Kidnapping or Legal Guardianship?

In what seems to be something too awful to fully comprehend as being legal, senior citizens are being snatched up across the country by court guardians. These court guardians get approval to take an elderly person or couple from their homes and put them in an assisted living facility, without the elderly person’s consent or knowledge about what is really going on. If this has happened to you, or something like this has happened to your loved ones, you need to get in contact with an experienced High Point, North Carolina elder abuse attorney at once.

A Las Vegas Couple Was Snatched from their Home and Essentially Taken Prisoner by a Guardian They Did Not Know

An elderly couple was taken from their home in Nevada one morning when a woman and three of her colleagues knocked on the door, telling the couple to quickly pack their bags, as reported by the New Yorker. The woman, who was a complete stranger and had never met with the elderly couple before, had received permission from the county court to remove them from their home and take them to her private assisted living facility, where they would be charged hefty fees for virtually everything that they did. The woman had become a guardian to over 400 “wards”–senior citizens or disabled people who were considered incompetent, or unable to take care of themselves. In such a scenario, award loses all of their rights to make decisions for themselves, decide where they live, chose their own medical care, or manage their own finances. In this particular case, the guardian, who, as previously stated had never met the couple before, even sold their home. While the woman was eventually indicted, it was not for kidnapping; it was for theft, overbilling, and perjury.

The Elderly Are Targets for a Variety of Reasons

Senior citizens make good targets for financial predators such as the example of the guardian above. For one, there is an assumption that the elderly are financially well off. This is not always the case, however, the age groups for the highest and second to highest average net worth are those aged 70 to 74, and 65 to 69, respectively, according to Forbes. Secondly, the elderly generally make easier targets than young to middle-aged people because of potential cognitive impairment and general lack of technological knowledge, as most financial elder abuse occurs via the internet or phone.

Call a Lawyer at Once

If an older loved one became the target for elder financial abuse, they deserve justice. You need to call an experienced High Point elder abuse attorney at once. Feel free to contact the law offices of McAllister, Aldridge & Kreinbrink, PLLC for assistance today.