Authorities allege an Omaha caregiver so malnourished and neglected an elderly woman that it caused her to suffer bedsores from her neck to her heels.
Then, Omaha police say, he carried her emaciated body from her urine-and-feces-soaked mattress, put fresh clothes on her, propped her on a couch and tried to make her death appear natural.
The elderly woman: his mother.
In a rare case, the Douglas County Attorney's Office charged Robert R. Rogers, 44, in a warrant with manslaughter and abuse of a vulnerable adult. The charges stem from the May 27 discovery of the body of his 66-year-old mother, Connie J. Rogers.
Omaha police said he told investigators he was his mother's caregiver but that she refused to see a doctor, that she suffered from dementia and that her health had been declining for months.
On the day he reported her death, Rogers told police, he had fed her a protein shake. Then she got out of her bed, put a movie on the DVD player and walked to the couch of her home.
Rogers said he found his mother dead a short time later.
Full Article and Source:
Son Accused in Mom's Starvation
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Jeffrey Schend to be Arraigned Tuesday
After nearly three months of investigation, police continue to pore through the finances of an Appleton man accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from his elderly and disabled clients.Jeffrey M. Schend, meanwhile, demanded a speedy trial on the seven theft charges filed against him in the early stages of the police probe.
Schend, 44, will return to Outagamie County Court on Tuesday for an arraignment hearing where he’ll enter pleas to six felony theft charges and one misdemeanor theft count.
Schend, who operated a corporate guardianship business, is accused of stealing about $500,000 from the accounts of his elderly and disabled clients.
As a guardian, Schend was appointed by county judges to handle finances for those deemed incompetent to manage their own affairs.
Full Article and Source:
Jeffrey Schend, Accused of Stealing From Elderly Clients, Continues
See Also:
Jeffrey Schend Requests Out-of-County Judge
Senior Power: The Affordable Care Act
The American Version of Health Care for All is the title of a forty-two page OWL publication that senior citizens and boomers should know about and read carefully.
OWL is a membership organization located in Washington, D.C. at 1025 Connecticut Avenue NW, #701, D.C. 20036, with state and local chapters throughout the U.S., including Ohlone/East Bay, Sacramento, San Diego, Placer County and San Francisco, all with websites. In recent years “Older Women’s League” has become a bit of a misnomer on two very positive counts—(1) OWL is The Voice of Midlife and Older Women, and (2) much of what OWL reports and engages in affects positively both women and men.
OWL’s publication, The Affordable Care Act; The American Version of Health Care for All,includes five illustrations by political cartoonist Bulbul. OWL is able to mail a copy to non-members with a suggested contribution of $10 to cover printing and shipping costs. Otherwise, the report is available as a .pdf on national OWL’s website.
Full Article and Source:
Senior Power: The Affordable Care Act (ACA)
See Also:
PDF Version of The Affordable Care Act: America's Version of Health Care for All
OWL is a membership organization located in Washington, D.C. at 1025 Connecticut Avenue NW, #701, D.C. 20036, with state and local chapters throughout the U.S., including Ohlone/East Bay, Sacramento, San Diego, Placer County and San Francisco, all with websites. In recent years “Older Women’s League” has become a bit of a misnomer on two very positive counts—(1) OWL is The Voice of Midlife and Older Women, and (2) much of what OWL reports and engages in affects positively both women and men.
OWL’s publication, The Affordable Care Act; The American Version of Health Care for All,includes five illustrations by political cartoonist Bulbul. OWL is able to mail a copy to non-members with a suggested contribution of $10 to cover printing and shipping costs. Otherwise, the report is available as a .pdf on national OWL’s website.
Full Article and Source:
Senior Power: The Affordable Care Act (ACA)
See Also:
PDF Version of The Affordable Care Act: America's Version of Health Care for All
Friday, July 22, 2011
Caregiver Crime Growing Trend
“I wasn’t a tenant anymore,” Hill testified recently. “I’d become a hostage.”
Hill, 59, said he was trapped in a windowless basement room in a DeKalb County home for almost six months ending in March 2010, sharing the room with a mentally disabled stranger. For breakfast, they got Ramen noodles in Country Crock margarine containers; for dinner, two bologna sandwiches. They used 5-gallon paint buckets for toilets.
Their landlord, Chandra Renee Faust, 43, now faces criminal charges. County and state officials say the allegations shine light on a disturbing and growing phenomenon in which freelancing caregivers and renters prey on vulnerable people to get access to their disability checks.
DeKalb District Attorney Robert James said Faust offered to take the two men into her home to care for them.
“But in reality, they were being neglected and exploited,” he said. “This is a call to action. There are people taking in our seniors and disabled adults to get rich. They need to be licensed, they should be regulated and if there’s neglect and abuse, they should be punished.”
A DeKalb grand jury in December indicted Faust for false imprisonment, identity fraud, theft and exploitation and abuse of the disabled.
Full Article and Source:
Caregiver Crime Growing Trend
Hill, 59, said he was trapped in a windowless basement room in a DeKalb County home for almost six months ending in March 2010, sharing the room with a mentally disabled stranger. For breakfast, they got Ramen noodles in Country Crock margarine containers; for dinner, two bologna sandwiches. They used 5-gallon paint buckets for toilets.
Their landlord, Chandra Renee Faust, 43, now faces criminal charges. County and state officials say the allegations shine light on a disturbing and growing phenomenon in which freelancing caregivers and renters prey on vulnerable people to get access to their disability checks.
DeKalb District Attorney Robert James said Faust offered to take the two men into her home to care for them.
“But in reality, they were being neglected and exploited,” he said. “This is a call to action. There are people taking in our seniors and disabled adults to get rich. They need to be licensed, they should be regulated and if there’s neglect and abuse, they should be punished.”
A DeKalb grand jury in December indicted Faust for false imprisonment, identity fraud, theft and exploitation and abuse of the disabled.
Full Article and Source:
Caregiver Crime Growing Trend
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Editorial: Keep a Closer Watch on Guardians
When corporate guardians are appointed to look after the finances of elderly and disabled clients, they typically are dealing with the most vulnerable people in the county.
That's why the oversight of guardians must be stepped up.
The felony charges filed against Jeffrey M. Schend in Outagamie County highlight the need for more thorough reviews of how guardians spend their clients' money. Police say about $500,000 is missing from Schend's clients.
A promising first step came from Sue Lutz, the register in probate for Outgamie County. She said although Outagamie's rules are more stringent than state law, her office would work to alter its procedures in light of the Schend charges.
Counties must keep a closer watch on guardians' financial records. It might take a shift in funding to improve the process, but that would be worth it to protect the money of people who can't protect themselves.
Guardians, of course, are required to submit accurate reports. That's a fair assumption, but it needs to be confirmed regularly for the sake of the clients and their families, who sometimes feel helpless in guardianship cases.
Right now, the county treats guardianship cases similar to how the Internal Revenue Service conducts its spot checks — suspicious filings trigger audits. We think it's worth it for county officials to dedicate more resources to check even some of the documents that look legit.
The advice of writer Agatha Christie seems to apply here: "Where large sums of money are concerned, it is advisable to trust nobody."
Source:
Editorial: Keep a Closer Watch on Guardians
That's why the oversight of guardians must be stepped up.
The felony charges filed against Jeffrey M. Schend in Outagamie County highlight the need for more thorough reviews of how guardians spend their clients' money. Police say about $500,000 is missing from Schend's clients.
A promising first step came from Sue Lutz, the register in probate for Outgamie County. She said although Outagamie's rules are more stringent than state law, her office would work to alter its procedures in light of the Schend charges.
Counties must keep a closer watch on guardians' financial records. It might take a shift in funding to improve the process, but that would be worth it to protect the money of people who can't protect themselves.
Guardians, of course, are required to submit accurate reports. That's a fair assumption, but it needs to be confirmed regularly for the sake of the clients and their families, who sometimes feel helpless in guardianship cases.
Right now, the county treats guardianship cases similar to how the Internal Revenue Service conducts its spot checks — suspicious filings trigger audits. We think it's worth it for county officials to dedicate more resources to check even some of the documents that look legit.
The advice of writer Agatha Christie seems to apply here: "Where large sums of money are concerned, it is advisable to trust nobody."
Source:
Editorial: Keep a Closer Watch on Guardians
AZ: Judge Donahoe Resigns After Getting Caught in a Fib
Thursday, June 30 was Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe’s last day on the bench.In his May 5, 2011 letter of resignation to Gov. Jan Brewer, he quoted Seneca: “You must know for which harbor you are headed if you are to catch the right wind to take you there.”
He then wrote, “For over 21 years, my harbor has been the Arizona Superior Court in Maricopa County. I have felt a fresh wind at my back pushing me in a new direction …”
Some say he’s leaving due to too many forces breathing down the back of his neck, including Dr. James Houston, a former Northern Arizona University instructor, whose case against Attorney General Tom Horne, in his former capacities as Arizona State Superintendent of Schools and member of the Arizona Board of Education, was pending in Donahoe’s court.
However, as I reported back in April, “Corruption runs deep in Maricopa County as lawsuits continue,” Houston’s case suddenly became focused on Donahoe.
Houston believes it was due to repeated and embarrassing allegations of a corrupt judiciary caused by Donahoe’s actions that resulted in a “behind-the-scenes demand that he resign.”
Full Article and Source:
Judge Donahoe Resigns After Getting Caught in a Fib
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Gary Harvey: At the Mercy of a Cold, Heartless System
The tragic case of Gary and Sara Harvey has similarities to Terri Schiavo’s and her family’s case. In January of 2006, Horseheads, New York resident, Gary Harvey, a Vietnam veteran, fell down a flight of basement stairs at his home and sustained a brain injury that has since left him in a vegetative state.
As Chelsea Schilling, writing for WorldNetDaily, reported last year,
“Gary, an only child who is estranged from his two adult children, did not have a living will.
His wife, Sara, had him placed in a nursing home so he would receive care while she returned to her full-time job.
Following a family dispute over Gary’s assets, State Supreme Court Judge Robert Mulvey determined that Sara Harvey was not a suitable guardian for her husband and designated the county as legal guardian, according to Elaine Renoire, spokeswoman for the National Association to Stop Guardian Abuse, or NASGA, who is familiar with the case.
When [Chemung] county authorities took guardianship, Sara was separated from any decision making process for her husband’s health and medical welfare. Gary’s father is deceased, and his elderly mother has not attempted to obtain guardianship. Sara has been trying to get the judge’s guardianship decision overturned.”
Sara Harvey, almost single-handedly, has stood firmly against the machine of the “system” in her county. Just like Terri Schiavo’s family, Sara is desperately fighting to simply bring her husband home and care for him herself where he can at least enjoy the comfort of his own home and the loving care of his wife.
The case is complicated, though unnecessarily so, in my opinion.
I write for DakotaVoice.com, and it is because of another lady who also writes for Dakota Voice, Carrie K. Hutchens, that I have been aware of Gary’s case for a couple of years now. Carrie has written numerous times about Gary and Sara’s plight. Carrie’s deep passion for this terrible situation shouts out through the words she writes.
In her latest column, Carrie wrote,
“How long has it been since Gary Harvey fell down those basement stairs? How long has it been since he found himself vulnerable and fighting not only for life just because of his injuries, but fighting for life because the government officials and so-called ethics committees decided it was time to end his life by starving and dehydrating him to death? Just how long has it been and what has changed since the fight began all those years ago?
Some people have opened their eyes, started paying attention and have begun grasping the idea that something ‘ain’t’ right here in the world of Gary Harvey and his so-called government protectors.
It doesn’t matter ‘why’ Gary Harvey fell down those basement stairs. What does matter is what has transpired since then and whether he has had a true chance at recovery and comfort to whatever extent is possible rather than what has been assigned to him by those who really don’t have his best interest at heart.”
Just like the awful, helpless situation in which Terri Schiavo’s family found themselves, so Sara Harvey stands at the mercy of a cold, heartless, evil system. However, there yet may be a gleam of hope. A lawsuit which Sara Harvey filed against Chemung County has been allowed to continue before the New York State Supreme Court’s Appellate Division.
Full Article, Source, and Audio:
Gary Harvey Case Illustrated Corrupt Evil System
See Also:
Gary Harvey Case: Out of Sight Out of Mind
HelpBringGaryHome
As Chelsea Schilling, writing for WorldNetDaily, reported last year,
“Gary, an only child who is estranged from his two adult children, did not have a living will.
His wife, Sara, had him placed in a nursing home so he would receive care while she returned to her full-time job.
Following a family dispute over Gary’s assets, State Supreme Court Judge Robert Mulvey determined that Sara Harvey was not a suitable guardian for her husband and designated the county as legal guardian, according to Elaine Renoire, spokeswoman for the National Association to Stop Guardian Abuse, or NASGA, who is familiar with the case.
When [Chemung] county authorities took guardianship, Sara was separated from any decision making process for her husband’s health and medical welfare. Gary’s father is deceased, and his elderly mother has not attempted to obtain guardianship. Sara has been trying to get the judge’s guardianship decision overturned.”
Sara Harvey, almost single-handedly, has stood firmly against the machine of the “system” in her county. Just like Terri Schiavo’s family, Sara is desperately fighting to simply bring her husband home and care for him herself where he can at least enjoy the comfort of his own home and the loving care of his wife.
The case is complicated, though unnecessarily so, in my opinion. I write for DakotaVoice.com, and it is because of another lady who also writes for Dakota Voice, Carrie K. Hutchens, that I have been aware of Gary’s case for a couple of years now. Carrie has written numerous times about Gary and Sara’s plight. Carrie’s deep passion for this terrible situation shouts out through the words she writes.
In her latest column, Carrie wrote,
“How long has it been since Gary Harvey fell down those basement stairs? How long has it been since he found himself vulnerable and fighting not only for life just because of his injuries, but fighting for life because the government officials and so-called ethics committees decided it was time to end his life by starving and dehydrating him to death? Just how long has it been and what has changed since the fight began all those years ago?
Some people have opened their eyes, started paying attention and have begun grasping the idea that something ‘ain’t’ right here in the world of Gary Harvey and his so-called government protectors.
It doesn’t matter ‘why’ Gary Harvey fell down those basement stairs. What does matter is what has transpired since then and whether he has had a true chance at recovery and comfort to whatever extent is possible rather than what has been assigned to him by those who really don’t have his best interest at heart.”
Just like the awful, helpless situation in which Terri Schiavo’s family found themselves, so Sara Harvey stands at the mercy of a cold, heartless, evil system. However, there yet may be a gleam of hope. A lawsuit which Sara Harvey filed against Chemung County has been allowed to continue before the New York State Supreme Court’s Appellate Division.
Full Article, Source, and Audio:
Gary Harvey Case Illustrated Corrupt Evil System
See Also:
Gary Harvey Case: Out of Sight Out of Mind
HelpBringGaryHome
Courts Suggest as Much as 62% Pay Hike for NY Judges
The state courts system is recommending that judges get a pay raise of up to 62 percent after having their pay frozen since 1999.
The recommendations come in a report this week from chief administrative judge Ann Pfau to the state Commission on Judicial Compensation, which is evaluating the pay for the state's roughly 1,300 judges.
State Supreme Court judges receive a salary of $136,700, but Pfau recommended judges' salaries increase to as high as $220,836 to put them on par with other states, based on cost of living standards. She recommended a salary between $192,000 and $220,836.
Pfau called the recommendations "prudent and responsible." She said New York ranks last in the nation for judicial pay based on cost of living and 20th for actual salary.
Full Article and Source:
Courts Suggest as Much as 62% Pay Hike for N.Y. Judges
The recommendations come in a report this week from chief administrative judge Ann Pfau to the state Commission on Judicial Compensation, which is evaluating the pay for the state's roughly 1,300 judges.
State Supreme Court judges receive a salary of $136,700, but Pfau recommended judges' salaries increase to as high as $220,836 to put them on par with other states, based on cost of living standards. She recommended a salary between $192,000 and $220,836.
Pfau called the recommendations "prudent and responsible." She said New York ranks last in the nation for judicial pay based on cost of living and 20th for actual salary.
Full Article and Source:
Courts Suggest as Much as 62% Pay Hike for N.Y. Judges
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