Wendy Williams begs medical guardian to 'get off my neck' as she insists she's not mentally incapacitated

Wendy Williams' team has said she was diagnosed with progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia in 2023

By Emily Trainham 

Wendy Williams appeared on "The View" this morning to defend herself against claims that she is mentally incapacitated.

The former talk show host, who has been under a court-appointed guardianship since 2022, spoke to the show via phone about why she made the decision to undergo a competency test this week, which she'd previously said she'd passed with "flying colors."

"I needed a breath of fresh air. I needed to see the doctor, so that’s why I went to the hospital," she told the hosts of "The View" about the independent evaluation.

She added, "It was my choice to get an independent evaluation on my incapacitation, which I don’t have it. How dare they say I have incapacitation. I do not."

Williams, who has been living in the memory care unit of an assisted living facility for nearly a year, was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday. In the facility, she claimed that she's not allowed to have visitors, and that she typically stays in her bedroom. She said she's not permitted to leave her floor of the facility.

Host Sunny Hostin shared that the show had received a statement from the care facility's legal team that she hadn't been kept from her family and has received excellent medical care, which Williams continued to deny.

The former "Wendy Williams Show" host also complained about her guardian and the judge involved in her case, saying, "I need them . . . to get off my neck. I can't do it with these two people again."

"I don’t want a guardian . . . It’s been over three years, it’s time for my money and my life to get back to status quo," she insisted.

Williams, along with her caregiver, Ginalisa Monterroso, explained that the guardianship was first put into place in 2022 after her bank froze her account after noticing some unusual spending. She agreed to being appointed a guardian, because she believed the arrangement could help her get her finances under control, but soon afterward, she says the guardian took control of her life.

"At this point in my life, I want to terminate the guardianship and move on with my life, if that's possible at all," she said. 

Earlier this week, Williams was taken to a hospital after a 911 call was made to her assisted care facility in New York.

"On Monday, March 10, 2025 the NYPD responded to a welfare check at 505 West 35 Street," the New York Police Department said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. 

"EMS responded and transported a 60-year-old female to an area hospital for evaluation."

According to the New York Post, Williams had thrown a handwritten note that read "Help! Wendy!!" out the window.

One day after being rushed to a New York hospital, she spoke with Rosanna Scotto on a live segment of "Good Day New York" to discuss the outcome of her competency tests, which she says she'd requested herself.

Williams said she passed her tests with "flying colors."

"Everybody knows factually that Wendy is not incapacitated," Monterrosa, who was also present during that interview, told Scotto.

During an appearance on "The Breakfast Club" that same morning, Williams further explained why she had pleaded to go to a medical facility and be evaluated by an independent doctor. 

"The police showed up. I'm exhausted. I wanted to go to the hospital to talk to the doctor," Williams told the hosts. 

Monterroso said that they have been laser-focused on trying to get "some kind of motion" into the TV personality's guardianship case. 

"We were pretty stuck at one point, waiting for the lawyers to break through and get some type of trial," Monterroso said while on "The Breakfast Club." "I did two things. I wrote a letter to the Adult Protective Services and explained to them Wendy's situation. She was isolated and needed an investigation."

"Yesterday morning, during our morning calls, I told Wendy, 'We will be calling the police and telling them that you're isolated.' I pleaded with the police as if Wendy was my child. ‘Please, you need to get her off this floor. She is confined.’"

Williams said that during her chat with law enforcement, she told them, "I am not incapacitated as I've been accused [of]."

"This floor that I live on is the memory unit," Williams explained. "The people who live there don't remember anything, unlike me. Why am I here? What is going on? It's a cry for help."

Earlier this year, Williams denied that she was cognitively impaired and admitted during an interview with "The Breakfast Club" that her guardianship felt like a "prison."

"I am not cognitively impaired, but I feel like I am in prison," Williams said in January. "I’m in this place with people who are in their 90s and their 80s and their 70s. . . . These people, there's something wrong with these people here on this floor. I am clearly not."

"Where I am . . . you have to get keys to unlock the door to press the elevator to go downstairs, first of all. Second of all, these people here, everybody here is like nursemaids, so to speak," she said. Williams admitted that she isn't privy to what medication she's given. "Excuse me, doctor, can you tell me what this pill is for?"

In February 2024, Williams' team announced that she had been diagnosed with both progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.

Full Article & Source:
Wendy Williams begs medical guardian to 'get off my neck' as she insists she's not mentally incapacitated

See Also:
Wendy Williams Hospitalized Amid Battle Over Guardianship, But It's Not What You Think

Madison County Man Faces Charges of Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults

MADISON COUNTY – A Jackson businessman has been indicted and arrested, following a joint investigation by special agents with the TBI Medicaid Fraud Control Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, and investigators with the Jackson Police Department.

In July 2024, following a referral from Adult Protect Services, authorities began investigating allegations of financial exploitation of vulnerable adults who were in the care of a Jackson homecare facility.  During the course of the investigation, agents developed information that the owner of the company, Antonio Juan White, was responsible for taking unauthorized life insurance policies out on dozens of persons in his care, listing himself as the beneficiary.

On March 3, 2025, the Madison County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Antonio White (DOB 06/29/1979) with 35 counts of Financial Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult. White was arrested in Jackson on March 4^th and booked into the Madison County Jail.

The charges and allegations referenced in this release are merely accusations of criminal conduct and not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.

NOTE: The TBI’s Medicaid Fraud Control Division receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $10,782,912 for federal Fiscal Year 2024-2025. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $3,594,302 for Fiscal Year 2024-2025, is funded by the State of Tennessee.

Source:
Madison County Man Faces Charges of Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults

Missouri couple charged with financial exploitation of elderly veteran, accused of selling home

 A Missouri couple has been charged with financial exploitation of an elderly veteran, accused of withdrawing funds and selling his home without his knowledge, according to court documents.

Source:
Missouri couple charged with financial exploitation of elderly veteran, accused of selling home

Betrayed by Ho$pice and Healthcare: Stories from the Deathbed

by Marsha Joiner

Imagine your Mom is fixing her hair and putting on lipstick on Sunday and two days later, she is in a drug induced coma. Hospice says it is the dying process, but she wasn't dying when the toxic drugs were started with no knowledge or consent. You are denied taking her to a hospital for help and she dies.

Or what if your Dad spilt coffee on himself and is taken to hospice respite facility for a shower and is dead in two days?

Or your husband goes to the hospital for dehydration and is given a diuretic and dies from dehydration and a drug overdose, arriving home in a coma with a bloody mouth, and his gold tooth was ripped out?

These are just a tip of the iceberg of the true stories in this book. We will all die one day but it should be when it is your time and not when someone else decides your life is of no value. Everyone should have the right to write their last chapter.

This book is an eye opener exposing the truth of hospice and sheds light that healthcare philosophy changed from meeting patient's needs to meeting society's needs. What you read in this book may save your life. It is a must read before family members blindly trust what the medical and hospice industry say. They are a multibillion-dollar industry and it's all about money. The government saves money, the medical facilities and staff make money, and your loved one pays the highest price with their life.

This book will answer questions you never thought to ask. For example, did you know a drug overdose has the same symptoms of someone dying, because now they are dying? You will see the dark reality of what happens behind closed doors of an organization that is to 'do no harm' and is supposed to provide compassionate care. There is a wealth of information and research put in one place for you to see the real dangers. Is it worth the risk not to find out before it's too late? I wish I had known what I know now and saved my own Mother. Knowledge is power.

Source:
Betrayed by Ho$pice and Healthcare: Stories from the Deathbed

Hospice worker accused of exploiting patient, steals $7K

by Skyler Shepard

On March 7, deputies arrested the 57-year-old woman, who now faces exploitation of an elderly person, fraudulent use of personal information, grand theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, and uttering a forged instrument. (HCSO)

TAMPA, Fla. (CBS12) — A hospice worker is accused of financially exploiting a hospice patient under her care.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) said deputies responded to a delayed fraud report on March 4 on Clubhouse Circle, where the victim, receiving hospice care, reported being defrauded by a home health assistant.

The sheriff's office said the fraudulent activity reportedly began on January 28. The suspect, identified as Shawn Livingston, allegedly persuaded the victim to use Zelle for service payments and manipulated the transactions to transfer money to her accounts, pay her creditors, and make payments to Carnival Cruises, stealing more than $7,000.

"The actions of this individual are unacceptable and despicable. Preying on a hospice patient, someone who relies on others for care and support, is a heartless and disgraceful betrayal," said Sheriff Chad Chronister.

On March 7, deputies arrested the 57-year-old woman, who now faces exploitation of an elderly person, fraudulent use of personal information, grand theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, and uttering a forged instrument.

"We are committed to protecting our most vulnerable residents," said Sheriff Chronister. "Let this serve as a clear message: this kind of abuse has no place in our community, and we will do everything possible to bring those responsible to justice."

Full Article & Source:
Hospice worker accused of exploiting patient, steals $7K

Wendy Williams Hospitalized Amid Battle Over Guardianship, But It's Not What You Think

The daytime talk show host has been embroiled in this fight for years, but she just might be getting closer to freedom.

By Shanelle Genai 

Just when Wendy Williams was supposed to be getting ready for her return to daytime television later this week (more on that later), she’s instead having to deal with a trip to the hospital. But don’t be alarmed...it’s not for the reason you might think.

As we previously told you, thanks to her persistent outcries and subsequent action by her court-appointed guardian Sabrina Morrissey, Williams was set to undergo another medical evaluation to determine whether or not she she has frontotemporal dementia. That diagnosis is the one the very things that caused her to be remanded to an assisted living facility in New York City for the last three years that she previously described as a “prison.”  

Now, on Monday (March 10), it appears as if she’s finally had her tests as police were spotted outside of her facility were seen escorting her from her facility to Lenox Hill Hospital for the evaluations. In videos captured by TMZ, Williams was mostly quiet as she dodged questions about how she was feeling and her upcoming interview on “The View” on Friday. ABC announced the news that she’d be coming onto the show as a guest via telephone over the weekend.

This sighting also comes just after two local agencies were reported to be looking into Williams’ guardianship. The first agency was Adult Protective Services who reportedly had an interview with Williams and her niece Alex Finnie, according to TMZ. The New York Police Department also pulled up on Williams prior to them escorting her to her appointment to do a welfare check on her and her condition.

Per ABC News, two officers and a sergeant showed up to the facility in response to a 911 call of a woman in distress. However, when they arrived, Williams was reportedly calm and was able to walk with the officers and out of the building.

If the results of Williams’ second evaluation prove that she isn’t suffering from dementia—this could call the legal validity of the guardianship into question as Morrissey was only taking over things due to Williams’ alleged failing mental state. Moreover, if those results are brought in front of the judge and the guardianship is finally called off, this could be the start of a long-awaited comeback for Williams.

Full Article & Source:
Wendy Williams Hospitalized Amid Battle Over Guardianship, But It's Not What You Think

Wendy Williams hospitalized amid guardianship investigation

By David Matthews

The NYPD and Adult Protective Services are investigating Wendy Williams’ guardianship after performing a wellness check at her adult care facility in Manhattan on Monday that ended with her hospitalization.

Police responded to the assisted living facility around 11:16 a.m. They determined that Williams did not need any help but remained at the scene as EMTs arrived and Williams threw notes out a window to the assembled press.

The city’s Adult Protective Services is also looking into the circumstances of Williams’ stay at the facility, where she is reportedly in a memory unit and barred from leaving, according to TMZ.

She was transported to Lenox Hill Hospital for an independent cognitive examination around 2 p.m., the gossip site reported.

Williams’ guardian claimed last November that the former talk show host was “permanently incapacitated” due to her dementia diagnosis. She was diagnosed with primary aggressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia about a year after being placed under a legal guardianship and put in a care facility in 2022.

In a January interview on “The Breakfast Club” radio show, Williams said she is “not cognitively impaired, no, but I feel like I am in prison.”

Last month, Williams made a legal filing to have the guardianship ended and has vowed to go to a jury trial if necessary. She has previously complained she is not suffering from any health issues and that her diagnosis was made in bad faith.

ABC reported on Sunday that Williams will give a phone interview on “The View” later this week.

Full Article & Source:
Wendy Williams hospitalized amid guardianship investigation

See Also:
Wendy Williams says she passed competency test with ‘flying colors’ after being rushed to hospital

San Diego’s CARE Court Is Serving Those Formerly in Conservatorships

CARE Court supporters pitched it as a solution for people with serious untreated psychotic disorders. San Diego’s program is also serving people exiting involuntary treatment.

 

by Lisa Halverstadt

Judge Kimberlee Lagotta, who led San Diego Superior Court's CARE Court implementation, and county Behavioral Health Services Director Luke Bergmann during the CARE Act program press conference at the County Administration building in downtown on Sept. 27, 2023. / Photo by Ariana Drehsler

San Diego County’s rollout of CARE Court hasn’t been what many expected – not even the author of the legislation that created the program. 

Proponents touted CARE Court as a way to get thousands of people with untreated psychotic disorders into treatment through court-ordered plans. San Diego County officials, however, have held back from forcing people into treatment and instead made the program voluntary. Not only that, but officials have also tapped into another group for CARE Court participation: people already in the strictest level of forced treatment. 

Twenty-one percent of the 105 voluntary care agreements reached since the county’s program kicked off October 2023 were with people leaving conservatorships, according to county data.  

Conservatorships are considered a step up from CARE Court because they institute involuntary treatment and take away individuals’ decision-making power on their living arrangements and other matters. 

The county and state officials said the law allows for CARE Court to serve as a step-down option.  

They say it’s a tool to help people exiting conservatorships transition from forced care with the benefit of more support and oversight that can help them maintain stability. 

But others, including the author of CARE Court legislation, said they didn’t expect the new court system to be used this way.  

“That wasn’t part of the plan,” said state Sen. Tom Umberg of Santa Ana. 

County officials decided CARE Court was a useful tool to help people already in conservatorships avoid another round of involuntary treatment and that this matched the legislation’s overarching goal to minimize conservatorships. 

Amber Irvine, program manager of San Diego’s CARE Court program, said CARE Court can help people at a high risk of decompensating avoid returning to a conservatorship. 

“(Some patients) need to have this safety net of intensive treatments to step down to and having that court oversight piece to hold providers accountable for delivering those services,” Irvine said. 

Ann Carroll, a spokesperson for the state Department of Health Care Services, also described the conservatorship step-downs into CARE Court as an “appropriate application of the law” that prioritizes connecting patients with services in the least restrictive settings. 

Carroll and county officials separately noted a 2024 law authored by Umberg that they said clarified this. SB 42 allowed health care facilities to refer patients held on involuntary evaluation holds to CARE Court if they believe the person qualifies for this program rather than a conservatorship.  

Yet Umberg said he didn’t imagine counties would use CARE Court to aid conservatees preparing to exit those court-ordered arrangements. 

Umberg’s office also noted the California Department of Health and Human Services pushed for the legislative changes Carroll mentioned, though he agreed to them. An Umberg spokesperson said the senator may consider amending state law if he determines that most CARE enrollees are recent conservatees.  

For now, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Only a fraction of CARE enrollees in San Diego County are former conservatees. 

Still, the practice is catching stakeholders off guard. 

Attorney Samuel Jain of Disability Rights California, whose organization was one of the most prominent opponents of the CARE Act legislation, acknowledged he supported efforts to reintegrate San Diegans who had been conserved into their communities but didn’t expect that counties would do that with CARE Court. 

“It sounds like fitting a square peg into a round hole,” Jain said. “CARE Court wasn’t actually designed for this.” 

Officials with the San Diego Police Department, which has filed CARE petitions, fear the county’s approach could limit treatment access for others. 

“The CARE Act was not meant to just reduce conservatorships, it was meant to offer a lifeline for care to patients falling through the cracks in California’s mental health system,” read a statement sent by the department. 

Irvine said the county’s decision isn’t keeping anyone from accessing treatment in the program. 

“We do not have bandwidth issues,” Irvine said. 

Irvine argued that the county’s approach will minimize potential workload issues in the future because reaching care agreements with people stepping down from conservatorships can ensure they don’t experience gaps in treatment that could later require county outreach and support.  

Full Article & Source:
San Diego’s CARE Court Is Serving Those Formerly in Conservatorships

Wendy Williams says she passed competency test with ‘flying colors’ after being rushed to hospital

The talk show host, who has been under a court-appointed guardianship since 2022, was rushed to a New York hospital on March 10 after pleading for help

By Christina Dugan Ramirez 

Wendy Williams says she passed her competency tests with "flying colors."

One day after being rushed to a New York hospital, the former daytime television host made an appearance on "The Breakfast Club" to explain why she pleaded to go to a medical facility and get evaluated by an independent doctor. 

"The police showed up. I'm exhausted. I wanted to go to the hospital to talk to the doctor," Williams, who has been under a court-appointed guardianship since May 2022, told the hosts during Tuesday's episode.

Williams' caretaker, Ginalisa Monterroso, said that they have been laser-focused on trying to get "some kind of motion" into the TV personality's guardianship case. 

"We were pretty stuck at one point waiting for the lawyers to break through and get some type of trial," Monterroso said while on "The Breakfast Club." "I did two things. I wrote a letter to the Adult Protective Services and explained to them Wendy's situation. She was isolated and needed an investigation."

"Yesterday morning, during our morning calls, I told Wendy, 'We will be calling the police and telling them that you're isolated.' I pleaded with the police as if Wendy was my child. ‘Please you need to get her off this floor. She is confined.’"

Williams said during her chat with law enforcement, she told them "I am not incapacitated as I've been accused [of]."

"This floor that I live on is the memory unit," Williams explained. "The people who live there don't remember anything, unlike me. Why am I here? What is going on? It's a cry for help."

When officers visited Williams at the current facility she is residing in, Monterrosa said the TV host began to feel "a little bit of anxiety."

Monterrosa explained that she advised Williams to ask police officers to take her to a hospital and ask for an independent doctor to conduct a medical evaluation. Monterrosa said the facility was giving them a "hard time," but they were eventually able to get Williams to a local hospital.

"When I got to the hospital, I got checked in," Williams said. "They checked me for the heart palpitations, they did all kinds of scans."

Moterrosa explained that both Williams' guardian and attorney were both present at the hospital, but shared a "difference in opinion" about how to proceed with the evaluations.

After the doctor cleared her evaluations through the hospital's legal department, Williams took two competency evaluations, said Monterrosa. 

"She passed both tests," she said.

Speaking with Rosanna Scotto on a live segment of "Good Day New York" on Tuesday, Williams said she is currently in the hospital and passed her tests with "flying colors."

"Everybody knows factually that Wendy is not incapacitated," Monterrosa told Scotto.

"On Monday, the NYPD responded to a welfare check at 505 West 35 Street," the New York Police Department said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. 

"EMS responded and transported a 60-year-old female to an area hospital for evaluation."

According to the New York Post, Williams had thrown a handwritten note that read "Help! Wendy!!" out the window.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Williams and Monterrosa for further comment.

Earlier this year, Williams denied she was cognitively impaired and admitted during an interview with "The Breakfast Club" that her guardianship felt like a "prison."

"I am not cognitively impaired but I feel like I am in prison," Williams said in January. "I’m in this place with people who are in their 90s and their 80s and their 70s. .... These people, there's something wrong with these people here on this floor. I am clearly not."

"Where I am… you have to get keys to unlock the door to press the elevator to go downstairs, first of all. Second of all, these people here, everybody here is like nursemaids, so to speak," she said. Williams admitted she isn't privy to what medication she's given. "Excuse me, doctor, can you tell me what this pill is for?"

In February 2024, Williams' team announced she had been diagnosed with both progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.

Full Article & Source:
Wendy Williams says she passed competency test with ‘flying colors’ after being rushed to hospital

See Also:
Wendy Williams hospitalized for 'evaluation' after receiving welfare check

Wendy Williams hospitalized for 'evaluation' after receiving welfare check

Talk show host Wendy Williams has been under a court-appointed guardianship since May 2022

By Tracy Wright 

Wendy Williams was taken to the hospital after officials responded to a 911 call at her assisted living facility in New York, Fox News Digital confirmed.

"On Monday, March 10, 2025 the NYPD responded to a welfare check at 505 West 35 Street," the New York Police Department said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. 

"EMS responded and transported a 60-year-old female to an area hospital for evaluation."

According to the New York Post, Williams had thrown a handwritten note that read "Help! Wendy!!" out the window.

Earlier this year, Williams denied she was cognitively impaired and admitted during an interview with "The Breakfast Club" that her guardianship felt like a "prison."

Williams has been under a court-appointed order since May 2022.

"I’m in this place where the people are in their 90s and their 80s and their 70s," she said on the radio program. "There’s something wrong with these people here on this floor." 

Williams said she was under extreme supervision at the care facility and could make outgoing calls, but people were not allowed to call her.

"Where I am… you have to get keys to unlock the door to press the elevator to go downstairs, first of all. Second of all, these people here, everybody here is like nursemaids, so to speak," she said. Williams admitted she isn't privy to what medication she's given. "Excuse me, doctor, can you tell me what this pill is for?"

In February 2024, the former talk show host's team announced she'd been diagnosed with both progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

"Over the past few years, questions have been raised at times about Wendy's ability to process information and many have speculated about Wendy's condition, particularly when she began to lose words, act erratically at times, and have difficulty understanding financial transactions," the statement said.

"In 2023, after undergoing a battery of medical tests, Wendy was officially diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Aphasia, a condition affecting language and communication abilities, and frontotemporal dementia, a progressive disorder impacting behavior and cognitive functions, have already presented significant hurdles in Wendy's life."

Full Article & Source:
Wendy Williams hospitalized for 'evaluation' after receiving welfare check

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Wendy Williams

Wendy Williams Removed from Assisted Living Facility by NYPD, Taken to Hospital in Ambulance

The New York Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE that Williams was transported to the hospital after they conducted a wellness check on Monday, March 10

by Liza Esquibias

Wendy Williams was unexpectedly taken to the hospital amid her pleas for help.

Authorities responded to Williams’ assisted living facility for a welfare check on Monday, March 10, a spokesperson for the New York Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE. She was then escorted out of the building, and EMS transported her in an ambulance to a local hospital “for evaluation.”

According to reporting from The New York Post, the 60-year-old former talk show host dropped a note out of her window earlier that morning. It allegedly read: “Help! Wendy!!”

Williams has been living under a legal guardianship that oversees both her finances and health since May 2022. In recent months, she has been in an ongoing legal battle to end her conservatorship with her court-appointed guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, who claims Williams is "cognitively impaired, permanently disabled and legally incapacitated.”

"I am not cognitively impaired but I feel like I am in prison," Williams said on The Breakfast Club in January. "I’m in this place with people who are in their 90s and their 80s and their 70s. .... These people, there's something wrong with these people here on this floor. I am clearly not."

She added that elevators in the facility — which she called a "prison" — are locked and visitors are restricted, and she is unable to come and go as she pleases. She also alleged that she is unaware of what medications the facility is administering to her.

Hours after her appearance on the radio show, Morrissey requested a “new medical evaluation," per a court filing obtained by PEOPLE.

She also revealed in a TubiTV documentary called TMZ Presents: Saving Wendy Williams, which was released in February, that she couldn’t remember the last time she was seen by a medical professional after her 2023 dementia diagnosis.

“[It has been] a long while,” Williams said, insisting that she “couldn’t” even estimate a general time frame.

“I was in Connecticut for a year and I didn't go see anybody. I've been in here for six or seven months and I haven't seen anybody,” she claimed.

That same month, Williams offered an update on her status during a segment on NewsNation’s Banfield.

“Well, I don't have the freedom to do virtually anything," she said. "As far as where I am, I'm on the fifth floor. They call it ‘the memory unit,’ so it's for people who don't remember anything."

"I've met the people who live here and I've been here for almost a year now, and this is very suffocating," she continued.

Read the original article on People

Full Article & Source:
Wendy Williams Removed from Assisted Living Facility by NYPD, Taken to Hospital in Ambulance

See Also:
Wendy Williams To Enlist A$AP Rocky’s Attorney In Guardianship Case

Woman accused of befriending disabled Miami-Dade man, stealing his home

by Chris Gothner

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – An investigation that began nearly five years ago led to the arrest of a woman on grand theft, fraud and exploitation charges after authorities said she befriended an intellectually disabled Miami-Dade man, acted as his caregiver and then stole — and later sold — his home.

Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies took Madeline Lostal-Furst, 56, of Limon, Colorado, into custody at Miami International Airport on Thursday under an arrest warrant.

According to a Sept. 4, 2024 arrest warrant, the 59-year-old victim is “functionally illiterate” and a judge has deemed him “totally incapacitated” due to his intellectual disability.

Lostal-Furst is accused of obtaining a power of attorney over the man and then transferring his home, in the 14500 block of Southwest 291st Street in the unincorporated Leisure City area, to herself using a quit claim deed in 2019. She then sold it to an investor in February 2022 for $190,000, the warrant states.

The victim had inherited the home from his brother in 2014, according to the warrant.

Authorities said the victim’s sister contacted the Florida Department of Children and Families in April 2020 to report that he was being “exploited” and that she believed his “life was in danger.”

The victim’s sister told DCF workers that a woman, later identified as Lostal-Furst, “posed as his girlfriend and moved into his home” a year prior, the warrant states.

The man’s health had “declined significantly” to the point where he had lost weight and was hospitalized more than 20 times, investigators said she told DCF workers.

“It was believed that the girlfriend was poisoning him or messing with his medications,” the warrant states.

According to the warrant, the man’s sister told DCF workers that Lostal-Furst was “trying to place him into a facility” after stealing his home.

In August 2020, the victim’s sister again called the DCF and reported that Lostal-Furst was locking him out of his home and leaving him outside on the porch.

She said earlier that month, Lostal-Furst dropped him off on the streets of Gainesville, where emergency workers found him wandering, authorities said. He was taken to a hospital and held under the Baker Act and then transferred to an assisted living facility in DeLand, where he’s remained, the warrant states.

Investigators later interviewed the southwest Miami-Dade attorney who prepared the quit claim deed, which was signed on Christmas Eve 2019. He said he asked the victim separately “and asked him if this is what he wanted,” the warrant states.

According to the warrant, the attorney told investigators that the man said he “understood” what he was signing and said it was what he wanted. But authorities said the man “could not have known or understood what he was signing.”

By September 2024, Lostal-Furst was believed to be living out-of-state.

Online records indicate that she appeared in Lincoln County, Colorado court on Feb. 14 for an extradition hearing.

Now back in South Florida, Lostal-Furst was being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $45,000 bond, Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation records show.

Full Article & Source:
Woman accused of befriending disabled Miami-Dade man, stealing his home

Dementia’s Hidden Cost: How Cognitive Decline Compounds Banking Errors and Enables Fraud

A groundbreaking study reveals the devastating financial toll of undiagnosed dementia, showing household wealth can plummet by half in the eight years before official diagnosis. This critical window, marked by subtle cognitive decline and increased vulnerability to exploitation, often goes unnoticed by families until significant damage occurs.

By Garret Reich, Senior Project Manager at The Financial Brand

Published on March 7th, 2025 in Financial Education

 

The report: Before the Diagnosis: Dementia’s Early Financial Toll

Source: MIT and AARP

Why we picked it: The World Health Organization in 2023 estimated there are some 55 million people globally that live with dementia, and that could nearly triple by 2050 — only a few decades later. This poses some massive strategic issues for financial institutions who want to build familial relationships with customers and members.

Executive Summary

Money begins vanishing from bank accounts years before a dementia diagnosis, according to groundbreaking new research from MIT and AARP. A 2023 study found that households see their wealth plummet by more than half in the eight years leading up to a dementia diagnosis — from $217,000 down to just $104,000 — highlighting a devastating but largely invisible financial toll.

As cognitive decline subtly begins, individuals start making poor financial decisions and become more vulnerable to exploitation, while family members remain unaware of the growing crisis. This pre-diagnosis phase represents a critical window where intervention could help protect life savings, but most families miss the warning signs until significant damage is done.

Key Takeaways:

• Financial impacts can begin up to six to eight years before an official dementia diagnosis, with missed payments and declining credit scores serving as early red flags.
• Adult children often face severe financial strain trying to help parents, with many taking out personal loans or reducing work hours to provide care.
• Artificial intelligence is making scams increasingly sophisticated, with new technology allowing fraudsters to mimic family members’ voices in elaborate schemes.
• Early diagnosis appears to help prevent major wealth losses, suggesting that proactive screening could provide vital protection for family finances.

What we liked about the report: The consumer perspectives went a long way to provide additional context into why this is such a poignant issue. Lots of quotes and personal stories throughout.

What we didn’t: The stories were very helpful, but were also sometimes too much. The narrative was clear from the onset, but it doesn’t have to be as heavily emphasized throughout the rest of the report.

The Scale of the Crisis

Nearly one in 10 adults over age 65 have diagnosable dementia, with more than twice that number showing early signs of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This creates a large vulnerable population at risk of financial exploitation and mismanagement.

Recent studies paint a stark picture of how cognitive decline erodes financial capability. A 2020 analysis found that individuals begin missing more payments and seeing credit scores drop up to six years before diagnosis. The financial impact appears unique to dementia — similar patterns don’t emerge with other health conditions like arthritis or heart disease.

"The financial services industry is very aware of this problem," says Lauren Hersch Nicholas, a health economist at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, noting that 84% of financial advisors report encountering cognitively impaired clients.

Just because they are aware of the issue, however, doesn’t mean that financial institutions are yet equipped with the processes and proactive measures needed to mitigate the problem before it becomes one.

The Impact on Families

For family members watching savings evaporate, the experience can be emotionally and financially devastating. Many adult children find themselves draining their own resources trying to help parents who don’t recognize they need assistance.

"I had to bail her out using my own finances," says Reagan, who took out $10,000-15,000 in personal loans to cover her mother’s expenses while also trying to put her own children through college. "My credit is really great, so I am able to take out some personal loans and help her."

The pre-diagnosis phase proves especially challenging because cognitive decline often coincides with individuals becoming more secretive about finances. Adult children describe frustrating battles trying to gain access to accounts or even basic information about their parents’ assets.

"She was very secretive and kept her money separate," says Cathy about her mother. "She didn’t trust her children around her checking account." This isolation made it nearly impossible for family to intervene before significant losses occurred.

For some families, the financial strain extends beyond immediate household members. Londyn, caring for both her grandmother and infant daughter, had to postpone returning to work. "My plan was to go back to work, but my mother needed help," she explains. "I kind of took a hit in a sense… I have to budget a bit more. Entertainment money for my kids is a bit smaller."

New Threats in the Digital and Regulatory Ages

While traditional financial risks persist, emerging technologies create additional dangers. Artificial intelligence now allows scammers to create highly convincing fraud schemes, including the ability to clone voices of family members.

"Generative AI lets scammers be so good," warns Nicholas. "You can have voices of family members say ‘I’ve been kidnapped’ instead of some muffled voice in the background."

Jilenne Gunther, National Director of AARP’s BankSafe Initiative, notes that while their program has prevented over $300 million in elder fraud, this represents just "the tip of the iceberg" given annual losses of $28.3 billion to senior scams.

The legal system often struggles to balance protection with autonomy. Nina Kohn, Professor of Law at Syracuse University, explains that advance planning isn’t always effective: "Advance planning done when people are cognitively intact isn’t of much use when institutions are asking for new forms — new power of attorney — when dementia is now occurring."

Some states are experimenting with new approaches. Maine allows older adults to reverse financial transactions made with someone in a position of trust, while Illinois enables those over 60 to seek damages from people who use deception while acting in positions of confidence.

Mike Festa, State Director of AARP Massachusetts, emphasizes the delicate balance required: "If that person is competent, they have a right to make bad decisions." This creates challenges for protective services trying to prevent exploitation while respecting individual autonomy.

The Vicious Circle of Cognitive Decline and Financial Losses

Research suggests the relationship between cognitive decline and financial losses can be circular. While cognitive issues may trigger financial problems, severe financial setbacks — especially those involving loss of housing — can accelerate cognitive decline.

Lindsay Kobayashi, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan, describes this as a potential "vicious cycle" between financial and cognitive health losses. Her research indicates that major financial shocks can lead to cognitive impairment, particularly in countries with weaker social safety nets.

The research points to several promising avenues for protecting vulnerable seniors and their assets. Earlier screening and diagnosis appear to help prevent major wealth losses. Financial institutions are developing AI tools to flag suspicious patterns, while healthcare providers are working to improve early detection of cognitive decline.

Brain health maintenance through social engagement, cognitive stimulation, stress management, exercise and proper diet may help protect both cognitive and financial wellbeing. The financial services industry is also adapting, with initiatives to train advisors on recognizing signs of impairment and implementing protective measures.

Proactive Prescriptions

While the challenges are substantial, symposium participants emphasized reasons for hope. "I want to leave with a message of hope," says Brent Forester of Tufts University School of Medicine, urging a "focus on how there’s so much more that people with dementia can still do, that’s meaningful to them and their family members."

However, addressing these challenges requires coordinated effort across sectors. As MIT AgeLab founder Joseph Coughlin says, "this issue is too big and too important to say it’s a government issue or business issue alone. Before there is action, before you seek help, there needs to be awareness."

The study’s findings make clear that waiting until an official dementia diagnosis to take protective measures means missing a crucial intervention window. For families hoping to preserve hard-earned savings, understanding and acting on early warning signs could make all the difference.

Grace, an expert in public health policy who shared her family’s experience with exploitation, emphasizes the urgency: "We need to get to work now." With seventeen years typically required for research findings to become standard practice, there’s no time to waste in implementing protective measures for vulnerable seniors and their finances.

An Action Plan for Banks

Financial institutions stand at a critical intervention point in addressing dementia’s hidden financial toll. Banks witnessing these patterns firsthand can implement several protective measures:

• Deploy AI-powered monitoring systems to detect unusual transaction patterns, missed payments, and potential exploitation
• Train customer-facing staff to recognize subtle cognitive decline indicators and respond appropriately
• Implement streamlined processes for trusted contact authorization that balance protection with privacy
• Offer "view-only" account access options for family members concerned about declining financial management
• Develop specialized financial advisory services addressing cognitive aging’s unique challenges
• Create simplified account structures that minimize vulnerability while preserving customer autonomy
• Establish clear intervention protocols when suspicious activity is detected
• Partner with elder care and community organizations to build comprehensive support networks
• Design educational programs for both customers and families about financial protection during cognitive aging

Editor’s note: This article was prepared with AI language software and edited for clarity and accuracy by The Financial Brand editorial team.

Full Article & Source:
Dementia’s Hidden Cost: How Cognitive Decline Compounds Banking Errors and Enables Fraud

Glendale nursing home worker arrested for alleged sex assault of patient

by: Vivian Chow

A nursing home worker was arrested for the alleged sexual assault of a patient in Glendale.

Larry Stanfill, 20, from Tujunga, has worked at the Glendale Post Acute Center facility since November 2024, according to Glendale police.

Employed as a certified nursing assistant, he is accused of sexually assaulting a patient on at least two occasions.

He is believed to have previously worked at other convalescent facilities including:

• Chandler Convalescent Hospital in Glendale from August 2021 to May 2023
• Pasadena Park Healthcare and Wellness Center in Pasadena from May 2023 to August 2024
• An unidentified El Monte facility from August 2024 to October 2024

On Feb. 21, Stanfill was arrested in connection with the alleged crimes. 

The L.A. County District Attorney’s Elder Abuse Division filed multiple charges against Stanfill for sexually abusing a person who is seriously disabled or medically incapacitated and institutionalized for medical treatment.

He was later released from custody on bond. Police believe there may be more victims who have not come forward.

Anyone with information on Stanfill or who may be a victim is urged to call the Glendale Police Department’s Assaults Unit at 818-548-3106.

Full Article & Source:
Glendale nursing home worker arrested for alleged sex assault of patient

Bill would fight scammers targeting vulnerable Florida seniors

By Margie Menzel

A bill is moving in the Florida Senate that would add a new way to serve bad actors who scam vulnerable adults -- via the online means by which they contacted their victims.

In 2023, people over the age of 60 lost more than $3.4 billion to financial exploitation. That’s according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Elder law attorney Shannon Miller says sometimes the losses can be significant. She points to the story of a widow who was recently the victim of a scam.

“She went on Millionaire Match, and she met a gentleman who told her his name was Tom and he had a very good gold and diamond business," Miller said. "And if she would simply pay the bond to release his gold and diamonds, then he would be able to come to Florida, sweep her off her feet and they would live happily ever after.”

Miller says the woman had given the scammer, Tom, $2 million before her sons learned of the situation and tried to intervene. By then she had sent Tom cashier’s checks totaling $500,000 more.

“Her sons knew about it," Miller said. "We filed an emergency temporary guardianship with the court because we didn’t have the option of an exploitation injunction. Because we didn’t know who Tom was. So, we filed the emergency guardianship proceedings. We get the court orders. The bank is holding the assets as long as they can because they know it’s fraud. But they’re limited as far as how long they can hold these assets.”

By the time the court order got to the bank, telling them to keep freezing the assets, the money had already left the bank. The widow had lost a total of $2.5 million.

Fort Myers Republican Senator Jonathan Martin is sponsoring a bill he hopes would help in such cases.

“Unfortunately, the stories of seniors losing their life savings to exploiters -- even after friends and family have become aware of the theft but the money is gone, there’s no chance of recovery -- that continues to happen in the state," he said. "This allows an injunction to be filed that would prevent any additional assets from being stolen by freezing assets, even allowing a freeze of the exploiter’s assets.”

In 2018, lawmakers approved a measure that allowed an exploited person or a family member to go to the clerk of courts and file an injunction to freeze their assets. No attorney or filing fee is required. The Legislature strengthened the protections in 2021, criminalizing undue influence.

Martin says the current laws have been successful against known exploiters.

“But scammers escape the law by virtue of their anonymity," he said. "This allows an injunction to be filed and the exploiters to be served within 15 days.”

Martin’s bill would create the ability to serve someone such as Tom, who can’t be identified and sent a legal notice in the mail. It’s usually someone in a social media application or electronic mail program. And the only way to serve them is via the app that protects their identity.

Sanford Republican Senator Jason Brodeur noted that Florida lawmakers see their fair share of elder abuse in the course of their work.

“And it’s disgusting, preying on the most vulnerable," Brodeur said. "And in 2025, it is silly to think that the only way you can serve someone is through certified mail.”

According to the bill analysis, financial exploitation of the elderly is a growing problem, up 11 percent from 2022.

Full Article & Source:
Bill would fight scammers targeting vulnerable Florida seniors