HELP STOP ELDER ABUSE AND GUARDIANSHIP SYSTEM ABUSE - CALLING FOR NATIONAL EFFORTS TO CONFRONT THE ABUSE AND FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION OF OUR ELDERLY AND VULNERABLE CITIZENS."It was once said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped." - Hubert H. Humphrey - PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION FOR CHANGE
ELDER ABUSE IS ON THE RISE AND THE GUARDIANSHIP SYSTEMS IN OUR STATE COURTS INTENDED TO PROTECT THE VULNERABLE, ALL TOO OFTEN, FAIL TO DO SO. CASES CAN ULTIMATELY COST A VULNERABLE PERSON, AND THEIR FAMILY, TENS, IF NOT HUNDREDS, OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS; SOMETIMES, FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN GREED. THERE SEEMS TO BE TOO LITTLE CONCERN ABOUT THE COST TO THE WARD. AFTER ALL, WHEN THE MONEY RUNS OUT, YOU AND I (THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS) WILL JUST PICK UP THE TAB IN MEDICAID AND SOCIAL SECURITY DOLLARS.THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET RICH QUICK IS TEMPTING FOR PERPETRATORS WHO KNOW HOW TO PLAY THE GAME. PROFESSIONALS AND PETITIONERS WHO ABUSE THE SYSTEM GIVE A BAD NAME TO THOSE WHO ARE TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING. STRANGERS ARE OFTEN APPOINTED TO TAKE OVER THE PERSON'S LIFE AND FAMILY MEMBERS, WHO END UP SEPARATED FROM THEIR OWN LOVED ONES, DARE NOT SPEAK OUT FOR FEAR OF LOSING THE RIGHT TO EVEN VISIT THEM AT A TIME WHEN THEY ARE MOST VULNERABLE. IN THE MEANTIME THESE DEAR CITIZENS CAN LOSE ALL OF THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS AND COULD END UP WITH FEWER RIGHTS THAN A PRISONER ON DEATH ROW.THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE FOR THE OUTRAGEOUSLY HIGH COST THAT CAN FLEECE THE ESTATES OF OUR VULNERABLE CITIZENS AND THERE IS SIMPLY NO EXCUSE FOR THE ABUSE THAT CAN BE DOLED OUT - BY UNSCRUPULOUS ATTORNEYS, UNPROFESSIONAL GUARDIANS AND DYSFUNCTIONAL UNDERFUNDED COURTS - TO FAMILY MEMBERS WHO TRULY CARE AND ARE DESPERATELY TRYING TO HELP SOMEONE DEAR TO THEM WHO IS IN NEED. WE NEED CHANGE AND TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN !YES WE CAN !PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION FOR CHANGE ! TOGETHER WE CAN !
The Blue Star Families for Obama video is OUT & we need YOUR help getting this powerful video VIRAL this weekend. Please send it to everyone you can think of (not to .gov or .mil addresses), especially personal contacts you may have with major or local media, or people of influence, or lists of folks who distribute stuff, and ask them to get this as much play as possible.
Our current economic crisis - This video says it all
Take a load off Fannie ... Put the load right on me !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=712kRqri2No
Dear Senator Obama
If the American Taxpayers are to be forced to bail out the economy at a price tag of 700 BILLION DOLLARS then why don't we make it fair.
Distribute the Debt according to the wealth of the individual taxpayer.
If 50% of America's wealth is held by 400 people then let those people pay $350 BILLION of the bailout and distribute the balance accordingly to the rest of us.
Let's make it fair !
MY FELLOW AMERICANS
We the American people are failing our elderly. Many of our senior citizens fall victim to abuse and financial exploitation. Many are forced into guardianships through the Courts where they are further abused by uncaring strangers who are appointed as their guardians. The very systems set up to protect the elderly and disabled are being used by perpetrators to further fleece their estates through outrageous attorney fees and guardianship fees.
Many of our elderly could not speak for themselves and were unable to participate in the Listening to America opportunity provided by the DNC and the Obama campaign. A group of caring Americans from across America, came together as the over the past four weeks to put together a platform proposal to represent these dear citizens of our country. We identified problems and recommended solutions to this national epidemic of crime against our elderly. We included stories from many States to show that this disgrace is not isolated to one or two States but occurs in almost every State. After hundreds of hours of work we presented our plea to the platform committee.
Many of our elderly could not speak for themselves and were unable to participate in the Listening to America opportunity provided by the DNC and the Obama campaign.
A group of caring Americans from across America, came together as the over the past four weeks to put together a platform proposal to represent these dear citizens of our country. We identified problems and recommended solutions to this national epidemic of crime against our elderly. We included stories from many States to show that this disgrace is not isolated to one or two States but occurs in almost every State. After hundreds of hours of work we presented our plea to the platform committee.
WE ARE THRILLED TO LEARN THAT ELDER ABUSE HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE NEW 2008 DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM AND THAT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WILL WORK TO STOP THE ABUSE OF THE EDLERLY IN AMERICA.
THIS IS A START BUT AMERICA NEEDS YOUR HELP ... YOUR PARENTS MAY NEED YOUR HELP ONE DAY ... OR ONE DAY YOU MAY NEED AMERICA'S HELP… TOGETHER WE CAN FIX THIS PROBLEM. Please help us help our elderly. Contact your senators, your leaders and everyone you can with the campaign and tell them we need to help our elderly and protect them from abuse. Our proposal also went to some of our leaders and policy makers in Washington DC and around the Country and it has been received very positively. At first we got discouraged and thought maybe we couldn’t make a difference but we have learned that we must never believe that "no we can't" when Barack Obama told us "YES WE CAN !".
THIS IS A START BUT AMERICA NEEDS YOUR HELP ... YOUR PARENTS MAY NEED YOUR HELP ONE DAY ... OR ONE DAY YOU MAY NEED AMERICA'S HELP… TOGETHER WE CAN FIX THIS PROBLEM. Please help us help our elderly. Contact your senators, your leaders and everyone you can with the campaign and tell them we need to help our elderly and protect them from abuse.
Our proposal also went to some of our leaders and policy makers in Washington DC and around the Country and it has been received very positively. At first we got discouraged and thought maybe we couldn’t make a difference but we have learned that we must never believe that "no we can't" when Barack Obama told us "YES WE CAN !".
I have spent the past three years helping my foster mother who was a victim of abuse. It cost her all of her life savings and it cost me much of mine. Parts of the guardianship system are broken and guardianship is not a good solution to abuse. In my mother's case it did help her but the cost was far too high and there is no excuse for the system to be used to financially fleece someone's life savings through outrageous attorney or professional guardianship fees. We need to find a way to address elder abuse without robbing their estates and costing their families thousands of dollars and years of stress and anguish. There has to be a better way. Many elderly fall victim to abuse in their homes by their own families. They need our help.
I have spent the past three years helping my foster mother who was a victim of abuse. It cost her all of her life savings and it cost me much of mine. Parts of the guardianship system are broken and guardianship is not a good solution to abuse. In my mother's case it did help her but the cost was far too high and there is no excuse for the system to be used to financially fleece someone's life savings through outrageous attorney or professional guardianship fees. We need to find a way to address elder abuse without robbing their estates and costing their families thousands of dollars and years of stress and anguish. There has to be a better way.
Many elderly fall victim to abuse in their homes by their own families. They need our help.
IF WE DO NOT DO SOMETHING WE WILL BE THE NEXT VICTIMS OR IT MIGHT BE YOUR MOM OR YOUR DAD WHO WILL BE DECLARED INCOMPETENT AND TAKEN AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILY. THE DNC PLATFORM INCLUSION ON ELDER ABUSE IS ONLY A START, WE THE AMERICA PEOPLE NEED TO SPEAK FOR THOSE CITIZENS OF OUR COUNTRY WHO DO NOT HAVE A VOICE.
I KNOW SENTATOR OBAMA IS LISTENING AND IF WE WILL SPEAK LOUD ENOUGH WE CAN BE HEARD.
DEMAND CHANGE FROM YOUR LEADERS AND FROM YOUR PROBATE COURTS AND THE PROTECTIVE AGENCIES. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE AMERICA A BETTER PLACE FOR OUR ELDERLY AND DISABLED PEOPLE !
THANK YOU TO THE 2008 DNC PLATFORM COMMITTEE AND THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN FOR LISTENING TO AMERICA.
LATIFA RING
NATIONAL DELEGATE (TEXAS)
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ORIGINAL PROPOSED PLATFORM FOR SENIORS FROM THE
NATIONAL ELDER ABUSE AND GUARDIANSHIP VICTIMS TASKFORCE FOR CHANGE
Dignity for all Ensure that elderly Americans and people with disabilities can live in dignity, with quality options for long-term care. We need to expand alternative care options and provide better assistance for those who give care. No one should be kept in a nursing home or institution if they prefer living in dignity elsewhere and can do so. No one should be forced into, or kept under, a guardianship or conservatorship by any public or private entity against their will. Work to ensure the enforcement of the Civil Rights Act of 1871 to protect the rights of all Americans from guardianship abuses and appropriations.
Addressing Elder Abuse and the Financial Exploitation of the Elderly Ensure that the systems in place to address the abuse of the elderly and disabled persons in nursing homes as well as in the community are properly funded and reformed where needed to improve their impact and effectiveness. Work on developing a comprehensive plan for investigating and pursuing the financial Exploitation of the Elderly. Ensure that efforts to protect our elderly involve collaboration between the various law enforcement and protective agencies so that these crimes can be dealt with swiftly and judiciously ensuring that victims and their families are not denied due justice. National Guardianship and Conservatorship Reform There is a need for Guardianship and Conservatorship legislative and procedural reform within the many disparate State Court Systems. Probate courts and civil courts have become a venue where the opportunity for further financial exploitation of the elderly exists. A uniform code of laws should be developed so that separate states have common lawsDevelop Safeguards to protect the elderly and disabled persons from further financial devastation in the Courts due to outrageous guardian, conservator and/or attorney fees. Develop a system where a disabled person’s family members and loved ones, including those identified in any pre-planning documents, will be considered to be the guardian before a court appointed guardian can be assigned. Allegations that a family member is unfit should be proven in a court of law before denying guardianship. Judges and Attorneys must be required to follow the guardianship rules and laws and ensure justice is expedicously served. Ensure disabled elderly are afforded protection under the American Disabilities Act with access legal services. Guardians (including family members) shall not be required to use their own personal funds for the care of the ward or the property and shall be immune from prosecution if their acts benefit the ward. Develop a guardianship support and education system for the Public and provide a system for oversight and review of guardianships from the time a petition is filed. Provide a monitoring system not only for the handling of finances by a guardians or conservator but also to monitor costs in the courts for legal services. Encourage guardianships that keep the elderly and disabled person in their communities near and with their families wherever possible.
Addressing Elder Abuse and the Financial Exploitation of the Elderly Ensure that the systems in place to address the abuse of the elderly and disabled persons in nursing homes as well as in the community are properly funded and reformed where needed to improve their impact and effectiveness. Work on developing a comprehensive plan for investigating and pursuing the financial Exploitation of the Elderly. Ensure that efforts to protect our elderly involve collaboration between the various law enforcement and protective agencies so that these crimes can be dealt with swiftly and judiciously ensuring that victims and their families are not denied due justice.
National Guardianship and Conservatorship Reform There is a need for Guardianship and Conservatorship legislative and procedural reform within the many disparate State Court Systems. Probate courts and civil courts have become a venue where the opportunity for further financial exploitation of the elderly exists. A uniform code of laws should be developed so that separate states have common lawsDevelop Safeguards to protect the elderly and disabled persons from further financial devastation in the Courts due to outrageous guardian, conservator and/or attorney fees. Develop a system where a disabled person’s family members and loved ones, including those identified in any pre-planning documents, will be considered to be the guardian before a court appointed guardian can be assigned. Allegations that a family member is unfit should be proven in a court of law before denying guardianship. Judges and Attorneys must be required to follow the guardianship rules and laws and ensure justice is expedicously served. Ensure disabled elderly are afforded protection under the American Disabilities Act with access legal services. Guardians (including family members) shall not be required to use their own personal funds for the care of the ward or the property and shall be immune from prosecution if their acts benefit the ward. Develop a guardianship support and education system for the Public and provide a system for oversight and review of guardianships from the time a petition is filed. Provide a monitoring system not only for the handling of finances by a guardians or conservator but also to monitor costs in the courts for legal services. Encourage guardianships that keep the elderly and disabled person in their communities near and with their families wherever possible.
Below is the Proposed Platform for Seniors
The was submitted to the 2008 DNC Platform Committee at the Invitation of the DNC and the OBAMA Campaign by :
The National Elder Abuse and Guardianship Victims Taskforce for CHANGE
Feel free to make comments or share your thoughts or ideas on how we can help make this CHANGE a reality.
PROPOSE PLATFORM STATEMENT
SENIORS
Dignity for All
We will ensure that elderly Americans and people with disabilities can live in dignity, with quality options for long-term care. We will work to expand alternative care options and provide better assistance for those who give care. No one should be kept in a nursing home or institution if they prefer living in dignity elsewhere and can do so. No one should be forced into, or kept under, a guardianship or conservatorship by any public or private entity against their will. We will work to ensure the re-enforcement of the Civil Rights Act of 1871 and the Writ of Habeas Corpus to protect the rights of all Americans from guardianship abuses and appropriations.
Addressing Elder Abuse and the Financial Exploitation of the Elderly
We will ensure that the systems in place to address the abuse of the elderly and disabled persons in nursing homes as well as in the community are properly funded and reformed where needed to improve their impact and effectiveness. We will work on developing a comprehensive plan for investigating and pursuing the financial exploitation of the elderly. We will ensure that efforts to protect our elderly involve collaboration between the various law enforcement and protective agencies so that these crimes can be dealt with swiftly and judiciously, thus ensuring that victims and family members who try to help them are not denied due process.
National Guardianship and Conservatorship Reform
We will work to improve the Guardianship and Conservatorship laws and procedures in the many State Court Systems across the Country and will work to implement an oversight system to ensure that the system cannot be used by perpetrators to financially exploit or abuse the elderly through outrageous and unjustified fees and appropriations. We will encourage the implementation of the new uniform guardianship code to ensure that all states have common guardianship laws and systems. We will implement a guardianship support system for victims and their families with counseling and legal aid support services for indigent wards and for their guardians. We will work to ensure that a disabled person’s family members and loved ones, including those identified in any pre-planning documents, will be the first ones considered to be the guardian before any court appointed guardian can be assigned and that any allegations that a family member is unfit is proven in a court before that person is denied the right to be the guardian. We will work to ensure that guardianship laws and code are enforced and respected in and out of the courtrooms and that justice is served in an expeditious manner minimizing the cost to the ward. We will work to ensure that guardians (including family members) shall not be required or forced to use their own personal funds for the care of the ward or the property under any circumstances and shall be immune from prosecution if their acts benefit the ward. We will encourage a guardianship system that keeps the elderly and disabled person in their communities, near or with their families whenever possible and will work to ensure that all of the rights of adults in guardianships and their families are respected and honored.
Latifa Ring
on behalf of the National Elder Abuse and Guardianship Victims Taskforce for CHANGE
This blog is being created to help leaders of the many separate groups that are working to be a come to a single common blog to solicit help, coordinate our efforts and to give voluteers a common place to go to find out what other groups are doing or what group they can join in their area.
We have lots of very willing volunteers who will proudly participate in events. It may be helpful to coordinate our events or find out if another group is already working in an area so efforts can be consolidated or coordinated. Many voluteens have asked where can I go to help or when it there going to be a rally and where and if I can get an event started can others help. If we know about these needs we can point people in the right direction or suggest a group that may be able to use some help
This blog can also be used to announce information about community event or a group event that you want other groups to know about. This way we can all work together.
