney for the bank didn’t respond to a message seeking comment.

In an interview, Zbiegniewicz said that she was pleased with the ruling, but that she was more happy that Mayersohn finally heard directly from her. She also said that she wanted NYGS to be held to account for its actions.

“I got some kind of justice, but the justice would be if they would be taken out of guardianships completely because they do not do anything for the people,” she said.

As part of its reporting, ProPublica identified more than a dozen cases like Zbiegniewicz’s in which NYGS failed to meet the needs of those entrusted to its care. In one case, a woman who’d had two strokes was placed in a nursing home where she was left to sit in soiled diapers, a family member said. In another case, the company continued to collect payments for a man’s care even after he left the country and later died.

Brothers Sam and David Blau, who run NYGS, and a lawyer for the group did not respond to an email seeking comment on the judge’s decision. In response to ProPublica’s previous reporting, Sam Blau, the group’s chief financial officer, said that “we are accountable to the Court” and emphasized that the group’s financial paperwork was scrutinized by examiners who had the power to raise issues. He called the reporting “misguided, without full and proper context, filled with omissions and less than accurate information” but wouldn’t specify what his concerns were when asked. He declined to comment on any specific cases.

Zbiegniewicz credited ProPublica’s investigation for the judge’s action in her case — an uncommon occurrence in New York’s troubled guardianship system. But she also noted it took years of sustained protest on her part, a level of persistence that many ailing and elderly New Yorkers in guardianship cannot manage.

“I’ve done what I could, I feel good about it, the judge heard, you wrote things,” she said. “Maybe somebody will see and maybe somewhere, down the line, somebody will do something about it.” 

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Judge Orders Guardianship Firm to Return Thousands It Took From an Elderly Woman for Services It Never Provided

Family: Relative's decomposing body found in nursing home closet

By WPTV - Staff

A family believes a body found in a South Florida nursing home's closet is a 71-year-old man who went missing from the facility nearly two weeks earlier.

The family of Elin Etienne believes it was his decomposing body that was found Monday in a closet at the North Dade Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, 11 days after he went missing. He had been a patient at the facility after suffering a brain aneurysm earlier in August, the family said.

North Miami Police issued a missing person alert for him Aug. 23, a day after he disappeared.

Ruth Keisha Etienne, his granddaughter, told WTVJ-TV that nursing home administrators never notified them a body had been found. She said an anonymous caller told them, so they contacted administrators.

"They said they found him in a closet and he was already decomposing, and they refused to let us see the body," Etienne told the station. "And we tried to speak to the nursing home people, but they refused to speak to us. They don’t want to talk to us. I wonder why?"

The nursing home declined to comment Wednesday. The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner's Office said Wednesday that the body still had not been identified. Police said they are conducting a death investigation.

State nursing home regulators did not immediately return a call Wednesday seeking comment.

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Family: Relative's decomposing body found in nursing home closet

96-year-old California woman facing eviction from seniors home unless she coughs up $110K to new owners: ‘I’m not going’

By Richard Pollina

A 96-year-old California woman was served a three-day eviction notice from her senior living home demanding she cough up $110,000 or leave the unit she’s been living in for 22 years.

Jean Jacques says she signed a lifetime contract with California-Nevada Methodist Homes in 2002 to live at their Forest Hill Manor nursing home in Pacific Grove, Calif., for the rest of her life, according to KSBW.

She secured her spot with a $250,000 down payment and paid $5,000 monthly rent until her savings ran dry.

Jean Jacques says she signed a lifetime contract with California-Nevada Methodist Homes in 2002 to live at their nursing home for the rest of her life. KSBW 8

Things became complicated when California-Nevada Methodist Homes went bankrupt and sold the facility to Pacific Grove Senior Living in 2022.

The for-profit senior living community purchased the property with the clause that it would abide by previous contracts of the tenants who signed lifetime deals, an expectation Jacques thought would be honored.

However, Pacifica Senior Living, the San Diego-based parent company of Pacific Grove Senior Living, served the 96-year-old with the eviction notice on Aug. 16, saying she had three days to send it $110,000 or face eviction.

“I was shocked,” the full-of-life senior shared. “The reason I moved into Forest Hill Manor was to be taken care of for the rest of my life.”

Jacques and senior advocates discovered her previous contract was grandfathered in, but the policies ensuring she could live in her unit until she died were not.

California-Nevada Methodist Homes went bankrupt and sold the facility to Pacific Grove Senior Living in 2022. KSBW 8

“She’s devoted all of her savings and money into this place,” the president of Pacific Grove Senior Living’s residents’ association, Bob Sadler, told KSBW. “I don’t care what the legal ramifications are here. This is morally unthinkable.”

Sadler told the outlet that the “lifetime care” contracts like Jacques signed in 2002 were only considered unconditional with the previous owners, not Pacific Senior Living.

However, a project manager with the Alliance for Aging, Elizabeth Campos, told the outlet that the eviction notice was allegedly not approved by the Community Care Licensing Division, the California government agency that oversees these facilities.

The “lifetime care” contracts like Jacques signed in 2002 were only considered unconditional with the previous owners, not Pacific Senior Living. KSBW 8

Pacific Senior Living, the San Diego-based parent company of Pacific Grove Senior Living, served the 96-year-old with the eviction notice on Aug. 16, saying she had three days to send them $110,000 or face eviction. KSBW 8

Furthermore, the notice did not instruct Jacques on how to appeal the eviction, Campos claims.

“You know, it’s frustrating. You do get angry knowing that it’s an elderly person,” Campos told the outlet. “Where is this person going to go?”

Campos and others are fighting for Pacific Senior Living to do the right thing and uphold the original contract so Jacques can stay in the unit she has called home for the past 22 years.

Jacques and senior advocates discovered her previous contract was grandfathered in, but the policies ensuring she could live in her unit until she died were not. KSBW 8

Since receiving the eviction notice, the facility’s business office has not contacted Jacques.

The Alliance for Aging and the Residents’ Committee have attempted to contact the office but have yet to receive a reply, according to KSBW.

The Post has reached out to Pacific Grove Senior Living for comment.

Jacques, who turned 96 in July, says she has no plans to leave her home.

“I’m not going. They’ll have to bury me because I have no place to go,” she declared to KSBW. “They have all my money.”

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96-year-old California woman facing eviction from seniors home unless she coughs up $110K to new owners: ‘I’m not going’

World’s oldest man born in the year of Titanic disaster shares long life secret

by Ellie Ng 

John Tinniswood, the world’s oldest living man, has turned 112 at his care home in Southport, Merseyside.

Mr Tinniswood was born in Liverpool on August 26 1912, the year the Titanic sank, and became the world’s oldest living man in April, saying the secret of his longevity is “just luck”.

Asked how he feels to be turning 112, he told the Guinness World Records (GWR): “In all honesty, no different. I don’t feel that age, I don’t get excited over it. That’s probably why I’ve reached it.

“I just take it in my stride like anything else, why I’ve lived that long I have no idea at all.

“I can’t think of any special secrets I have. I was quite active as a youngster, I did a lot of walking. Whether that had something to do with it, I don’t know. But to me, I’m no different [to anyone]. No different at all.”

On what the biggest difference in the world is over the course of his life, he said: “It’s no better in my opinion, or hardly any better, than it was then. Probably in some places it is, but in other places it’s worse.”

On the secret of his longevity, he told GWR it’s “just luck.”

“You either live long or you live short, and you can’t do much about it,” he added.

Beyond eating a portion of battered fish and chips every Friday, Mr Tinniswood said he does not follow any particular diet.

“I eat what they give me and so does everybody else. I don’t have a special diet,” he said.

Mr Tinniswood lived through both world wars and is the world’s oldest surviving male Second World War veteran. He worked in an administrative role for the Army Pay Corps.

Mr Tinniswood said he doesn’t follow any special diet, but eats a portion of battered fish and chips every Friday (Guinness World Records/PA Wire)

In addition to accounts and auditing, his work involved logistical tasks such as locating stranded soldiers and organising food supplies.

He went on to work as an accountant for Shell and BP before retiring in 1972.

A lifelong Liverpool FC fan, Mr Tinniswood was born just 20 years after the club was founded in 1892, and has lived through all eight of his club’s FA Cup wins and 17 of their 19 league title wins.

Mr Tinniswood met his wife, Blodwen, at a dance in Liverpool, and the couple enjoyed 44 years together before Blodwen died in 1986.

Their daughter Susan was born in 1943.

Since turning 100 in 2012, he received a birthday card each year from the late Queen Elizabeth, who was his junior by almost 14 years.

The oldest man ever was Jiroemon Kimura from Japan, who lived to the age of 116 years 54 days and died in 2013.

The world’s oldest living woman, and oldest living person, is Japan’s 116-year-old Tomiko Itooka.

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World’s oldest man born in the year of Titanic disaster shares long life secret

Bexar County among leaders of elder abuse in the state, county trying to change that statistic

The county has introduced a training plan for all city employees to spot elder abuse.

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Bexar County among leaders of elder abuse in the state, county trying to change that statistic

Klamath Falls nurse strikes plea deal in elder abuse case

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Klamath Falls nurse strikes plea deal in elder abuse case

Dog saves Ashford woman's life

Retha Cobb is hopeful for a full recovery. She would likely be dead if not for Litze's persistence. 

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Dog saves Ashford woman's life

Medical care driver charged with multiple sexual assaults on 88-year-old

The man, who regularly drove the woman to an elder care facility, was captured on surveillance video committing the assaults, the district attorney's office said.

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Medical care driver charged with multiple sexual assaults on 88-year-old

Asking Eric: Elderly man dumped in assisted living by his young wife needs help from his estranged kids

By  R. Eric Thomas 

DEAR ERIC: I had a very close relationship with my father, until he remarried in my mid-20s. When he remarried, he told my brother and me that we would be excluded from his trust. He stated that he had raised us and was done with any financial support.

Since then, we have had a superficial relationship at times, and a conflicted one at others. His wife has manipulated him and alienated him from all extended family members over the course of the last couple of decades.

He is now 82, in poor health and has been dumped in an assisted living facility by his much younger wife. He expects me to assist him with many tasks, such as transportation to medical appointments. I live an hour away, and still have my own children at home to care for.

My resentment prevents me from having any desire to help him. How do I make peace with setting boundaries to protect myself, and deal with the guilt tripping that comes with it? How do I let my resentments go, so that when he passes, I will be at peace?

– Taken for Granted

DEAR GRANTED: Often guilt trips are the last resort of a person who refuses to take responsibility for their own actions or wants. Remember that this is someone who isn’t communicating with you fairly or clearly.

That doesn’t have to be your inheritance, though.

Now is the time to have an honest conversation about how your relationship changed, how it affected you, and what you’re doing in the present to protect yourself.

He may never be ready for this conversation. But you need to say your peace, unapologetically hold your boundaries and ask your questions while you have the chance.

You can’t change the past – the way that your relationship deteriorated, your feelings about the trust, the trouble with his wife. You also can’t change him – his expectations, any cruelty or coldness.

Furthermore, it’s not your responsibility to untangle messes he’s made. Where is his wife? What’s become of the trust? It’s possible he’s a victim of financial elder abuse. There are resources for him, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Eldercare Locator, (800-677-1116). You can point him in the direction of a solution, while maintaining your boundary.

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Asking Eric: Elderly man dumped in assisted living by his young wife needs help from his estranged kids

Daughter accused of causing elderly mother’s death must undergo “mental health treatment”

A 59-year-old woman accused of neglecting her mother, leading to her death, will undergo mental health treatment to see if she is able to stand before a jury of her peers.

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Daughter accused of causing elderly mother’s death must undergo “mental health treatment”

Elderly Care Facility Accused of Neglect Leading to Resident's Death

By Northern California Record

A tragic case of alleged elder abuse and neglect has been brought to light with a recent court filing. On August 19, 2024, Mehrzad Attar filed a complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, against Atria Sunnyvale and several associated entities and individuals. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of severe neglect that led to the death of James Attar.

The plaintiff, Mehrzad Attar, is acting as the successor in interest for his deceased brother, James Attar. According to the complaint, James was a resident at Atria Sunnyvale, a residential care facility for the elderly located at 175 E Remington Dr., Sunnyvale, CA. The lawsuit names multiple defendants including WG Sunnyvale SH LP, Atria Management Company LLC, Ventas AOC Operating Holdings LLC, Atria Senior Living Inc., Ventas Inc., Byron Perryman, Flavio Silva, and Does 1 through 100. The complaint outlines two main causes of action: elder abuse - neglect and survival action - negligence under CCP §377.20.

James Attar had been residing at Atria Sunnyvale when he was informed by a speech therapist on July 11, 2023, that he required a "thickened liquid" diet due to his medical condition. Despite acknowledging this requirement, Atria Sunnyvale allegedly failed to provide such a diet or assist in relocating James to another facility that could meet his needs. Tragically, on August 17, 2023, James choked while eating lunch at the facility and suffered an anoxic brain injury from which he never recovered before passing away on January 6, 2024.

Mehrzad Attar's complaint details numerous allegations against the defendants. It asserts that they were aware of staffing issues and substandard care but chose to ignore these problems in favor of financial gain. The lawsuit claims that "Defendants knew it was substantially certain that ATTAR would suffer injury due to the failure to provide the custodial care and services needed." Furthermore, it alleges that management's focus on increasing profits led to underfunding and understaffing at Atria Sunnyvale.

The plaintiff is seeking general damages according to proof; special damages; attorney’s fees under Welfare and Institutions Code section 15657; punitive and exemplary damages; costs of suit; and any other relief deemed just by the court. This case underscores serious concerns about elder care facilities' obligations to their residents.

Representing Mehrzad Attar are attorneys Benjamin T. Ikuta and Nicholas J. Leonard from Ikuta Hemesath LLP. The case is being reviewed by Judge J. Nguyen under Case No: 24CV445513.

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Elderly Care Facility Accused of Neglect Leading to Resident's Death

Legislature approves Dodd’s Elder Fraud Protection Bill

By Thomas Gase

A measure from State Senator Bill Dodd, D-Napa was approved by the California Legislature on Friday that aims to strengthen elder and dependent adult financial abuse protections.

This would be done by clarifying the duties of banks and financial institutions to safeguard against fraud.

“Today we take an important step toward underscoring what steps a bank or credit union should take to protect against senior scams, which, unfortunately, are occurring all too often,” Dodd said in a news release. “My bill says in plain language that if an institution or advisor knows or should have known that an elder or dependent adult is subject to financial abuse – and repeatedly fails to act – they may be held accountable for assisting in the abusive activity. When adopted it will serve as an up-front scam prevention policy for California banks and credit unions. I thank my fellow legislators for their support.”

Financial elder abuse cases are on the rise in California. Now, when victims attempt to sue their bank for assisting in a scam, the institution can avoid responsibility by claiming it did not have actual knowledge of fraud.

However, Dodd’s legislation, Senate Bill 278, would clarify that victims of financial elder abuse can continue to hold institutions accountable when they should have known of the fraud but negligently assisted in the transfer anyway. The clarification would support victims of financial elder abuse in meeting their burden of proof. The bill will incentivize financial institutions to implement safeguards upfront, so seniors don’t lose their life savings to scams.

SB 278 is supported by elder rights advocates and Consumer Attorneys of California. SB 278 heads next to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature.

“Help is on the way for millions of California seniors, who are at risk of losing their life savings in a financial scam,” said Jacquie Serna of Consumer Attorneys of California said in the same news release. “SB 278 would mark a historic shift to preventing scams before they happen, holding banks and other financial institutions accountable to take common-sense steps to help seniors recognize the signs of a scam.”

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Legislature approves Dodd’s Elder Fraud Protection Bill

Elderly Resident Alleges Severe Neglect Against San Francisco Nursing Facility

By Northern California Record

A harrowing case of elder abuse and neglect has been brought to light in San Francisco. On August 21, 2024, Geri Garcia filed a complaint against the Hebrew Home for Aged & Disabled DBA Jewish Home & Rehabilitation Center, alleging severe neglect and abuse during her stay at the facility.

Geri Garcia, represented by Meyers Law, filed the complaint in the California Superior Court for the County of San Francisco. The lawsuit accuses the Jewish Home & Rehabilitation Center of multiple violations, including elder abuse under Welfare and Institutions Code Section 15600 et seq., violations of the Patient’s Bill of Rights, and negligence.

According to the complaint, Garcia was admitted to the Jewish Home in February 2022 due to ambulatory limitations requiring assistance with daily activities. Initially a relatively healthy 83-year-old, Garcia's condition deteriorated significantly due to what she claims was reckless neglect by the facility's staff. One of the most alarming incidents occurred on November 18, 2022, when Garcia fell from an ill-fitting wheelchair in an unsupervised activities room. She lost consciousness and sustained severe injuries, including a traumatic brain injury and symptoms resembling Parkinson’s disease. The staff allegedly moved her while she was unconscious and called her daughter instead of immediately seeking emergency medical help.

The complaint further details ongoing neglect throughout Garcia's stay at the facility. Despite repeated complaints about urinary tract infections that required IV antibiotics due to their severity, staff allegedly ignored her concerns. This pattern of neglect forms part of what Garcia describes as "an ongoing practice" at the Jewish Home.

Garcia's legal team argues that these actions constitute elder abuse under California law because they involved reckless disregard for her safety and well-being. They also claim that her rights under various state statutes were violated, including her right to be informed about available services and her total health status. The lawsuit seeks non-economic damages exceeding $25,000 for pain and suffering, medical expenses according to proof, prejudgment interest where applicable by law, attorneys' fees under Welfare and Institutions Code Section 15657(a) and CCP Section 1021.5, treble damages pursuant to Civil Code Section 3345 due to despicable conduct directed toward an elderly person, punitive damages for malicious or oppressive behavior by defendants, costs of suit against all defendants, and any other relief deemed just by the court.

The case is being handled by Ashley Meyers from Meyers Law Offices representing Geri Garcia. The case ID is CGC-24-617442.

Full Article & Source:
Elderly Resident Alleges Severe Neglect Against San Francisco Nursing Facility

Woman arrested, charges relate to elder abuse

A Baltimore County woman is being held in jail without bond, accused of neglecting the care of a family member, according to charging documents obtained by 11 News Investigates. The family member is a woman who was a double amputee and had been bedridden for 15 years. Neighbors told 11 News they are upset and disturbed by what has happened. They did not want to speak on camera, but some said the family had just moved in several months ago.

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Woman arrested, charges relate to elder abuse 

Smart Jack Russell Dog Saves Owner | 10 News First

The life of a father has been saved by his four-legged friend who sprung into action when her owner collapsed on the doorstep. Luna the Jack Russell ran barking to multiple neighbours to raise the alarm, which ultimately saved his life.

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Smart Jack Russell Dog Saves Owner | 10 News First