Sen. Klobuchar to hold roundtable meeting Wednesday on senior protection
St. Paul, MN – U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar will hold a roundtable discussion on Wednesday morning in St. Paul on the need to better protect seniors and persons with disabilities from abuse and neglect by court-appointed guardians. (More than 20,000 Minnesotans have court-appointed guardians or conservators who manage their personal and financial affairs.)
A recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found hundreds of allegations of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of seniors and persons with disabilities by court-appointed guardians.
Klobuchar says she is preparing federal legislation that would improve the guardianship system with more accountability and stronger oversight to ensure that seniors are safe and receive the care they deserve.
Last week, Klobuchar held a hearing in Washington on the same topic in her role as chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts.
When Klobuchar served as the Hennepin County Attorney, her office prosecuted cases involving neglect, abuse or financial exploitation of seniors and vulnerable adults. Among them was the case of Minnesota Court of Appeals Judge Roland Amundson, who was convicted and sent to prison for stealing more than $400,000 from the trust account of a mentally disabled woman.
Participants in the roundtable with Klobuchar will include:
• Deb Holtz, Minnesota State Ombudsman for Long-Term Care
• Michele Kimball, Director of AARP Minnesota
• Dean Maus, Referee with Hennepin County Probate Court
• Kim Dayton, Professor at William Mitchell College of Law and Director of the Center for Elder Justice & Policy
• Deanna Van de North, of St. Paul, whose elderly mother was a victim of neglect and abuse while under guardianship and conservatorship
• Stephen Grisham, president and owner of Alternate Decision Makers, Inc., which provides services as a court-appointed guardian and conservator
WHEN:
10 a.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 28
WHERE:
Minnesota Department of Human Services
Room 2223
540 Cedar Street
Saint Paul
NASGA is a non-profit, civil rights organization of victims and families working to expose and end unlawful and abusive guardianships and conservatorships nationwide.
We have mailed three white papers to Congress, including the Judiciary Committee.
“Protecting our Vulnerable Citizens from Unlawful and Abusive Guardianships and Conservatorships” is available online at http://www.AnOpenLetterToCongress.info;
“A Review of Unlawful ‘Emergency’ Guardianships” is available at http://www.AnOpenLetterToCongress-2.info; and
“The Fleecing of Medicaid and the Taxpayers” is available at http://www.AnOpenLetterToCongress-3.info.
We invite Senator Klobuchar and the members of this round table discussion to visit our website, http://www.StopGuardianAbuse.org, and to work with us toward reform.
Guardianship / Conservatorship abuse IS elder abuse!
Yours,
Elaine Renoire
NASGA