Chief Judge David J. Barron of the United States Court of Appeals for
the First Circuit announced Thursday that John A. Dorsey, Jr., has been
selected to fill the upcoming vacancy in the United States Bankruptcy
Court for the District of Rhode Island that will result from Judge Diane
Finkle's retirement on September 8, 2025.
"The First Circuit Court of Appeals is pleased to welcome Attorney
Dorsey as the next U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Rhode
Island and is certain that he will serve the people of Rhode Island well
in this role. The Court is confident that Attorney Dorsey's experience
with receiverships, insolvency, and distressed asset proceedings and
strong ties to the Rhode Island community will make him a valuable
addition to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Rhode Island
as well as to the First Circuit."
Chief Judge Barron also thanked Judge Finkle for her many years of dedicated and distinguished service.
Dorsey said in a statement to GoLocal:
“I am deeply honored by this appointment and grateful to Chief
Judge David J. Barron and the United States Court of Appeals for the
First Circuit for placing their trust in me. This is the honor of a
lifetime, and I accept it with great humility and responsibility. I am
committed to serving the people of Rhode Island with fairness,
integrity, and compassion. I look forward to continuing to build on the
important work done by Judge Finkle, and will work to ensure the U.S.
Bankruptcy Court for the District of Rhode Island is accessible and
responsive to the needs of individuals and businesses alike—and ensure
that justice is administered with humanity and respect."
According to his bio, “He routinely serves as a Court-appointed
Receiver and Special Master in the Rhode Island Superior Court and
various Municipal Courts around the State of Rhode Island. In 2019, John
was named on the Rhode Island Superior Court Business Calendar
committee regarding receivership proceedings.
EDUCATION & AWARDS
He is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (B.S.
Management, 2007) and Roger Williams School of Law (J.D., 2010). John
has been named a "Rising Star" in the area of real estate law for 2015 -
2018 by Super Lawyers.
COMMUNITY
Member, Roger Williams School of Law - Alumni Association Board of Directors (2018)
Member, RI Black Business Association
Member, Thurgood Marshall Law Society
Member, Board of Directors, Quonset Development Corporation (2015-2016)
Barron expressed his gratitude to the members of the Bankruptcy Judge
Merit Selection Panel, which was chaired by First Circuit Court of
Appeals Judge Lara E. Montecalvo. The members of the Panel were First
Circuit Court of Appeals Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson; District of Rhode
Island Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr.; Circuit Executive Susan J.
Goldberg; Hamza Chaudary, Esq., of Adler Pollock & Sheehan, P.C.;
Lynda L. Laing, Esq., of Strauss, Factor, Laing & Lyons; Thomas P.
Quinn, Esq., of McLaughlinQuinn LLC; John Rao, Esq., of the National
Consumer Law Center; and Michael Zabelin, Esq., of Rhode Island Legal
Services.
June is Alzheimer's and brain awareness month, and here in West Virginia, more than 38,000 people aged 65 and older have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or some sort of dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Impact Movement. And as the age of people diagnosed is decreasing, general concern is increasing.
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State Rep. Jamie Thompson this week outlined before a House committee
why Michigan must become a “Next of kin” state for medical care to
support families during life’s most difficult moments.
Under current law, when a person becomes incapacitated without a
medical power of attorney in place, Michigan families are often left to
navigate complex and time-consuming legal processes – including court
petitions for guardianship – before they can make urgent medical
decisions for a loved one. In some situations, these delays can have
profound and tragic ramifications.
“When my father was gravely ill and passed away in 2023, my family
experienced firsthand the emotional and legal challenges caused by the
lack of a clear next of kin framework,” Thompson said. “Countless other
families experience these same hurdles every year. It’s extremely
important that we install clarity, support and peace of mind for people
across our state in these situations when time is of the essence.
Families should not be on the phone with an attorney or trying to get a
court order when they only have days or hours left to spend with a loved
one.”
Thompson’s bill is part of bipartisan plan that formulates a
practical process for health care decisions when no advance directive is
in place by establishing a patient surrogate through Next of kin. Next
of kin traditionally means a closest living blood relative, but how
that’s determined can often become a legal matter that can be drawn out
instead of dictated clearly through family history.
Thompson was joined in testimony by Nicole Shannon, an attorney at
the Michigan Elder Justice Initiative, and Elizabeth Kutter with the
Michigan Hospital Association.
“Under this bill, one’s closest family member would have priority to
serve as their medical decision maker if they single and have not signed
a designation of patient advocate,” said Shannon. “Michiganders are
still free and encouraged to execute patient advocate designations, but
for the millions of people who have not signed these documents, this
bill will provide an important default.”
“These bills will be an effective way forward,” said Thompson, who is
also a nurse. “Since I introduced this legislation, I have heard from
numerous health professionals who are supportive of these plans, and
they have reported to me that they would fill a critical gap in our
laws. These are crucial reforms for Michigan families and our
hardworking care providers.”
House Bill 4418, which Thompson has sponsored, and HB 4419 remain under consideration in the House Judiciary Committee.
‘My brother, the executor of her will, coerced her during her illness to give him power of attorney’
By Quentin Fottrell
Dear Quentin,
My
mother recently passed away; she had blood cancer, which was diagnosed
2023. I was to receive half of all her assets. My brother, the executor
of her will, coerced her during her illness to give him power of
attorney. My mother and brother liquidated her significant 401(k)
account into a fund to help with home/nursing care.
My
brother is now stating that the balance, which was not consumed by
nursing-home costs, is lawfully his. I have requested a copy of the
power-of-attorney document. I have, in-hand, all wills by my father and
mother where it clearly states all assets are to be divided equally,
including stocks in her 401(k). I also have texts stating that the funds
were liquidated for this purpose.
My understanding is that he failed in his fiduciary duty as the POA was void at death.
What can I do?
The Sister
Dear Sister,
It
may or may not have been a good idea, at the time, to liquidate your
mother’s 401(k) to pay for her nursing home, but desperate times
sometimes call for creative measures. To do it all at once raises
questions about tax implications and your brother’s motivations for
creating such a pile of cash. Given that he now lays claim to it, the
answer seems to paint him in a bad light.
The
only way he could access this money — as you say, his POA duties were
null and void upon your mother’s death — is if he deposited this money
in a bank account with his name on it. Either that, or he added his name
to an existing account in your mother’s name. It’s an old trick:
telling an elderly parent you’re a co-signer while making yourself a
co-owner.
Larceny,
the theft of someone’s property, is a felony in most states, depending
on the amount stolen. He is likely betting on your legal inexperience
and good nature to get away with it. There is a statute of limitations
on elder financial abuse in most states, and you should treat this as
such.
Larceny, the theft of someone’s property, is a felony in most states, depending on the amount stolen.
The
Securities Industries and Financial Markets Association, or Simfa, has a
checklist for financial abuse, including “numerous withdrawals of
smaller amounts” and “changing power of attorney or the beneficiaries on
insurance or investment accounts.” Simfa recommends people in your
position to contact an Eldercare Locator information specialist
toll-free on 800-677-1116 weekdays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time. It
has both English- and Spanish-speaking specialists.
But
now you are faced with a dilemma: Can you prove that your brother
committed fraud and/or elder financial abuse by helping himself to her
substantial 401(k)? If he had, for instance, taken a reverse mortgage on
your mother’s house to pay for the home, the remaining equity would
have remained in your mother’s estate and, as such, would have gone
through probate.
The
sooner you consult a lawyer and contact your late mother’s bank, the
better. Executors and power of attorneys, as you suggest, don’t have
unfettered power. They have a legal responsibility to act in their
client’s best interest, and they can face civil and criminal penalties
for failing in those duties. Self-dealing is obviously a no-no.
Your
attorney will likely advise you to file a petition and remove your
brother as executor and, hopefully, freeze any bank accounts that he has
access to. Executors can be removed for enriching themselves at the
expense of the estate through incompetence or financial malfeasance.
You’re being hoodwinked and gaslighted by your brother.
Senior advocates are sounding the alarm about the effects of social isolation on older people in Illinois, saying loneliness is comparable to smoking and can increase the risk of early death by 50%.
Research shows a lack of social connection is as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Jeanne Heid-Grubman, director of strategic initiatives for Chicago
Methodist Senior Services, called social isolation and loneliness in
seniors a "silent epidemic," explaining the older people get, the more
likely their interactions with others will decrease.
"A lot of attention is paid to medical issues, physical issues,"
Heid-Grubman observed. "But it's that social aspect of us as human
beings that I feel is kind of neglected."
About 40% of adults over age 60 in Illinois live alone. Heid-Grubman said community initiatives like Chicago Methodist's Senior Connections program,
which matches people for intergenerational friendships, aim to
encourage connectedness, citing studies showing social connection
increases the odds of survival and happiness.
Heid-Grubman noted in her 45-year career, she has seen many people
struggle to find meaning in their lives as they age. She argued it is
important not to view older adults as "pathetically lonely," because
they have a lot to offer. Heid-Grubman shared one client's story of
losing her husband and having no local family but finding friendship and
joy through her intergenerational "match." She added some matches have
grown to become as close as family, sharing holidays and trips together.
"In being able to give that to other people -- their wisdom, their
stories about things that they've gone through -- that makes their life
have more meaning," Heid-Grubman pointed out.
"Our clients tells us that they depend on our services," Frohbose
stressed. "Some would not eat without us. Some would never see a
friendly face or speak to another person."
Frohbose explained they are reaching out to local hospitals and mental
health providers to offer "social prescribing" services, and are working
on a new technological wellness check initiative to help combat senior
isolation in communities across the state.
Diana
Lynn Becker-Abeyta, 63, was sentenced to 30 years in prison in the
death of 73-year-old Ray Crammond, for whom she was a caretaker.
Becker-Abeyta
pleaded guilty to dependent adult abuse and financial exploitation, and
entered an Alford plea to involuntary manslaughter.
Crammond was found malnourished, neglected, and suffering from bedsores, ultimately dying from pneumonia caused by an infection.
An Ankeny woman accused of fatally neglecting an elderly man while using his Social Security benefits for herself has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Diana
Lynn Becker-Abeyta, 63, was a paid live-in caretaker for 73-year-old
Ray Crammond until his death in April 2023. Summoned to Crammond's home,
first responders found him malnourished, dirty and neglected, with
numerous bed sores, and learned Becker-Abeyta, who was not licensed as a
caregiver, had not been giving him his prescribed medications,
prosecutors alleged.
Taken to a hospital,
Crammond died several days later of pneumonia that investigators
determined was caused by an infection. A medical examiner classified his
death as a homicide.
Becker-Abeyta pleaded guilty to dependent adult abuse-financial
exploitation, admitting she'd taken some of Crammond's federal benefit
money. She separately entered an Alford plea to a count of involuntary
manslaughter, maintaining she was innocent but acknowledging the strong
evidence against her.
Judge calls case 'horrific'
On
Thursday, May 29, she was sentenced to consecutive 15-year terms for
each offense. Because Becker-Abeyta also admitted to being a habitual
offender due to prior felony drug and fraud convictions, she must serve
at least six years before she is eligible for probation. In addition,
she must pay $150,000 in restitution to Crammond's heirs, as required by
Iowa law.
Judge Paul Scott called the case "horrific,"
according to a news release from the Polk County Attorney's Office,
saying that "the degradation of human body to the extent shown in the
photos doesn’t happen overnight.”
Becker-Abeyta
apologized at the hearing, calling Crammond a "wonderful man" and
saying, "I didn’t do any of this intentionally. … I was in over my
head,” according to the news release.
Her attorneys had asked the court to sentence her to probation.
A man says he's shocked after a Westmoreland County lawyer who allegedly took advantage of his late mother's estate shot himself in his Murrysville office and was tased after a standoff with police. KDKA-TV's Shelley Bortz reports.
A new bipartisan bill in Congress aims to make it easier for people on Medicare to access mental health services.
Wyoming Senator John Barrasso is one of the two sponsors. Senator
Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, is the other. The bipartisan
legislation, called the Expanding Seniors Access to Mental Health
Services Act, was introduced in Congress on May 15. The legislation
would improve access to licensed clinical social workers for people on
Medicare.
Senator Barrasso said in a statement last month that mental health
services for seniors is vital. “For those living in rural communities,
finding a mental health provider is challenging.” The senator said the
bipartisan bill is designed to “help more patients get the care they
need.”
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, about one in every five
Americans aged 65 and older reported having symptoms of anxiety and
depression in February 2023. Many do not receive care.
Senator Coon said in a statement that the bill “fixes … rules and
expands Medicare coverage to allow social workers to provide the best
care to seniors when they need it most.”
The National Association of Social Workers supports the bill.
A Minot man has been sentenced to serve 30 days of a 10 year sentence
with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation after pleading
guilty to the financial exploitation of a family member.
Todd Behm, 54, Minot, appeared before North Central District Judge
Douglas Mattson on Thursday for his sentencing, after entering a change
of plea to guilty to exploitation of an eligible adult-position of
trust/business relationship-deception-over $50,000, a Class A felony.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Minot Police received a
report on May 10, 2023, of the financial exploitation of a family
member by Behm. At the time of the report, the victim was considered an
eligible adult, suffered from dementia and resided in a memory care
facility.
Behm was in a position of trust and confidence with the victim,
according to the affidavit of probable cause, and was involved in a
business relationship. The reporting party said Behm told him he had
borrowed $150,000 from the victim’s bank account in order to pay his
taxes. The reporting party became concerned over the victim’s finances
which funded their long-term care, and found several questionable
transactions. These transactions included the $150,000 check written to
Behm in February 2023, and $171,000 worth of checks and electronic funds
transferred to Behm, his children or his business between May 2018 and
April 2023.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, some checks written to
Behm had “owes me” written on the memo line, and that there were no
reasonable explanations for the checks and transfers. When the report
was filed, the $150,000 “borrowed” by Behm had not been repaid. It was
noted in the affidavit that Behm made several extravagant personal
purchases over that time period, including a new vehicle, custom paint
jobs on a boat and jet skis, along with various trips and vacation
experiences which Behm bragged about on social media.
Mattson sentenced Behm to serve 10 years with the Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation, with all but 30 days suspended and
credit for three days already served. Behm was ordered to complete three
years of supervised probation upon release, and to have no dealings
with the victim’s finances. Restitution has been reserved pending a
hearing at a later date.
The incumbent treasurer of Chester County has twice been accused of
fleecing elderly persons she was in charge of protecting during her
career as a professional guardian. In another instance, attorneys she
was working with in a guardianship accused her of nonpayment.
Those accusations, combined with previous Broad + Liberty reporting — revealing Patricia Maisano received her master’s and doctorate from a diploma mill, and that she was removed from court cases after failing to meet standards as an expert witness — raise serious questions about her integrity and fitness for office.
Maisano, once a Republican who later turned
Democrat, was first elected as treasurer of Chester County in the fall
of 2017. With the switch of her party affiliation already in hand by
then, she belonged to a handful of Democrats swept into office that fall
whose elections began to foreshadow the tidal shift in the Philadelphia
suburbs away from a century of Republican dominance.
Her time as treasurer is uncontroversial. But it is her professional
work that has left a trail of embittered and disillusioned people in her
wake.
The case of Betty Winstanley
Elizabeth “Betty” Winstanley and her husband Robert, were well into
their retirement years when they moved into an independent living
facility in Lancaster County in 2008. But, their idyllic retirement came
crashing down in 2014.
Betty, 92 at the time, was using a rolling walker one day and felt
faint, and decided to sit on the floor until she felt restored. But she
says staff at the facility claimed she had a fall, something that can
trigger an avalanche of precautions. Close to the same time, Robert
became ill and died that summer.
Because of the disputed “fall,” staff at the retirement home labeled
her as a resident that could no longer live independently. After
Robert’s passing, one of Betty’s two sons asked a court to appoint a
guardian for her.
For the unfamiliar, an elderly guardianship “is a legal relationship
created when a court appoints a person to care for an older adult. It
happens when the adult can no longer care for themselves,” according to
the website FindLaw.com.
“Unfortunately, there may come a time when an elderly parent or loved
one can no longer take care of themselves or make important decisions.
Illness, injury, or aging can all change a person’s decision-making
abilities,” the site explains.
Elderly guardianships are a necessary tool in society, but they’re
also open to abuse. For example, in 2019, the Delaware County district
attorney filed charges against three guardians with bilking over 100 seniors out of $1 million. One of the accused, Gloria Byars, took her own life on the day of her sentencing.
Betty’s struggle to free herself from guardianship was complicated by
the fact that there was discord among her children. One son wanted
Betty under the care of a guardian while two other siblings, a son and
daughter, did not. Her first guardian was removed just over a year into
his stewardship over Betty. When he was replaced, the court appointed
Patricia Maisano as her guardian in December 2015.
Betty’s other son, David, who didn’t want her in a guardianship, says he vividly remembers that shift in power.
“My sister and I, my attorney from Philadelphia, [we] thought that it
would be best that when [Maisano] was appointed the new guardian that
we go and meet with her. So we went to her office in Pennsylvania and
she was just very arrogant.” David recalled to Broad + Liberty. “She said, ‘From now on, Iam your mother.’ That’s a quote. My sister can back that up as well.”
The controversy caught the eye of journalist Diane Dimond, who chronicled the alleged overbilling.
“During the first three months guardian Maisano was in charge of
Winstanley’s life, she billed $50,599.18 for services rendered,” Dimond
wrote in her deeply researched and sourced book on guardianship, “We’re Here to Help: When Guardianship Goes Wrong.”
Dimond highlighted some of the more eye-popping billings, “including
two phone calls the guardian listed as having been made to one of
Betty’s children to discuss ‘dates for [a] Christmas visit.’ For those
two calls, the estate was charged a total of $1,560,” Dimond wrote.
“After Betty was rushed to the hospital with an unknown health
problem, the guardian’s logs show that she made no calls to any
Winstanley offspring to inform them of their mother’s setback. Three
days later, the guardian noted making a couple of calls to Betty to see
how she was doing. Maisano calculated that the time she devoted to those
communications was worth $990,” Dimond also noted.
“Then there was a $1,000 bill incurred because, as Maisano noted, her
‘computer emails appear[ed] to be breached…[and] extensive work [was]
done on my phone and computer as a result.’ The charge included time
spent calling her IT department and a consulting attorney. There was no
written explanation as to why Mrs. Winstanley should have been billed
for technical or legal assistance on Maisano’s devices, which were
surely used for more than just keeping track of her estate,” Dimond
pointed out.
David said he and his sister, who were hoping to move Betty to Maryland to be closer to them, felt powerless.
“[Maisano] called herself a guardian. She could make court testimony on mental capacity,” David told Broad + Liberty.
“She had all kinds of supposed degrees. And my private eye that I had
hired said that these were purchased, these were bought degrees. She
didn’t attend universities to get any professional schooling such as
neuropsychology or anything like that where she could accurately make a
determination.”
In two years of reporting on her, Maisano has never responded to
requests for comment from this outlet about her bogus masters and
doctorate degrees. Efforts to verify her nursing degree, a degree that
forms the very basis of all other elements of her career, have been
inconclusive. Broad + Liberty raised other issues about the resume Maisano has published online.
For example, she claims she has worked as a “national patient
coordinator” at “Crossroads Head Injury Center” in Pittsburgh, but Broad + Liberty
cannot find that any such center ever existed. In-depth internet
searches as well as inquiries to a small number of long-time healthcare
providers in that area have not turned up any evidence of a head injury
center by that name.
As explosive as the findings about Maisano’s billing practices were,
Dimond also had a personal experience so remarkable it’s still etched in
her memory.
Dimond says Maisano tried to take away Winstanley’s phone in retaliation for talking to her, a reporter.
Then one day, she went to a court hearing for Winstanley in Lancaster County.
“I walked into that hearing as if I belonged. No one stopped me,”
Dimond recalls. “I sat back in the upper back row and all of a sudden it
became clear that Patricia Maisano realized I was there, and her
attorney stood up and said to the court, ‘Your Honor, this person needs
to leave. Diane Dimond is sitting there.’”
Although only a single anecdote, it’s still a powerful representation
of the difficulty elderly wards have in being able to recruit and use
advocates while already being committed to the power of another person.
“There’s no reason to close this hearing,” Dimond recalls. “But
nonetheless, I was kicked out. I was escorted out by a security guard
and told never to come back again.”
The Starr report
Maisano’s conduct in other guardianships has also raised red flags.
In 2007, Maisano became the court-appointed guardian of a disabled
Delaware woman. Details of the case are limited because many of the
relevant court documents are not accessible.
But a source who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation was
able to provide two documents from the case: a fact-finding report by
attorney Kristopher Starr, completed and submitted to the court in
January, 2009, as well as a follow-up report that reviewed Starr’s work.
The “Starr report” is unsparing in its frank assessment against Maisano, who was operating under her corporate name, IKOR.
“IKOR, for their part, egregiously overbills. There is no way to soften, sugar coat, or otherwise explain this finding,” Starr wrote.
“[A] thorough review of twenty-one (21) IKOR invoices from February
2007 through November 2008 evidenced disturbing billing trends and tens
of thousands of dollars in overbilled amounts.”
“When data evidences that each phone call, whether a voice mail, a
simple discussion, call to a creditor, etc., was at least 25 minutes per
call, it becomes incumbent upon IKOR to justify such a rate,” Starr explained.
“IKOR billed almost one hour for each letter sent. Check writing, and
bill review was over 30 minutes per event. IKOR billed an average of 20
minutes to type an email. IKOR required an average of 21 minutes to put
a fax in a machine, type in a number and hit ‘send,’” Starr continued.
In his conclusions, Starr said he concluded
“that IKOR engaged in a pattern of significant and systematic
overbilling…such that the disabled person was egregiously overcharged
for professional guardianship services rendered by IKOR.”
He then recommended that the court “[r]educe IKOR’s outstanding bill,
payable in the amount of $104,127.32 from [the disabled person’s]
funds, by $46,987.86,” — a reduction of 45 percent.
“More troubling is that the overbilling is from a sophisticated and
knowledgeable professional guardianship agency who regularly is
appointed to cases by this Court,” Starr wrote.
Starr was not the only legal professional alarmed by what he saw from Maisano and IKOR.
Another attorney, Richard Kiger, was tasked with reviewing Starr’s work. Kiger used some of Maisano’s billing for sending faxes as an example.
“Ten faxes were sent,” he noted
in one example. “It took IKOR 396 minutes, or 6.6 hours, to prepare a
fax sheet from a template and to fax about 30 pieces of paper to nine
creditors. The charge to [the ward] for all this comes to $462.00.”
“As one who has used a fax machine probably thousands of times by
now, it is hard for me to believe that it takes more than a minute or
two to fax a two page letter,” Kiger wrote
later. “An estimate of 18 to 24 minutes to fax that letter is insulting
as well as an arrogant grab at the funds of someone who in many cases
will be powerless to protest and is fully dependent upon others for
advocacy. The situation is that much more offensive when there is a
print-out showing that the 18 or 24 minute procedure actually took 1 or 2
minutes.”
Fourteen pages into his analysis, Kiger said,
“I have to agree with Mr. Starr’s assessment” that IKOR systematically
overbilled, and he likewise recommended IKOR’s payment be cut by tens of
thousands of dollars.
From the Kiger report, it’s also easy to infer that Maisano, acting as IKOR, filed a motion to strike
the Starr report. That motion apparently claimed Starr was aiming to
sabotage IKOR because the wife of one of Starr’s law partners also was a
guardian, and eliminating Maisano would be good for the friend.
Kiger was not having it.
“The charges made in the motion to strike are very serious. If they do not amount to defamation, per se,
they approach it. They are based on insinuation and supposition, but no
scintilla of evidence has been presented that misconduct of any kind
took place,” Kiger said.
“The kindest thing that can be said for the charges in the motion to strike is that they are churlish,” he concluded.
Attorney nonpayment
Another court document in a separate matter provided by a source requesting anonymity stems from a Philadelphia case.
In a filing from May, 2015, Maisano’s attorneys asked to be allowed
to withdraw as her counsel in the guardianship of an older woman with a
history of mental illness. Efforts to reach Gordon Wase, the filer of
that document, for comment were unsuccessful
“Irreconcilable differences have arisen…and Wase & Wase has
received no payments from any source over the course of the effort. Ms.
Maisano and IKOR have failed to provide counsel with payment of their
substantial legal bill now totaling $27,260,” the filing by the
attorneys said.
“Ms. Maisano and IKOR have given counsel no explanations as to why they have not provided payments to Wase & Wase.”
Conclusions
Maisano did not return emails and text messages requesting comment
for this article. When she was reached by phone by this reporter, she
hung up. It’s unclear whether Maisano still works as a guardian. A 2017
article from PennLive said RiseMark Brands acquired IKOR in
2014, but it did not provide any information as to whether Maisano had
any continuing role with the company.
The perils of guardianship are not unknown. For example, in 2023, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a bipartisan bill
meant to curb the possibility of courts overrelying on guardianships to
solve difficult personal or family situations. But there are doubts
about the law’s effectiveness, and there is also an admitted shortage of
guardians for courts to choose from, according to media reports.
Still, the 2019 indictments in Delaware County stand testament to the
potential for financial abuse, if not outright embezzlement.
“They’re paying for vacations for themselves and their families at
Hilton [Hotel], while these incapacitated wards are in nursing homes,
alone, and their bills aren’t even being paid,” then-District Attorney
Kat Copeland said.
Now, with her book complete, Dimond took off her reporting hat to
give an unvarnished opinion on what she witnessed with her own eyes.
“I have, over the course of a decade, gathered so many abusive
guardianship case stories, and to my mind, Patricia Maisano is the
epitome of an out of control guardian who acts like a bully, overcharges
her wards, and is so arrogant and haughty as to make me think she needs
a completely different line of work,” Dimond told Broad + Liberty.
“Her unprofessionalism, her arrogance in thinking that she is really
the lord and master over a ward like Mrs. Winstanley — she can’t have a
phone; people need to have permission to go and see her; she can’t leave
the campus of the area where she lives; isolating her family members to
certain specific hours that they can come and visit — this is bullying.
This isn’t being the guardian angel that the public expects from a
guardian, a court-appointed guardian. This is outright bullying for
personal gain, in my opinion.”
The contrast between those accounts underscores the divide between
Maisano’s critics and her political allies — and raises deeper questions
about accountability in Pennsylvania’s guardianship system.
In a 2017 campaign video, Maisano referred to her work as a nurse and guardian before saying, “I know how to recognize and stop financial predators.”
Chester County Democrats renominated Maisano for her treasurer post in last month’s primary. Broad + Libertyapproached the county Democratic leadership last year for reaction to the story that Maisano had been kicked out of court cases as an expert witness, but her party allies remained silent.
In a recent Facebook post,
the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women lauded Maisano as a
“quiet force with a powerful impact. From flipping Chester County blue
to mentoring countless candidates, Patricia leads with humility, heart,
and unmatched determination. Her journey from survivor to trailblazer
inspires us all.”
Where Dimond described Maisano as arrogant, the party described her as “humble.”
Not only does Maisano continue to receive the full backing of her
party as Chester County’s treasurer, she gives speeches on elder abuse
by guardians.
“March 5 Luncheon: Predatory Behavior,” the internet advertisement from the Charlotte Estate Planning Council said from 2019.
“This program will teach everyone in attendance the depth and breadth
of this increasing issue. How to recognize it, who are the potential
predators, how to address it with your client. There are also some
ideas of what you can do to break the cycle and protect your client
going forward.”
The featured speaker was Patricia Maisano. The corporate sponsor was IKOR.
(Editor’s note: At the height of IKOR’s influence, it sold
elderly care franchises, at least two of which are still in operation in
Pennsylvania today. Nothing in this article should be construed as
negatively reflecting on those two entities, which appear to operate
completely independently from Patricia Maisano. Broad + Liberty has no evidence of any kind of misconduct, alleged or otherwise, regarding those businesses.
About the documents in this report: Every effort has been made to
withhold the names of persons in the documents who do not have direct
bearing on the matter at hand. To that extent, names and other
personally identifying information has been withheld, and some pages of
the documents presented were completely deleted before publishing, but
only if the pages had no relevance.)
Elder Abuse Investigation Leads to Annulled Marriage and Restored Guardianship
A comprehensive investigation uncovered a disturbing case of elder
abuse and financial exploitation involving an elderly New Jersey man
with significant cognitive decline. A woman had manipulated him into
marriage, isolated him from his family, and persuaded him to rewrite his
will, leaving his entire estate equating over $3,000,000 to her.
Despite posing as a caregiver, she routinely left him unattended and
neglected his basic needs.
“witness interviews painted a clear picture of control and isolation.”
The investigation was complex and extended across multiple
jurisdictions throughout New Jersey. Our private investigators
coordinated efforts and followed a trail of evidence that revealed a
calculated scheme of manipulation and neglect. Surveillance operations
documented the woman’s behavior, while witness interviews painted a
clear picture of control and isolation. Audio recordings were analyzed
and transcribed, uncovering critical conversations that supported
allegations of coercion.
Medical records were reviewed by experts to confirm the man's
cognitive impairment, and detailed investigative reports were prepared
for court proceedings. The multidisciplinary effort included legal
coordination, forensic audio work, and deep research into elder care
laws and medical standards.
Working closely with the man's daughter, investigators developed a
compelling case that demonstrated the woman’s exploitative intentions
and her failure to provide even the most basic care. The court
ultimately annulled the marriage and restored the daughter’s
guardianship rights.
This case highlights the vital importance of thorough, collaborative
investigative work in protecting vulnerable individuals and holding
exploiters accountable—especially when abuse crosses jurisdictional
lines and requires a unified, strategic response.
Older adults, including those living with dementia and long-term care
residents, should be part of disaster preparedness efforts, the
Alzheimer’s Association and its advocacy affiliate, the Alzheimer’s
Impact Movement, told members of the US Senate Special Committee on
Aging in comments submitted in response to the committee’s May 14 hearing on disaster preparedness and the unique related challenges facing older adults.
The organizations said that it is important to address the challenges
that face people living with dementia and those providing care for them
during public health emergencies. They offered several recommendations.
Specifically, the organizations called for improved response
coordination and recommended that each state designate a specific point
person on long-term care issues to liaise with the federal government
during a crisis.
“Oversight for separate long-term care settings falls to different
federal and state agencies, which can make it difficult to coordinate
efficiently during a public health emergency,” the statement read,
adding that a point person would provide a more coordinated, tailored
response to long-term care communities.
The organizations also called for public health preparedness and
response targeted toward people living with Alzheimer’s disease and
their caregivers. Many state public health departments lack the
expertise to address this population, which became evident during the
COVID-19 pandemic emergency response, according to the groups. Public
health agencies should seek input from people living with dementia,
caregivers and experts on cognitive impairment, according to the
recommendations.
The groups added that emergency responders and shelter staff members
also would benefit from specific training on the signs and symptoms of
dementia and other cognitive impairments. In addition, they said, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should have a gerontologist
or geriatrician within the infectious disease national centers to
communicate on emergency preparedness and response.
“This will help ensure readiness in how to respond to the unique
needs of seniors and people with Alzheimer’s and other dementia when a
new threat arises,” the statement read.
As a result of emergencies, disasters and crises, care transitions
can be difficult for people living with dementia, the Alzheimer’s
Association and AIM said. Therefore, the groups support the expansion of
telehealth access — as well as the expansion of Medicare and Medicaid
coverage for telehealth services — to allow people living with dementia
to avoid unnecessary travel that could further compromise their physical
health, as well as help caregivers managing medical needs or behaviors.
Finally, the organizations said they support the ability of nurse
practitioners and physician assistants to order Medicaid home health
services.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 27% of older adults with
Alzheimer’s or other dementias who have Medicare also have Medicaid
coverage, compared with 11% of individuals without dementia.
Behind the roaring crowds, Muhammad Ali led a hidden double life.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the boxing legend’s final years were marred by hidden heartache – from secretly fathering four children to becoming a silent victim of elder abuse.
Though he was worth $80million when he passed away
in an Arizona hospital on June 3, 2016, sources say Ali's four love
children – Osmon Caliph Williams, Miya, Kiiursti, and Khaliah – have all
had to work hard to make ends meet.
And the ring king's final round was no victory lap, insiders allege.
The Olympic
hero and three-time heavyweight champ was reportedly neglected by
caregivers, left isolated for hours, and deprived of proper hydration
and nourishment.
A source claimed: "Ali could have been the victim of elder abuse. I don't believe he was being taken care of properly."
They
further alleged "The Greatest," who died at age 74, spent hours alone
"propped in front of the TV, blankly watching reruns or sports events."
His
brother Rahman also charged Ali was neglected and verbally abused while
the fighter's wife, Lonnie, and her relatives lived high.
Rahman once said: "She talks to him bad. I think she married my brother just for the money.
"He doesn't even get fed prop-erly. He was so dehydrated. I could tell from his eyes he was in a bad way."
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