If courts are not adequate watchdogs of the guardians of the elderly, it can result in the elderly losing everything with little legal remedy.
Rudy and Rennie North were a normal Nevada couple in their 50s. Rennie needed some assistance with day to day living, which she was able to get from a nurse at home.
Then, a woman named April Parks came into their lives.
Parks took this letter to court and was appointed their guardian.
The Norths again were never consulted.
No tests were conducted on them, to see if they were lacking in cognitive functioning and unable to care for themselves.
Eventually their life savings were used up and they now live in a converted office with their daughter.
The New Yorker reported this story in "How the Elderly Lose Their Rights."
Although things like this should never happen, they occur all too frequently.
If the legal system is not diligent in protecting the elderly from so-called guardians who just want to take what the elderly have, there is little the elderly can do about it. In this case, the court system was complicit in Parks' scam.
If you suspect that someone has used the guardianship system to take advantage of you or someone you love, it is vital that you speak to an elder law attorney immediately.
The attorney can help you to stop the guardian before it is too late.
Reference: The New Yorker (Oct. 9, 2017) "How the Elderly Lose Their Rights."
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