National Association to Stop Guardian Abuse

Local father, son work to change guardianship rules, prevent care delays when turning 18

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000

by Christian Hauser

For Ohio families raising children with special needs, turning 18 can create a sudden legal gap that delays care and leaves parents unable to make decisions for a child who cannot communicate or give consent. (Provided)

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - For Ohio families raising children with special needs, turning 18 can create a sudden legal gap that delays care and leaves parents unable to make decisions for a child who cannot communicate or give consent.

In Ohio, parents cannot begin the guardianship process until a child turns 18. For families of children with disabilities such as autism or Down syndrome, that can mean waiting months for a parent to be named guardian through probate court. If the child is nonverbal or has limited communication ability, the delay can also mean delayed health care until guardianship is established.

David Kahle and his son, Parker Kahle, traveled to the Ohio Statehouse to testify in support of a proposed bill aimed at closing that gap, known as the Parker Kahle Act.

Parker Kahle was diagnosed with autism when he was about 3 years old. He is nonverbal. When he turned 18, his father said he had to wait months while a guardianship petition went through probate court before he could be named guardian and get Parker needed dental care. Under current Ohio law, once a person turns 18, parents are no longer legal guardians.

David Kahle said he contacted state Rep. Jean Schmidt about changing the law and proposed allowing families to start the guardianship filing process earlier.

“We need more filing time. We can't wait until they're 18 years old. Why can't we file at 17 years and six months? A half year gives you six months to start working into the process before they turn 18. She said, 'Great idea. Any other ideas?'” Kahle said.

He also suggested that if guardianship is not established by the time the child turns 18, the parent should remain the guardian while the application continues through probate court. In addition, he said health care benefits should continue without interruption.

“To stop everything on their 18th birthday and say, 'You can file starting today, but there's going to be a gap between everything.' That means there's a gap in their health care time, especially if they're nonverbal or non-communicative or can't handle their own affairs. That's the important class where this comes in,” Kahle said.

While Parker Kahle has autism, the proposed bill would apply to anyone with a disability that limits communication and who is not able to give consent. The bill has had two committee hearings so far, and no one has spoken against it.

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Local father, son work to change guardianship rules, prevent care delays when turning 18

Woman receives guardianship termination after sharing her story with KMBC 9 Investigates

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000

by Matt Flener

FARMINGTON, Mo. — Chiro Richey walked out of a nursing home on Tuesday with a laundry basket full of clothes under her right arm.

Nursing home staffers pushed a cart full of her belongings to load into her friend’s car.

After more than 10 years as a ward of the state of Missouri, Richey was finally free, her rights restored.

“I feel great,” she told KMBC 9 Investigates over the phone.

Five hours across the state, Buchanan County judge David Bolander had just approved her release, after months of delays in obtaining a psychiatric evaluation to determine if she was eligible for release from guardianship.

Richey will now live with a friend, seek surgery for a foot injury, and ultimately aim for college.

KMBC has followed Richey’s story in an ongoing investigation into Missouri’s public guardianship system called Paper Prisons, highlighting the difficulties of wards of the state and their families under Missouri’s system of public guardianship.

KMBC is investigating ways to systemically improve the care of those under guardianship by telling stories of people struggling to navigate a tangled system of legal paperwork, medical records, and court orders. KMBC is also seeking answers, perspective, and context from those in charge of keeping wards of the state in their care for their recommendations on how to improve the system.

Dozens of people like Richey have spoken with KMBC seeking help with their Missouri guardianship cases, as they push for better living conditions, access to care, and help from their guardians.

Buchanan County Public Administrator Brad Haggard advocated for Richey’s mental health evaluation and eventual release. Haggard said it took longer than needed for Richey to get seen. He has also advocated for improvements to bring more wards closer to their home.

“[The] system needs improved,” Haggard said. “That's really the bottom line. There's lots of areas of it that needs improved.”

Haggard wished Richey well and has advocated for her to receive help through a transitional state program.

"I think the system needs improved and, you know, I can do a little bit in my world here, but I think a message needs to be out there."

Richey believes it is important for anyone seeking help with guardianship to speak up.

“I believe that with me going out with my story and with you guys putting it out there for others, people can relate, or other people's family members might catch on and say, ‘Hey, you know, there's hope.”

Chiro Richey was one of more than an estimated 11,000 people in Missouri under public guardianship.

Read more about Chiro Richey’s story here.

If you know of someone going through struggles with Missouri’s public guardianship system, or if you have a case to highlight that exposes solutions for Missouri’s public guardianship system that could teach lessons to others, please email investigates@kmbc.com.

Full Article & Source:
Woman receives guardianship termination after sharing her story with KMBC 9 Investigates

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Guardianship rights may have fueled woman's actions for allegedly shooting 2 lawyers outside courthouse

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000

By Shirley Henderson

Disappointment over losing guardianship rights over her mother may have fueled the actions of a North Carolina woman who has been accused of the nonfatal shooting of two lawyers outside a courthouse following a hearing for a civil case.

Gwendolyn White, 57, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was recently arrested and charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder for allegedly shooting Mary Harris and Jeffrey Whitley—two Fox Rothschild lawyers representing the Rolesville Police Department in North Carolina.

White “became belligerent in court” and was reportedly ordered to leave the courtroom of the Wake County Courthouse in Raleigh, North Carolina. Witnesses said allegedly she went to her car to get a gun and returned to the courthouse where both lawyers were exiting the building. They are expected to recover from their wounds, according to coverage by Law.com and WRAL.

During White’s court appearance following the shooting, she expressed concern about her mother, Elleen White, not receiving proper care. In 2024, Wake County Health and Human Services sought to find a third-party guardian for Elleen White, noting that regarding Gwendolyn White, there were “concerns about caretaker neglect and the fitness of the caretaker to continue serving in that role,” according to court documents.

Posts on social media and filings in court show that White believed that the Rolesville Police Department was involved in “a racist conspiracy” to kill her and her mother, who died last year at age 90 in a nursing home, according to the Raleigh News & Observer.

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Guardianship rights may have fueled woman's actions for allegedly shooting 2 lawyers outside courthouse

SAPD: Nursing assistant accused of exploiting 79-year-old woman at nursing home with Alzheimer’s

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Nate Kotisso, Digital Journalist
Katrina Webber, Reporter

Destiny Lashell Houston, 36, is facing 3 felonies, records show

SAN ANTONIO – Police arrested a certified nursing assistant who investigators believe paid for personal items with a debit card that belonged to a 79-year-old resident at a North Side nursing home.

The San Antonio Police Department took Destiny Lashell Houston, 36, into custody Tuesday afternoon on the following charges, which are all considered third-degree felonies:

Exploitation of an elderly individual
Abuse of a credit card or debit card belonging to an elderly individual
Fraudulent use or possession of items belonging to an elderly individual

At the time of the alleged crimes, police said Houston worked directly with the victim as a certified nursing assistant at The Forum at Lincoln Heights, a nursing home located in the 300 block of Nottingham Drive.

‘Numerous purchases’

Authorities said the victim, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2024, moved into the facility’s mental care unit in June 2025. Due to the diagnosis, the victim’s daughter is in charge of her mother’s financial accounts in order to pay bills and monitor expenses, the affidavit states.

In August 2025, the victim’s daughter checked one of the accounts and noticed “numerous purchases” were made with the victim’s debit card over multiple days, according to police. SAPD said one purchase was made at a vending machine inside the nursing home’s employee lounge.

After checking her mother’s wallet, investigators said her daughter learned that the victim’s cards were missing and subsequently filed a report with SAPD.

Suspect denies allegations

Detectives said they obtained surveillance videos and photos of Houston from several stores where the debit card was used. Investigators showed the pictures to supervisors at the nursing home, who identified Houston as the woman in those photos.

In an interview with police, Houston admitted that she was the person in the surveillance photos.

However, she denied using the victim’s debit card. According to the affidavit, Houston told police that the card she used was a “gift card” she found on the floor at the nursing home.

Houston bonded out of jail just after 10 p.m. Tuesday, according to jail records. She is expected to make her next court appearance on Aug. 24.

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SAPD: Nursing assistant accused of exploiting 79-year-old woman at nursing home with Alzheimer’s

Riviera Beach man accused of exploiting grandma with severe dementia to control finances

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000

by Grace Bellinghausen

Police say a Riviera Beach man quietly took control of his grandmother’s home, finances, and care by exploiting her worsening dementia. (Palm Beach County Jail, Getty Images)

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Police say a Riviera Beach man quietly took control of his grandmother’s home, finances, and care by exploiting her worsening dementia.

According to a Riviera Beach Police Department probable cause affidavit, the investigation began on February 5 after a family member reported concerns that her 71-year-old mother was being taken advantage of by her grandson, 52-year-old Roderick Mitchell.

The family member told police she had served as her mother’s power of attorney since 2006, after severe dementia left the woman unable to make major decisions.

But in 2025, she said Mitchell transferred power of attorney to himself and executed a quitclaim deed on his grandmother’s home without her knowledge.

The victim alleged Mitchell, who lived in the home, prevented family members from checking on her welfare and at times threatened to burn the house down. The allegations were referred to the Florida Department of Children and Families, which opened an elder abuse investigation.

DCF investigators determined the woman was a vulnerable adult with severe dementia, diabetes, and mobility issues requiring a walker. The report stated Mitchell acted as her caregiver but was not acting in her best interest, raising concerns about missed insulin care, alcohol use, and aggressive behavior when intoxicated.

Mitchell reportedly acknowledged to investigators that he drank alcohol and did not personally administer insulin, instead relying on others for injections. He also admitted making decisions regarding power of attorney and property without consulting the victim or family members, claiming he was protecting the home.

A doctor who had treated her since 2018 reported progressive cognitive decline and stated in a 2025 letter that she required round-the-clock care and could not manage her finances, according to documents obtained by police.

Investigators also alleged Mitchell filed a second fraudulent quitclaim deed in April 2026 listing a suspicious address tied to a junkyard. Authorities said he later invoked his right to an attorney during questioning.

Detectives ultimately charged Mitchell with multiple felonies, including exploitation of an elderly person, fraudulent use of personal identification, grand theft over $50,000, and filing false documents involving real property.

On Saturday, officers located Mitchell in Riviera Beach and arrested him without incident. He was booked and later transferred to the Palm Beach County Jail.

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Riviera Beach man accused of exploiting grandma with severe dementia to control finances

Missouri woman accused of exploiting elderly person out of nearly $22K

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 05:30:00 +0000

by: Nikki Nguyen

WARRENTON, Mo. – A Warren County woman faces felony charges after investigators say she exploited an elderly person out of tens of thousands of dollars while serving as the victim’s power of attorney.

Special investigators with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services allege that Johnnie M. Barry used the victim’s funds for her own personal benefit between July 2022 and August 2025.

According to a probable cause statement, Barry deposited 25 unauthorized checks from the victim’s bank accounts into her personal Chase Bank account, totaling $4,726. Investigators said she used an additional $17,211.18 from the victim’s accounts to pay her own expenses, bringing the total alleged loss to $21,937.18.

In addition, Barry failed to pay the victim’s mortgage, credit card bills, and homeowners’ association dues, placing the victim at risk of foreclosure, investigators said. She’s also accused of submitting mortgage modification documents in March 2026 after her power of attorney had been revoked and signed documents on the victim’s behalf without authorization.

The victim told investigators they did not sign the checks and could not do so following multiple strokes.

The Warren County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Barry with financial exploitation of an elderly/disabled person and forgery. Barry remains jailed without bond. She has a confined docket hearing scheduled for Tuesday, June 2.

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Missouri woman accused of exploiting elderly person out of nearly $22K

Liz Lazarus Releases New Psychological Thriller Raising Awareness of Guardianship Abuse

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0000

News Provided By

BookTrib

May 28, 2026, 14:15 GMT

Inspired by Real Events, "Dawn Before Darkness" Arrives May 26

After a ten-year ordeal regarding guardianship of my mom, I saw firsthand how broken the system can be. It’s important for families to know that this kind of thing can — and does — happen.”

— Liz Lazarus

ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, May 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As conversations around elder care, conservatorships and guardianship abuse continue to grow nationwide, author Liz Lazarus is using fiction to shine a light on a frightening reality many families never see coming.

In her latest psychological thriller, "Dawn Before Darkness," published this week, Lazarus connects a suspenseful stalking plot with a real-world issue affecting aging families: the risk that guardianship and conservatorship proceedings can become a legal battleground.

Published by Mitchell Cove Publishing, the novel follows Dawn Smith, a veterinary technician in rural South Carolina, who ends a relationship after discovering her new boyfriend has lied to her. When he begins stalking and harassing her in increasingly invasive ways, Dawn seeks legal protection. But the threat soon expands beyond her own safety when he uses the guardianship and conservatorship system to target Dawn’s vulnerable mother, forcing Dawn into a fight for control over her mother’s wellbeing. The result is a thriller rooted not only in psychological tension, but in the terrifying plausibility of institutional manipulation.

The novel was inspired in part by Lazarus’ own prolonged legal battle involving guardianship of her mother.

“We’ve all heard heart-wrenching stories about the court system taking children away from their parents, presumably because the adults were unfit in some way,” Lazarus said. “What I didn’t understand is that it’s also possible for the system to take the oversight of aging parents away from their adult children.”

Lazarus said her own experience revealed how difficult these cases can be for families.

“After a ten-year ordeal regarding guardianship of my mom, I saw firsthand how broken the system can be,” Lazarus said. “It’s important for families to know that this kind of thing can — and does — happen.”

While the novel is fiction, Lazarus uses the thriller form to explore issues around elder care, legal vulnerability, manipulation, stalking and the emotional cost of trying to protect a loved one when institutions built to protect the vulnerable fail.

In addition to drawing from her own guardianship battle, Lazarus interviewed women who survived stalking and harassment in order to build the psychological profile of the novel’s antagonist. “I wanted to fictionalize stories that showed how helpless victims felt and how little could be done to really protect them,” she said. “Dozens of volunteers came forward. I ended up interviewing ten women and combined their accounts to create my super villain.”

Lazarus balances the novel’s themes with emotionally grounded relationships and vivid details from veterinary medicine, another major element of the story. The novel’s clinic scenes, involving neglected pets, emergency procedures and “compassion fatigue,” grew out of conversations with real veterinary technicians. “These professionals make difficult decisions every day. Animals are mirrors of our own humanity, and in the novel, Dawn’s decisions at work reflect her overall struggle, trying to do the right thing, but coming up against limitations of what she can and cannot do for the animals under her care.”

Early reviews have noted the novel’s blend of suspense and social relevance. Midwest Book Review called "Dawn Before Darkness" an “immersive thriller” that is “replete with action, discovery, challenge, and tests of one woman’s strengths and convictions.” Rick Black, Founder of CLEAR, Center for Estate Administration Reform, praised Lazarus’ “accurate depiction of how easily the elderly can be trapped and how helpless their family can feel as they fight to protect a loved one.”

Terry Shepherd, author of The Jessica Ramirez Thrillers and host of In Conversation with Terry Shepherd, described the novel as depicting “a bureaucratic nightmare,” in which “the antagonist does not strike with fists but with filings, motions, and insinuations,” adding that the novel is “chilling precisely because it is so plausible.”

"Dawn Before Darkness" is Lazarus’ fourth novel, following "Free of Malice," "Plea for Justice" and "Shades of Silence." Her novels feature intelligent female protagonists confronting legal and emotional danger while navigating timely social issues.

"Dawn Before Darkness" is available beginning May 26, 2026. Learn more at www.lizlazarus.com.

ABOUT LIZ LAZARUS
Liz Lazarus writes fast-paced psychological thrillers featuring intelligent female protagonists confronting legal and emotional danger. She graduated from Georgia Tech with an engineering degree and earned an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. She has worked as an executive at General Electric’s Healthcare division, as Managing Director at a consulting firm and as Head of Operations for a healthcare start-up. She was raised in Georgia and now splits her time between Atlanta, Georgia and Bozeman, Montana.

MEDIA CONTACT
kimfromla (at) earthlink (dot) net
www.kimfromla.com
323-655-6023

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Liz Lazarus Releases New Psychological Thriller Raising Awareness of Guardianship Abuse

Suspended Jefferson County probate judge accused of election interference in new lawsuit

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Story by Joseph D. Bryant

A candidate who lost when she ran for the State Legislature is accusing embattled Jefferson County Probate Judge Yashiba Blanchard of impropriety during the recent election and wants a circuit court clerk to intervene.

Mara Ruffin Blackmon, who ran for House District 57, said issues warrant “immediate investigation and preservation of records to protect voter confidence and the integrity of the electoral process,” according to her complaint filed this week in the Bessemer Circuit Court.

Blackmon in her May 22 court filing, contends that Blanchard’s association with Rep. Patrick Sellers, whom Ruffin challenged in the Democratic primary, created a conflict that prevented her from being fair.

Sellers, a Democrat from Pleasant Grove, defeated Blackmon with 61.14% to 32.79% to win a second term.

“The lawsuit is frivolous,” Sellers told AL.com Wednesday. “There was a very expressive and declarative win. We need to get back to business as usual.”

AL.com’s efforts to reach Blackmon and Blanchard were unsuccessful this afternoon.

Blackmon’s complaint lists Blanchard and Sellers by name as defendants along with unnamed election chief inspectors.

The filing is the latest controversy connected to Blanchard, and was lodged just a day after Blanchard was suspended from the bench following a 120-page state complaint that accuses her of several infractions, including bullying and other misconduct.

The probate judge is also the chief elections official in Jefferson County.

“Plaintiff alleges that Judge Yashiba Blanchard maintained a relationship with Defendant Patrick Sellers that raises concern regarding impartial election administration,” Blackmon writes.

For example, Blackmon notes that Judge Blanchard has hired two of Sellers’ sisters to her staff, including Deputy Probate Judge Jacqueline Knox, who leads the Bessemer office.

“Plaintiff alleges that these overlapping relationships are relevant to concerns regarding: impartial election administration, poll worker supervision, staffing assignments, election management and public confidence in the neutrality of election operations,” the complaint reads.

Specifically, Blackmon alleges that Blanchard invited her to dinner in January where she offered to pay Blackmon’s campaign expenses if she withdrew from the race against Sellers.

Blackmon also challenges the appropriateness of using Sellers’ church in Birmingham as a polling place, along with alleged impropriety at other sites in Birmingham and Midfield.

“Plaintiff further alleges that individuals serving as poll watchers or otherwise associated with polling activities escort voters into precincts and transported ballots to vehicles outside polling locations,” Blackmon says in her complaint.

Blanchard has been sidelined from her public duties following the state report alleging numerous violations of judicial conduct unrelated to Blackmon’s lawsuit.

While not directly related, Blackmon, in her complaint, said the state investigation should “raise additional public confidence concerns regarding election administration, impartiality, oversight and procedural integrity.”

Full Article & Source:
Suspended Jefferson County probate judge accused of election interference in new lawsuit

Glamorous judge accused of bullying, intimidation and delaying cases so she could take her DOGS for a walk

Woman accused of shooting two attorneys failed in caring for elderly mother, court documents show

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Sun, 31 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Newly uncovered court documents reveal that prior to her arrest for shooting two lawyers outside a courthouse, Gwendolyn White was stripped of her mother's guardianship following multiple county investigations into caretaker neglect.

By Shaun Gallagher, WRAL reporter

Shortly before being arrested for allegedly shooting two lawyers outside of the courthouse, Gwendolyn White expressed the reason she continued her legal fight during a hearing over the release of body camera footage.

“My job right here is to get justice for her, whether you like me or not,” White can be heard during an audio recording of that hearing.

The court case had nothing to do with White’s mother. It was part of an ongoing legal battle with Rolesville Police Department over body camera footage from an incident near White’s home in 2021.

But White’s mother, Elleen, is a heavy focus of her online footprint. Specifically, her concerns that her mother’s death was caused by improper care.

But newly discovered court documents show the County believed Gwendolyn White was the one failing her mother.

Wake County Health and Human Services (WCHHS) filed a case in 2024 to find a third-party guardian for Elleen White. It cites a specific incident the month before.

Gwendolyn White dropped her mother off at the hospital in October 2024 for an issue. Nine days later, it was resolved and she was ready to be discharged but says White, “was unwilling to allow [Elleen] to come home and unwilling to work with the hospital on other discharge options.” The document continues saying, “Gwendolyn White was either unwilling or unable to agree to placement options."

Gwendolyn White’s interactions with other facilities prevented other locations from taking in Elleen according to the court documents.

“No skilled nursing facility is currently willing to accept [Elleen] as a resident due to Gwen's documented behavior and disruption in [Elleen's] care," the document reads.

This was the fourth time WCHHS was contacted in a year and a half over, “concerns about caretaker neglect and the fitness of the caretaker to continue serving in that role,” according to court documents.

Gwendolyn White has a well-documented social media presence, claiming her mother’s death was due to poor care, including an online fundraiser calling for justice for elder abuse and neglect. It’s a fundraiser that had raised roughly $440 before last week’s shooting. It’s ballooned to over $6,000 as of Friday afternoon.

The fundraiser reads, “The Daughter has never neglected her mother period in 39 years and wouldn’t.”

However, the county court's decision indicates it disagrees with White’s sentiment.

It assigned a third-party guardian to Elleen White’s care, saying, “Elleen White is at imminent risk of harm given her daughter’s refusal to permit mother’s discharge or participate in good faith in planning said discharge.”

White’s mental health in a criminal case was also cited in these court documents related to her mother’s care.

A court order was entered on May 3, 2024, “finding Gwen was not capable of proceeding to trial” in a misdemeanor stalking case. The court ordered White to participate in the Community Based Restoration Program at Elwyn Health Resources for examination and treatment until necessary to help White gain capacity to proceed if possible.

It’s a ruling White disagreed with, saying her son lied about her mental health and that “false information was entered into her medical record,” which she was trying to have removed.

Full Article & Source:
Woman accused of shooting two attorneys failed in caring for elderly mother, court documents show

Man from California convicted of trying to scam a 92-year-old woman in Pelham

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Sun, 31 May 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Source:
Man from California convicted of trying to scam a 92-year-old woman in Pelham

Long-Term Care Pharmacy Crisis Hits Nursing Homes

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Sat, 30 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000

By Lee Pruitt

Takeaways

Long-term care (LTC) pharmacies — not retail drugstores — are essential to medication safety in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
Medicare drug price changes took effect January 1, 2026, cutting key LTC pharmacy reimbursements. Without a fix, pharmacies may cut staff and services or close, raising risks for residents.
A bipartisan bill was introduced in 2025, but as of spring 2026 it’s still stalled.

When Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, part of the goal was to lower prescription drug costs for Medicare patients. For millions of seniors in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, though, a little-noticed side effect of that law is starting to hinder their access to those drugs.

The Pharmacies You Haven’t Heard Of

Long-term care (LTC) pharmacies are specialized pharmacies that have no walk-in customers or front-of-store merchandise. Their sole purpose is to serve the roughly 2 million Americans who live in nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, and hospices.

They do far more than fill prescriptions. The typical nursing home resident takes an average of 13 medications. Organizing and administering them safely requires support that goes well beyond what a retail drugstore provides.

LTC pharmacies specially package medications to prevent errors, conduct monthly reviews of each resident’s full medication regimen, and maintain emergency kits and after-hours coverage. They also coordinate medication management when residents transfer in from hospitals — a critical step, since errors during those transitions are a common cause of avoidable hospital readmissions.

These critical services come at a cost. Dispensing medications to LTC residents is costlier than dispensing to retail customers, due to the specialized packaging, regulatory requirements, frequent deliveries, and mandatory 24/7 staffing. Unlike retail pharmacies, which can offset thin prescription margins with sales of snacks, greeting cards, and cosmetics, LTC pharmacies have no such cushion. Their revenue largely comes from Medicare Part D prescription reimbursements — making them uniquely vulnerable to changes in how Medicare pays for drugs.

Why LTC Pharmacies Are Essential

The people that LTC pharmacies serve are often among the most medically complex patients in the health care system. Nursing home residents commonly live with combinations of dementia, heart disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory illness, and other serious conditions. Many are physically unable to travel to a pharmacy, unable to manage their own medications, or both. For these individuals, an LTC pharmacy is essential to their daily care.

LTC pharmacies also play an important role for people with disabilities who live in long-term care settings but are not elderly. These residents may have complex medication regimens stemming from physical or neurological conditions and rely on the same specialized services.

The safety implications are substantial. Medication errors are among the most common and serious adverse events in long-term care settings. Having a dedicated pharmacist review each resident’s monthly medication list and be available around the clock for consultations provides an important safeguard against potentially dangerous mistakes. When LTC pharmacies function well, they help keep people healthier, prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, and improve quality of life for vulnerable patients.

LTC pharmacies also provide support to the nurses and aides working in these facilities. Facility staff rely on LTC pharmacies to supply medication carts, maintain emergency kits, manage complex delivery schedules, and handle the administrative burden of prescription management. Without LTC pharmacies, the workload on already-stretched staff would increase substantially.

The Inflation Reduction Act and an Unintended Consequence

The Inflation Reduction Act gave Medicare the authority, for the first time in the program’s history, to negotiate prices directly with pharmaceutical manufacturers for certain high-cost drugs. The resulting “maximum fair prices” took effect on January 1, 2026, and are estimated to reduce costs for selected drugs by roughly 38 percent to 79 percent. For Medicare patients who take those medications, that’s a genuine benefit.

For LTC pharmacies, however, it is a financial gut punch. The problem lies in how their business model works. LTC pharmacies have long relied on the margins from brand-name drug reimbursements to cross-subsidize the losses they routinely take on generic drugs, where reimbursement rates are notoriously thin.

Eight of the 10 drugs selected for the first round of Medicare price negotiations are brand-name medications heavily prescribed to nursing home residents. When the reimbursement rates for those drugs dropped sharply on January 1, 2026, LTC pharmacies lost part of the financial cushion that kept them viable — with no offsetting compensation for the specialized, federally mandated services they provide on top of dispensing the drugs.

The Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC), the leading advocacy group for LTC pharmacies, estimated that the financial hit would be unsustainable. Without a way to make up for the lost revenue, 60 percent of its member pharmacies would be forced to close locations, 90 percent would lay off staff, and 80 percent would have to reduce services and increase fees.

A separate analysis found that pharmacy closures could ultimately cost taxpayers up to $4.8 billion in increased health care costs over the next decade, as nursing home residents lose access to the medication management services that help keep them out of the hospital.

The Bill That Wasn’t Passed in Time

In August 2025, a bipartisan group of House members introduced the Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act. Lead sponsors — Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Brad Schneider (D-IL) — proposed a targeted fix: a temporary $30 supply fee paid to LTC pharmacies for each prescription dispensed under the new Medicare negotiated prices in 2026, with a slightly higher inflation-adjusted fee in 2027. The bill would also require a federal study on the long-term sustainability of LTC pharmacy reimbursement under Medicare. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) in November 2025.

Major provider and pharmacy groups endorsed the legislation and urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to act. These efforts have not yet yielded a solution.

The Crisis Is Here

January 2026 arrived without a fix in place, and the consequences have unfolded as predicted. “We are witnessing the collapse of America’s long-term care pharmacy infrastructure in real time,” the SCPC has stated. “These aren’t projections — these are decisions LTC pharmacies are making right now because small and mid-size LTC pharmacies cannot survive under the current reimbursement structure.”

Both the House and Senate versions of the bill remain in committee as of spring 2026, with no floor vote scheduled. Advocates are still pushing for passage. However, the bill would now need amending to make any relief retroactive to January 1. Staff layoffs have already begun at pharmacies nationwide, and service reductions are expected to follow.

The painful irony is that the people most harmed by this situation — long-term care facility residents who depend on LTC pharmacies for safe, reliable access to the medications that keep them healthy — are among the Medicare patients who were supposed to be helped by the Inflation Reduction Act.

Lowering drug prices is only part of the equation. Getting that drug safely into the hands of someone who can’t drive to a pharmacy, can’t manage their own medications, and can’t wait until morning is a challenge that requires its own infrastructure. Congress created the rules that require that infrastructure to exist. So far, it has declined to ensure that it can survive.

Created date: 05/26/2026

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Long-Term Care Pharmacy Crisis Hits Nursing Homes

Elder Fraud Unit arrests NC woman for grand theft and money laundering

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Sat, 30 May 2026 05:30:00 +0000

May 22, 2026

Case #: 2026-001198

A Charlotte, North Carolina, woman was arrested this week for her alleged role in scamming a 66-year-old Bradenton man out of at least $100,000.

May 18, 2026, Elder Fraud Detective Jim Curulla, with assistance from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, arrested Elizabeth Ann Hildbrand, 51, on charges of Grand Theft and Money Laundering. Hildbrand is awaiting extradition to Manatee County.

The victim filed a fraud report with BPD in February 2026. He reported investing approximately $300,000 over two years with an online company called "Tesla 1." The victim realized he'd been scammed after attempting to withdraw money from his "Tesla 1" investment account.

The victim reported communicating via text messages and the Telegram app with two individuals acting as "brokers," including Hildbrand. Financial records indicated the victim transferred a total of $87,651 through wire transfers and cashier's checks to bank accounts owned by Hildbrand. Additionally, the victim purchased Apple gift cards totaling $22,500 and provided the card numbers and PINs to the "brokers." He also mailed an undetermined amount of cash.

Subpoenas for Hildbrand's financial records indicated she deposited much of the victim's money into her accounts and subsequently made numerous cryptocurrency transactions.

Following her arrest, Hildbrand agreed to speak with Detective Curulla. She stated she believed she was romantically involved with "Elon Musk" and agreed to help the billionaire purchase cryptocurrency. Hildbrand said she later realized she had become the victim of a romance scam; however, investigators determined she continued to accept money from the Bradenton victim and transfer the funds into cryptocurrency.

The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report shows that Cyber-related crimes cost Americans nearly $21 billion last year. Actual losses are likely significantly higher because many scams go unreported. Investment scams and romance scams ranked among the top five most commonly reported and costliest online scams.

In 2025, cases investigated by BPD's Elder Fraud Unit accounted for approximately $8 million in reported losses. So far this year, the unit has investigated losses of at least $750,000 (as of May 1, 2026).

For information on the Bradenton Police Department Elder Fraud Unit, as well as resources to protect yourself against common scams, visit Bradentonpd.com/Elder-Fraud-Unit.

Source:
Elder Fraud Unit arrests NC woman for grand theft and money laundering

VFW Applauds Federal Court Ruling Against Veterans Guardian

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Fri, 29 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Federal judge confirms VFW’s long-held position that unaccredited claims companies are unlawfully profiting from veterans

May 26, 2026

WASHINGTON – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) welcomed a major federal court ruling in North Carolina finding that claims consulting company Veterans Guardian violated federal law by preparing and presenting veterans’ disability claims to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) while charging fees and operating without VA accreditation.

In its order, the court stated, “The evidence is undisputed that Guardian is not accredited, that on behalf of veterans it prepares claims forms, that in those forms it presents disability claims for decision by the VA, and that it charges fees for doing so. These actions violate federal law.”

“This is one of the clearest judicial statements we have seen confirming that these companies are acting unlawfully,” said VFW General Counsel John Muckelbauer. “For years, the VFW has argued that unaccredited claims companies cannot avoid federal law simply by calling themselves ‘consultants’ or ‘coaches.’ The court looked beyond the marketing language and focused on the conduct itself.”

The ruling directly rejects the industry’s long-standing argument that fee-charging claims companies operate outside the VA accreditation system because they are not technically representing veterans as “agents.” Instead, the court determined the company’s activities constituted claims representation under existing federal law.

The decision also reinforces the VFW's long-standing position that current federal statutes already prohibit unaccredited entities from charging veterans for assistance with disability claims preparation and submission.

According to materials filed in the certified class action, plaintiffs alleged Veterans Guardian collected more than $250 million from veterans during the class period, underscoring the scale of the issue nationwide.

“This decision should serve as a wake-up call,” said Muckelbauer. “The court made clear these facts were ‘undisputed.’ That matters. It demonstrates that the law is not unclear or outdated, as the industry has repeatedly claimed. Veterans deserve qualified, accredited representation — not companies exploiting loopholes and charging illegal fees.”

The VFW calls on Congress and the VA to use the ruling as a basis for stronger enforcement actions against unaccredited claims actors and to continue opposing state-level efforts aimed at legitimizing fee-charging companies operating outside the VA accreditation framework.

The VFW remains committed to protecting veterans from predatory practices and ensuring they receive free, accredited assistance when navigating the VA claims process.

Read the full federal court decision.

Full Article & Source:
VFW Applauds Federal Court Ruling Against Veterans Guardian

Toronto woman found guilty of manslaughter of elderly mother in elder abuse case

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Fri, 29 May 2026 05:30:00 +0000

A Toronto woman has been found guilty of failing to provide the necessaries of life, criminal negligence for days on end, causing death and manslaughter in relation to the death of Vasiliki Atanasovski – her elderly mother.

It's a disturbing case of elder abuse that Eva Samonas still denies.

Global News crime specialist Catherine McDonald reports.

Source:
Toronto woman found guilty of manslaughter of elderly mother in elder abuse case

Widow defends wrongful-death claim against Iowa nursing home

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Thu, 28 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000

by Clark Kauffman

New allegations of wrongdoing have emerged in the latest wrongful death lawsuit involving a Pleasant Hill nursing home.

Court records indicate Parkridge Specialty Care of Pleasant Hill has been sued three times in recent years for wrongful death. The most recent case, filed in August 2025 by the estate of Maris Bergis, seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from the home’s corporate owner, Care Initiatives of West Des Moines, for alleged dependent adult abuse, recklessness, negligence and wrongful death.

The lawsuit alleges Parkridge “negligently cared for Bergis and violated numerous regulations, laws, rights, and industry standards, causing (him) personal injury, illness, harm, and a decline in health.”

According to the lawsuit, Bergis was admitted to Parkridge on Sept. 1, 2023, for what was initially planned to be a 48-hour stay following his hospitalization for pneumonia. Upon admission, he was allegedly alert, awake and oriented, and Parkridge was tasked with providing physician-prescribed breathing treatments and monitoring him for difficulty with breathing and any signs of anxiety, confusion or restlessness.

During the course of Bergis’ stay at Parkridge, the staff at the home allegedly failed to administer the breathing treatments. The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing subsequently cited Parkridge for its care of Bergis, finding that it had delayed providing necessary medical care and treatment.

While the lawsuit does not indicate when, where or how Bergis died, it claims the “gross negligence, and/or recklessness” of Care Initiatives and Parkridge “were the cause of Bergis’ decline in health, injuries, damages and untimely death.”

State inspection reports indicate Bergis was alive, but was increasingly nonresponsive, late in the afternoon on Sept. 4, 2023, which was three days after his admission to Parkridge. The inspection records indicate Bergis was sent to a hospital by ambulance at his spouse’s insistence, but they provide no information as to the hospital’s diagnosis or treatment outcome.

Widow: ‘Staff frequently failed to respond’

In recent case filings, Bergis’ widow, Leila Bergis, recounted in a sworn affidavit her version of what transpired at Parkridge during her husband’s stay at the facility.

“When he arrived at Parkridge, he was not in a diaper,” she stated. “However, he called to go to the restroom once, and they did not come quickly enough, so he urinated in his pants. After that, they put him in a diaper – not because he was incontinent, but because they were not attending to his calls for assistance to use the bathroom … On multiple occasions, Maris and I used the call light to request assistance. Staff frequently failed to respond in a timely manner. Many times, staff took more than fifteen minutes and up to at least 30 minutes to respond.

“On one occasion, I arrived at Parkridge and found Maris in bed with his clothing soaked in urine. I called for staff to assist him. Although staff changed his undergarments, they did not bathe him or otherwise clean him… After Maris’ stay, while cleaning out his room, my daughters and granddaughter discovered a pair of his sweatpants in a dresser drawer that were soaked with urine.”

In her affidavit, Leila Bergis described the physician-ordered breathing treatments her husband was to receive while at Parkridge.

“The Parkridge staff did not set up Maris’ breathing treatment equipment or have the albuterol — the medication — in his room,” she alleged. “The equipment sat unplugged underneath the TV. Because of this, Parkridge did not give Maris the breathing treatments that were ordered by his physician. Even if I wanted to help give him a breathing treatment while he was at Parkridge, I couldn’t. This is because Parkridge did not have any albuterol in the room.”

Attorney: ‘They stripped Maris of his dignity’

She said that one day she arrived at the facility and found her husband “partially out of his bed and struggling to breathe. I demanded he be taken by ambulance to the hospital. When the paramedics arrived, Maris was barely breathing. At that time, a nurse attempted to cover up Parkridge’s neglect by administering a breathing treatment as if it was part of their routine care. This was the first and only time Parkridge ever attempted to provide him with a breathing treatment.

“When Maris arrived on September 1, 2023, his prognosis was to come home. However, in about three days, Parkridge treated him so poorly and neglected him so badly — by letting him soak in his own urine and failing to give him prescribed treatment — that we had to rush him out of Parkridge by ambulance to the hospital.”

Care Initiatives has denied any wrongdoing, and is seeking to have the case dismissed due to the plaintiffs’ failure to file a certificate of merit signed by an expert witness who can attest to Parkridge’s alleged failure to meet the standard of care expected of the home.

In response to that argument, the Bergis family’s attorney, Matthew M. Sahag, has filed a brief with the court arguing that Care Initiatives is claiming “you need an expert to say it’s wrong to strip a man of his dignity – leaving him to sit in his own urine while he struggled to breathe. The Iowa Supreme Court says otherwise. So does common sense … They stripped Maris of his dignity and now ask this court to believe that ordinary Iowans cannot understand that.”

The court has yet to rule on the motion to dismiss the case, and a trial in the matter remains scheduled for Oct. 4, 2027.

Two other wrongful-death claims

In recent years, two other families have sued Parkridge and Care Initiatives, alleging wrongful death:

In August 2024, the family of the late Kerry Morris sued, alleging that Morris died at age 58, one week after being admitted to Parkridge for what was supposed to be a temporary stay to assist with recovery from a leg amputation. The lawsuit claims that on the evening of Aug. 23, 2022, two nurses failed to respond to a certified nurse aide’s request that they come to the assistance of Morris, who was in respiratory distress at the time.

In March 2025, with Care Initiatives attempting to force the matter into arbitration, the parties reached a settlement in the case and the lawsuit was dismissed with no public disclosure of the terms of the deal.

In June 2024, the family of Neuang Boun Sisamouth sued Parkridge and Care Initiatives, alleging that on June 20, 2022, the staff at Parkridge failed to respond to her deteriorating condition, despite dangerously low blood sugar levels. Licensed Practical Nurse Dezaree Major failed to call 911 as ordered, and there was a 90-minute delay in transporting Sisamouth to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later, the lawsuit claims. A trial is scheduled for March 29, 2027.

In 2022, the Iowa Board of Nursing alleged Major was working at an unspecified Iowa nursing home in 2021 where, for five months, she falsified various medical records and performed nursing services beyond the scope of her license.

Full Article & Source:
Widow defends wrongful-death claim against Iowa nursing home

State reduces fine for nursing home charged with ‘life-threatening’ injuries

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Thu, 28 May 2026 05:30:00 +0000

by Clark Kauffman

The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing oversees nursing homes in the state of Iowa. (Photo via Getty Images; logo courtesy of the State of Iowa)

State regulators have reduced the fine imposed against a Des Moines care facility after mistakenly tripling the penalty due to a previous regulatory violation.

The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing has cited Scottish Rite Park Health Care Center, a Des Moines nursing home located on Woodland Avenue, for failing to safely transfer a resident into her bed while using a mechanical lift.

According to the state inspectors, that failure resulted in “severe harm” to the resident, who on April 29 fell from the lift “and sustained life-threatening injuries,” including a subdermal hemorrhage, which is a surface-brain bleed; a subarachnoid hemorrhage, which is an inner-brain bleed; a broken neck bone; a broken collarbone; and a broken thigh bone in one leg.

The inspectors’ written report indicates the resident was taken by ambulance to a hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit for consultation with a neurosurgeon.

One employee of the nursing home reportedly told inspectors she didn’t examine or check the lift straps or hoops on the mechanical lift to ensure they were securely attached before attempting to transfer the resident. She allegedly said that when the woman fell, she struck the floor with her face.

As a result of the incident, the inspections department initially assessed a $7,750 fine and then tripled that to $23,250 due to it being the second resident-safety citation in the past 12 months.

However, state records show the facility had last been cited for a resident-safety violation in January 2025, which was 15 months before the April 29, 2026, incident — outside the 12-month window for tripling the fine.

Last week, after the Iowa Capital Dispatch asked DIAL whether a separate resident-safety violation had been cited in the past year but not publicly disclosed, the department checked its records and reversed course on the tripling of the 2026 penalty, bringing it back down to $7,750.

DIAL’s records show the January 2025 penalty against Scottish Rite Park was itself a tripled fine due to the repeat nature of the violation. Originally, Scottish Rite was to be penalized $5,000 for injuries sustained by a resident who fell and fractured an ankle while being the staff was transferring her to a recliner.

Because the home had been cited in July 2024 for a similar safety violation involving a resident transfer, the January 2025 penalty was then tripled from $5,000 to $15,000.

Full Article & Source:
State reduces fine for nursing home charged with ‘life-threatening’ injuries

Glamorous judge accused of bullying, intimidation and delaying cases so she could take her DOGS for a walk

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Wed, 27 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000

By ELIOT FORCE

An Alabama judge has been suspended after she was accused of significant misconduct and abuses of power which allegedly included delaying cases so she could take her dogs for walks.

Probate Judge Yashiba Blanchard was named in a 120-page complaint filed last week by Alabama's Judicial Inquiry Commission, a body that investigates allegations of misconduct by state judges.

The filing claims that Blanchard intimidated attorneys and retaliated against staff at Jefferson County Probate Court, including one clerk who allegedly missed the chance to say goodbye to her dying sister after she was reassigned to a new court following a disagreement with the judge.

Blanchard, 52, was elected to her position in 2024 and took the bench in January 2025. She presides over time-sensitive cases including adoptions, conservatorships, guardianships, involuntary commitments, trusts, wills and estates.

However, the complaint accuses her of regularly being late, delaying and rescheduling cases and generally failing to perform her duties in a timely manner.

On one occasion she allegedly left a patient languishing in hospital and separated from loved ones around Thanksgiving after postponing a hearing on her release.

The complaint states the patient was eventually discharged in time for the holiday after the hospital begged Blanchard for help.

The lengthy complaint detailed dozens of specific examples of alleged misconduct. It claimed that she was 'sometimes 30-45 minutes late' to hear dockets, in one case telling her staff that she was late 'because she had three dogs to walk.'

'On at least one occasion [Blanchard was] over an hour late, wherein the patients, social workers, psychiatrists, and patients' families were forced to wait on Judge Blanchard, wasting valuable time and resources,' the complaint stated.

She was accused of abruptly delaying hearings for weeks, which had real negative consequences for patients in hospitals seeking to be discharged.

In one case detailed in the complaint, a patient who was the subject of an involuntary commitment hearing originally scheduled for November 18 had her hearing suddenly rescheduled to December 2.

The hospital emailed Blanchard and her staff three times requesting the hearing be expedited so that the patient could be discharged in time to be home for Thanksgiving and avoid 'undue emotional distress,' per the complaint.

'With the cancellation and the rescheduling of her hearing to December 2, this patient will now remain hospitalized for an additional two weeks solely due to the lack of timely access to the hearing process,' the hospital wrote in its second email.

'This not only prevents her from being home with her family for Thanksgiving, but it also generates unnecessary hospitalization costs and creates avoidable emotional distress for the patient and her loved ones.'

Blanchard finally held the hearing and discharged the patient on November 20 after the hospital sent a third email explaining that the patient was lying in bed crying, according to the filing.

The complaint also listed 33 specific cases regarding estates, conservatorships and guardianships that have been pending for up to more than a year since they were filed, despite some of them being 'routine and brief in nature.'

Additionally, the complaint stated that Blanchard had 'a pattern and practice of bullying and retaliation against probate court staff' from her first day as probate judge and would reassign staff as a form of retaliation.

The complaint states that the judge, who is black, had made racially charged remarks about white chief clerk Amanda Reid.

Blanchard allegedly asked a staffer if they liked Reid, to which the employee replied that they did and 'had no issues with her.'

Judge Blanchard then said, "Oh, I forgot you all like kissing white ass,"' the complaint said.

The judge also allegedly regularly reassigned staff from the Birmingham courthouse to one in Bessemer that had a significantly lower caseload and had no legitimate need for additional staff.

The complaint alleges the transfer were retaliatory as 'there were more than four times the number of open cases in the Birmingham Division versus the Bessemer Division.'

When staff requested to be transferred back to Birmingham, Blanchard ignored them or otherwise showed indifference, the complaint said.

In one case, a clerk asked to return to Birmingham and said her reassignment added 40 minutes to her commute and made it more difficult to visit her sister who was dying from cancer.

Blanchard never responded according to the complaint and 'shortly thereafter, the clerk’s sister died,' according to the filing.

The clerk was allegedly unable to make it to the hospital in time to say goodbye because she was 'stuck in traffic driving to the hospital from Bessemer.'

The judge is also accused of bullying attorneys by removing them as conservators, holding them in contempt without legitimate reasons and filing unfounded state bar complaints and baseless police reports.

She allegedly removed attorney Ripon Britton from the law firm Hand Arendall Harrison Sale as conservator simply because she 'did not trust him,' according to the filing.

Blanchard has until June 25 to officially respond to the complaint which is not an indication of any guilt, after which the Court of the Judiciary will determine whether to remove her from office, suspend her without pay or censure her.

The Alabama's Judicial Inquiry Commission said: 'The Commission cannot provide any information of any kind to anyone who contacts the Commission about a pending or prior complaint or investigation.'

The Daily Mail has reached out to Blanchard and Jefferson County Probate Court for comment.

Full Article & Source:
Glamorous judge accused of bullying, intimidation and delaying cases so she could take her DOGS for a walk

Feigenholtz leads expansion of supported decision-making law

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Tue, 26 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Senator Sara Feigenholtz News

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois would soon join a growing list of states that have expanded alternatives to traditional guardianship to maximize independence, thanks to legislation passed by State Senator Sara Feigenholtz.

“The goal is to prioritize an individual’s autonomy in making personal decisions about their own life. Everyone has a right to self-determination when it comes to important life decisions,” said Feigenholtz (D-Chicago). “By expanding this model of support, we are providing people with more control over their own decision-making.”

A supported decision-making agreement allows an individual to identify a supporter to help them interpret information, weigh options, and communicate their decisions about health care, life choices, and financial matters. This unique model fosters confidence and supports people’s ability to make informed decisions while maintaining autonomy.

Traditional guardianship is more restrictive than a supported decision-making agreement in terms of the autonomy someone has over their finances, employment, housing and other life decisions. Many people do not need to enlist a traditional guardian prematurely but will instead benefit from their chosen decision-making assistant when making complex or weighty decisions.

To maximize opportunities for greater autonomy, Feigenholtz’s proposal would establish clear guidelines for implementing and overseeing supported decision-making, ensuring the law’s effective and safe application.

“Being able to make informed decisions about your own life is fundamental – yet many individuals, especially older adults and people with disabilities, have that fundamental right taken away through guardianship when less invasive alternatives exist,” said Feigenholtz. “With expanded supported decision-making, we are creating a new path: one of person-centered support that respects individual freedom.”

House Bill 5365 passed the Senate on Thursday.

Source:
Feigenholtz leads expansion of supported decision-making law

How Inheritance Thieves Get Away with It: From Secret Loans to Forged Wills, Estate Hijacking Is Rising

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Tue, 26 May 2026 05:30:00 +0000

by Amanda Blankenship

Few things destroy families faster than a fight over money after someone dies. Unfortunately, inheritance theft is becoming more common as aging Americans hold trillions of dollars in homes, retirement accounts, and investments. In some cases, the theft comes from total strangers using forged documents and fake wills. In many others, the people accused are relatives, caregivers, or trusted friends who quietly manipulate vulnerable seniors before anyone notices. Here are seven reasons more thieves are getting away with it these days.

1. Forged Wills Are Becoming More Sophisticated

One of the most shocking forms of inheritance theft involves forged wills that suddenly appear after someone dies. Probate experts have warned that fake wills are increasingly being used to redirect estates away from rightful heirs, especially when elderly individuals live alone or die without close oversight. Some fraudsters create simple documents naming themselves as beneficiaries and rely on overwhelmed probate systems to avoid scrutiny. Investigations overseas have already uncovered organized groups targeting estates through fraudulent paperwork and suspicious beneficiary claims. Family members often do not realize anything is wrong until property deeds, bank accounts, or retirement assets have already been transferred.

2. Secret Loans and “Caregiver Debt” Drain Estates Quietly

Another growing tactic involves secret loans or undocumented promises made shortly before death. A caregiver, friend, or relative may suddenly claim the deceased owed them thousands of dollars for housing, errands, or medical support. These claims sometimes appear with handwritten notes, suspicious repayment agreements, or unverifiable cash transactions. In many families, grieving relatives are so emotionally overwhelmed that they never question the paperwork. Once the estate starts paying out these alleged debts, recovering the money can become extremely difficult.

3. Power of Attorney Abuse Happens More Than People Realize

Power of attorney documents are designed to help seniors manage finances safely, but they can also become dangerous tools in the wrong hands. Financial exploitation cases frequently involve someone gaining control over an elderly person’s accounts and quietly moving money before death. According to federal lawmakers and financial regulators, elder financial exploitation includes the improper use of an older adult’s property, funds, or assets. In many reported cases, suspicious withdrawals, home transfers, or beneficiary changes happen while the senior is sick, isolated, or cognitively declining. Some families only discover the damage after reviewing bank statements months later.

4. Isolation Makes Seniors Easy Targets

Inheritance thieves often rely on isolation to succeed. An elderly parent who suddenly stops answering calls, cancels visits, or becomes dependent on one individual may already be under manipulation. Financial abuse experts say perpetrators commonly create emotional dependency before pushing for account access or estate changes. Adult children, romantic partners, neighbors, and caregivers are frequently accused because they already have trust and physical access to important documents. Once isolation takes hold, it becomes much easier to pressure someone into signing revised wills or transferring assets.5. Digital Probate Systems Have Created New Vulnerabilities

5. Digital Probate Systems Have Created New Vulnerabilities

Many probate systems have modernized and moved online, which has streamlined filings but also introduced new risks. Experts investigating inheritance fraud say reduced in-person verification and automated processing have made it easier for suspicious documents to slip through unnoticed. Fraudsters may submit altered paperwork electronically before family members even know probate has started. In some situations, heirs living in different states discover estate filings only after major decisions have already been approved. That delay can give thieves valuable time to liquidate assets or transfer property ownership.

6. Family Members Are Often the Biggest Threat

Many people assume inheritance theft is committed by strangers, but family members are often at the center of these disputes. Reports on elder abuse consistently show that relatives account for a large percentage of financial exploitation cases. Financial stress, rising housing costs, and expectations surrounding the “great wealth transfer” have intensified tensions within families. Some heirs begin treating a parent’s assets as future income long before death occurs. That mindset can lead to coercion, manipulation, or outright theft disguised as “helping.”

7. Victims Frequently Stay Silent Out of Shame

One reason estate hijacking keeps growing is that many victims never report it. Seniors may feel embarrassed, afraid of retaliation, or unwilling to accuse relatives publicly. Federal authorities say elder fraud losses continue climbing every year, with billions lost annually across the United States. Online discussions about inheritance disputes also reveal how difficult it can be for families to find legal help or law enforcement support once money disappears. By the time lawsuits begin, records may be missing, witnesses unavailable, and estates drained.Protecting an Estate Requires Action Before a Crisis

Protecting an Estate Requires Action Before a Crisis

The harsh reality is that inheritance theft often succeeds because families wait too long to prepare. Seniors should regularly update wills, use reputable estate attorneys, review beneficiaries carefully, and avoid giving unchecked financial control to one person without oversight. Families should also pay attention to sudden isolation, rushed legal changes, or unexplained financial activity involving aging relatives. Even small safeguards like dual oversight on accounts, secure document storage, and regular communication can reduce the risk dramatically. Inheritance thieves count on silence, confusion, and delayed action, which is exactly why early planning matters so much.

Full Article & Source:
How Inheritance Thieves Get Away with It: From Secret Loans to Forged Wills, Estate Hijacking Is Rising

Jefferson County judge suspended, complaint says she called herself “ultimate authority”

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Mon, 25 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Jefferson County probate judge accused of misconduct

By Morgan Hightower

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. — A judge in Jefferson County who reportedly told her staff she was the “ultimate authority” with “no boss” has been suspended following a 120-page complaint filed by the Judicial Inquiry Commission.

Probate Judge Yashiba Blanchard is out of the courtroom indefinitely and through this complaint, is formally accused of ethical and judicial misconduct.

Judge Elisabeth French, the presiding judge in Jefferson County, appointed retired Probate Judge Sherri Friday to serve temporarily in Blanchard’s place and appointed retired Judge Carole Smitherman to temporarily serve as Chief Election Official for Jefferson County.

The complaint lays out dozens of allegations against Blanchard that claim she ran the Probate Court in an incompetent and unprofessional manner, routinely targeting attorneys and staff, and manufacturing a backlog that created havoc in involuntary commitments.

The commission charges Blanchard with pattern and practice of failing to diligently discharge judicial duties, pattern and practice of failing to follow the law, pattern and practice of exhibiting bias against attorneys appearing in Blanchard’s court, failure to disqualify from a case in which Blanchard served as an attorney, harassment, intimidation, and retaliation against probate court staff, allowing other court officials subject to Blanchard’s direction and control to engage in harassment and intimidation of probate court staff, and failure to maintain professional competence in judicial administration.

Delays in involuntary commitment hearings

Blanchard did not hear an involuntary commitment hearing until September, nine months into her term, according to the complaint. She is accused of frequently being late to court, imposing strict docket limits, canceling hearings hours before they were supposed to begin, including one involving a “respondent who was to be discharged from inpatient care and sent home.”

In that case, the hospital emailed Blanchard and her staff multiple times, requesting a hearing to prevent “avoidable undue and emotional distress for the patient.”

In one email, the hospital said, “With the cancellation and the rescheduling of her hearing to December 2, this patient will now remain hospitalized for an additional two weeks solely due to the lack of timely access to the hearing process. This not only prevents her from being home with her family for Thanksgiving, but it also generates unnecessary hospitalization costs and creates avoidable emotional distress for the patient and her loved ones. Beyond this single case, the cancellation of the docket disrupts unit flow, delays care for other patients needing admission which can pose a threat to public safety and places our staff in untenable operational positions. It is difficult to reconcile today’s action with our shared responsibility to ensure patients receive timely due process and appropriate, least-restrictive care. The sequence of events today reflects a disregard for the rights of our patients, the time and safety of their families, and the operational efficiency of the hospital.”

The complaint said Blanchard held a hearing after a third request that the patient was “lying in bed crying and upset.”

The complaint further alleges court staff shifted cases to the other judge to avoid due-process violations, that Blanchard held some probable-cause hearings outside the statutory time window, and that she misrepresented to Presiding Circuit Judge French that cancellations were rare and that facilities received adequate notice.

Financial and emotional harm to families

Blanchard’s alleged failure to promptly handle probate cases, including guardianship and estate matters, caused financial and emotional harm to families involved.

The complaint includes 24 examples of cases where hearings were canceled or delayed and the people involved had to wait several months, or even a year, for a resolution.

In one example, an attorney reportedly responded to an email about a hearing rescheduling with a plea. “Just hoping we do not have a continuance because I am so worried that my client is going to die.”

Blanchard’s staff responded, “Oh I completely understand. I have another case on this docket in the same predicament…,” according to the complaint.

Staff reassignments and alleged retaliation

A large portion of the complaint is dedicated to the alleged treatment of probate staff by Blanchard, including the reassignment of employees from Birmingham to Bessemer with little notice. Blanchard said the additional staff in Bessemer was requested, however, it was not, according to the complaint.

“Moving staff to Bessemer made little sense from a logistical standpoint, and Judge Blanchard was well aware of this. In an email that Judge Blanchard sent to staff and to fellow judges on March 21, 2025, she said that the “open cases Probate Court in the Birmingham Division totaled 742 as of January 21, 2025,” while the “open cases in Probate Court in the Bessemer Division totaled 172 as of January 21, 2025.” In other words, there were more than four times the number of open cases in the Birmingham Division versus the Bessemer Division.”

The complaint said Blanchard was indifferent to staff who requested a transfer back to Birmingham, including a woman who said the move added 40 minutes to her commute and made it more difficult for her spend time with her sister who was dying of cancer.

Blanchard did not respond to her request, according to the complaint.

“Shortly thereafter, the clerk’s sister died. The clerk was unable to make it to the hospital in time to say goodbye because she was stuck in traffic driving to the hospital from Bessemer.”

Allegations involving chief clerk

Blanchard is accused of targeting Chief Clerk Amanda Reid. According to the complaint, an employee was asked by Blanchard on her first day if she like Reid. The employee said she did.

“Judge Blanchard then said, ‘Oh, I forgot you all like kissing white a--.’”

Blanchard is accused of attempting to manufacture performance and insubordination issues against Reid, moving her out of her office and limiting her access to tools and files necessary to do her job.

The complaint said Blanchard moved Reid’s desk to a cubicle in-front of her bailiff, and retaliated against her for complying with a subpoena from the Judicial Inquiry Commission.

In total, Blanchard faces seven charges for violating multiple provisions of the Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics.

This case will be presided over by the Court of the Judiciary, a court of nine judges and attorneys, currently led by Judge William Cole of the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. Proceedings before the Court of the Judiciary operate like a court hearing. The Judicial Inquiry Commission will act as prosecutor in this setting, making its case before the court. Blanchard will have the opportunity to defend against the allegations in the complaint. The Court of the Judiciary has the authority to remove a judge from office, suspend without pay or censure judges for misconduct.

At the time of publication, Blanchard had not filed a formal response to the complaint.

Download this PDF

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Jefferson County judge suspended, complaint says she called herself “ultimate authority”

Son charged with financial exploitation of elderly mother in Layton

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Mon, 25 May 2026 05:30:00 +0000

by Sorina Trauntvein

LAYTON, Utah (ABC4) — A Layton man is accused of using his power of attorney to take money from his mother’s benefits for his own financial gain instead of paying her care facility bills. She has since passed away.

Chad Rylie Clark, 55, has been charged with one count of intentional or knowing financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult exceeding $5,000, a second-degree felony.

According to court documents, in September or October 2025, Clark was granted power of attorney (POA) for his mother. She had been living in a care facility with her husband for roughly two years, though her husband did not require care.

In September or October 2025, Clark’s mother was moved to a different room, and her husband moved out. Soon after, Clark allegedly began exercising his POA to receive benefits from her pension and take $9,500 out of an account she shared with her husband and moved it to a joint account between himself and his mother.

By the end of 2025, documents say Clark was “the recipient of all the reported finances of” his mother. Around that same time, her bills were only being paid partially to the care facility where she was living.

Clark allegedly led the facility to believe that he didn’t have access to all of her funds, and her husband should be covering the unpaid amount that was due. However, according to court documents, he had received a total of $58,991.93 from his mother’s benefits.

Of that amount, only around $26,783 had been paid out, leaving roughly $32,206 for Clark. His mother’s care facility showed that it was behind on payments for a total amount of $22,500

At some point during 2025, Clark reportedly took $10,000 of that and split it with his brother, directly violating his POA, which stated, “an agent that is not the spouse is not allowed to benefit from the finances or property unless specifically given authority to paraphrase.”

Clark’s mother passed away in January 2026, documents say.

“Due to Chad [Clark] being in charge of the funds and using them for personal gain rather than paying for the care of [his mother] as the money was supposed to be used, charges are being filed,” court documents read.

Clark is not being arrested, but a summons is being issued for him to appear at any upcoming court hearings. The case was investigated by the Davis County Sheriff’s and Attorney’s Offices.

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Son charged with financial exploitation of elderly mother in Layton

Guardianship Reform Arrives: Judges Must Try Less-Restrictive Alternatives, and Power-of-Attorney Forms Get a Major Overhaul

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Sun, 24 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000

by Drew Blankenship

A lot of the time, guardianship begins with good intentions. However, it can quickly become a really emotionally draining legal process. A court-appointed guardianship can strip away major personal rights, including financial control, healthcare choices, and even decisions about where someone lives. Now, a growing wave of guardianship reform laws across the country is changing how courts approach these cases. Judges are increasingly being required to consider less-restrictive alternatives before removing someone’s legal independence, while updated power-of-attorney rules are reshaping how families plan for aging and incapacity. Ultimately, this should be good news, but you need to go into the situation knowledgeable.

Why Guardianship Reform Is Becoming a National Priority

Guardianship reform has gained momentum after years of criticism from elder advocates, disability-rights groups, and legal experts. Critics argued that traditional guardianship systems sometimes removed too many rights from older adults and disabled individuals even when less severe solutions were available. Newer laws now emphasize “person-centered” planning, which focuses on preserving as much independence as possible while still providing necessary support.

Several states adopting updated versions of the Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship, and Other Protective Arrangements Act now require courts to explore alternatives before imposing full guardianship

Judges Are Now Being Told to Consider Less-Restrictive Alternatives First

One of the biggest changes in guardianship reform involves requiring courts to evaluate alternatives before approving guardianship petitions. These alternatives can include supported decision-making agreements, healthcare directives, representative payees, trusts, and financial power-of-attorney arrangements. In states adopting updated reform measures, judges must often document why less-restrictive options are insufficient before granting broad guardianship powers.

Some states, including Pennsylvania and North Carolina, now specifically require courts to make factual findings showing why less-restrictive alternatives would not adequately protect the person involved.

Power-of-Attorney Documents Are Receiving Major Attention

Power-of-attorney forms are also becoming a major focus under guardianship reform efforts. Attorneys say many older power-of-attorney documents were written too broadly, too vaguely, or without enough safeguards against abuse.

Updated forms in many states now include clearer language about financial authority, healthcare decision-making, fiduciary responsibilities, and limitations on an agent’s powers. Some newer laws also encourage narrower or customized powers rather than automatically granting blanket authority over every aspect of someone’s life.

Families Are Discovering Guardianship Is More Complex Than Expected

Many families assume guardianship simply allows them to “help out” an aging parent, but the legal reality is far more serious. Guardianship can remove rights involving finances, medical care, contracts, housing decisions, and other deeply personal areas of life, depending on the court order. Online discussions from caregivers and social workers show that families are often shocked to learn that guardianship does not automatically give unlimited control over another adult.

Supported Decision-Making Is Emerging as a Popular Alternative

Supported decision-making is becoming one of the fastest-growing alternatives under guardianship reform laws. Instead of transferring legal authority to someone else, supported decision-making allows individuals to retain their rights while receiving help understanding options and communicating decisions.

This approach works especially well for many older adults with mild cognitive decline or individuals with developmental disabilities who still want to participate actively in their lives. The American Bar Association and several state legislatures now encourage courts to prioritize supported decision-making whenever appropriate before imposing guardianship restrictions.

Guardianship Reform Is Changing How Families Plan for Aging

More often than not, judges have started turning to less-restrictive alternatives to traditional guardianship. The goal is to preserve independence whenever possible. That said, at the same time, updated power-of-attorney laws are encouraging families to create more thoughtful, detailed legal plans before emergencies happen. When it’s all said and done, these reforms should reduce unnecessary loss of rights while still protecting vulnerable adults from exploitation or neglect.

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Guardianship Reform Arrives: Judges Must Try Less-Restrictive Alternatives, and Power-of-Attorney Forms Get a Major Overhaul

Hollidaysburg woman accused of taking money from older adult to pay for hotels, cruises

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Sun, 24 May 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Ritchey allegedly used victim’s account to pay for cruises, hotels

A Hollidaysburg woman faces more than two dozen charges related to the financial exploitation of an elderly person.

Brandy Marie Ritchey, 43, was charged with six felony counts of access device used without authorization, five felony counts each of theft by deception and receiving stolen property, one felony count each of financial exploitation of an older adult of care dependent person and forgery. In addition, she was charged with three misdemeanor counts of receiving stolen property, two misdemeanor counts of theft by deception, and one misdemeanor count each of Receiving stolen property, theft and unauthorized use of an access device.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, state police received a report in March from a protective services investigator for Blair Senior Services.

The investigator told police he was assigned the case on Feb. 13 and that the victim lived at the Presbyterian Home in Hollidaysburg, where she has been a resident since late September 2025. She had previously lived in her home with Ritchey, the investigator said.

During his research, the investigator received two concerning reports about Ritchey purchasing a new car, but lacking the financial means to do so. The second report showed bank statements that appeared Ritchey was financially exploiting the victim.

When protective services interviewed the victim, she voiced concerns that Ritchey was using her money without permission.

Protective services received a spreadsheet of expenditures from the victim’s bank account and found a variety of purchases that the victim did not authorize, including vacations, hotel rooms and cruises, the affidavit states.

Police reported that the purchases began about June 30, 2025, and included several cruises, cruise excursions, hotels in New York and more.

Police also found several unauthorized cash withdrawals from the victim’s bank account at area ATM machines.

In addition, Ritchey took the victim to the bank on Feb. 13 in an attempt to withdraw $40,000. That request was denied and the account was put on hold, protective services reported.

During the investigation, police spoke to a local bank branch manager who reported her suspicions that Ritchey was exploiting the victim.

In an interview with the victim and her family members, the victim said Ritchey has access to her finances to pay for her stay at the home. But for bills associated with the victim’s home, Ritchey brings the bills and the victim pays those by writing out a check.

Police reported they told the victim that Ritchey may have been using her money to benefit herself for a very long time, the affidavit states, noting the total amounted to about $50,000.

When asked, the victim told police she never authorized Ritchey to use her money for a vehicle, vacations or anything else.

“I made it clear several times to her, if you’re doing this, you’d better be using your own money. If you’re using mine, you’re going to be in trouble. I told her I would stick her ass in jail faster than anything,” the victim told police in the interview.

On March 17, police applied for and were granted a search warrant on Ritchey’s residence, vehicle and person.

The warrant was executed on March 18 and police found a variety of items relating to the case, including the victim’s bank cards, bank statements, checkbooks and deposit/withdrawal slips. In addition, police found receipts for the vehicle purchase and a flight to Miami, as well as a receipt from a local pawn shop where Ritchey allegedly sold gold and silver, receiving $1,400.

During an interview with police on March 19, Ritchey allegedly admitted to using the victim’s money for herself and to selling the victim’s jewelry, police reported.

Ritchey allegedly told police she was broke and didn’t know what else to do.

Ritchey was arraigned Thursday evening before Magisterial District Judge Daniel C. DeAntonio and remanded to the Blair County Prison in lieu of $150,000 bail.

Her preliminary hearing is set for May 26 before DeAntonio.

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Hollidaysburg woman accused of taking money from older adult to pay for hotels, cruises

Michigan court reverses probate court conservatorship order

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Sat, 23 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000

By: BridgeTower Media Newswires

DETROIT, MI — Where a petitioner has challenged probate court orders appointing appellee as conservator for the petitioner’s minor children under MCL 700.5106 and MCL 700.5409, the probate court erroneously relied on a confidential report submitted by a guardian ad litem without first allowing him the opportunity to review it, in violation of MCR 5.121(D)(2)(a).

Reversed.

“Although petitioner did not first bring this issue to the probate court, we exercise our discretion to review this issue. It presents concerns regarding procedural fairness in the probate court’s handling of a confidential GAL report that it received into evidence and expressly relied upon in rendering its decision. The probate court did not provide petitioner an opportunity to examine or respond to that material. A proceeding in which the court relies on undisclosed evidence to resolve a contested issue affecting statutory priority and fiduciary appointment undermines the fundamental fairness of the adjudicative process. In our view, if we declined to review this alleged violation of a court rule designed to safeguard the rights of interested parties in probate proceedings, it would result in a manifest injustice. …

“Here, the probate court appointed the GAL, received the GAL’s confidential report into the record, and relied on that report in rendering its decision. Under these circumstances, the court rules imposed an affirmative obligation on the probate court to ensure that petitioner, as an interested person, was afforded an opportunity to examine and review the report and to controvert it. The court was required to do so regardless of whether petitioner made a formal request. The record does not reflect that petitioner was ever afforded such an opportunity, although evidence of his desire to do so is apparent from the record. Before the hearing, petitioner sent an email to the GAL requesting whether ‘any information can be provided on what is contained in the confidential file that makes [petitioner] unsuitable to serve as conservator?’ The GAL responded that she would ‘need to defer to the court on [her] recommendation,’ due to her discomfort with providing further information. This exchange demonstrates that petitioner affirmatively sought access to the report but the GAL declined. That procedure was inconsistent with the plain language of MCR 5.121(D)(2)(a). Accordingly, petitioner is entitled to a new hearing. On remand, petitioner must be afforded the opportunity to examine any GAL report received into evidence as required by MCR 5.121(D)(2)(a).

“Reversed and remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”

In re Conservatorship of GT; MiLW No. 07-110568, 18 pages; Michigan Court of Appeals published; Rick, J., joined by Yates, J., Mariani, J.; on appeal from Wayne Probate Court; Elizabeth L. Parker for appellant; Dawn A. Santamarina for appellee.

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Michigan court reverses probate court conservatorship order

PBS Brings Back Series Focused On Character With Autism

noreply@blogger.com (NASGA) — Sat, 23 May 2026 05:30:00 +0000

by Shaun Heasley

A popular drama centering on a detective with autism who has a unique way of solving crimes is set to return.

PBS said that it will air a new season of the British show “Patience” this summer.

The series follows Patience Evans, a woman with autism who works in the criminal records office in the city of York. She is drafted to help solve complex criminal investigations after a detective notices her extraordinary attention to detail.

Patience is played by Ella Maisy Purvis, who is neurodiverse.

“Patience” is an adaptation of the French hit “Astrid.” The British version debuted on Channel 4 in the U.K. before airing its first season on PBS last year. It was one of the most streamed series on PBS’ digital platforms, the network said.

Season two finds Patience learning to work with a new detective while searching for her mother and navigating love.

“Audiences connected with ‘Patience’ in its first season, and we’re excited to bring the mystery back for another chapter,” said Maria Bruno Ruiz, vice president of program content strategy and scheduling at PBS. “With new cases, new characters and deeper emotional stakes, season two builds on what viewers loved while expanding the world of the show.”

The new season of “Patience” will be available to stream May 31 on PBS Passport and PBS Masterpiece on Prime Video before airing on PBS stations beginning June 14 at 8 p.m. ET.

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PBS Brings Back Series Focused On Character With Autism