Monday, April 18, 2011

APS Guardian Progam in Washington State Under Scrutiny

Q13 Fox: Thousands of seniors across the state rely on court-appointed guardians to make decisions, pay their bills and manage their health care. But some Washington families and even lawmakers said there are big problems with the state's guardian system.



Source:
YouTube: Adult Protective Service Guardian Program Corruption in Washington State.




Source:
YouTube: Adult Protective Service" APS "Guardian Program Corruption in Washington State 2.

See Also:
Elderly Guardian Bills

State Senator Jim Kastama
25th District, Puyallup

Olympia Office
235 Cherberg Building
Olympia, WA 98504-0446
(360) 786-7648
Fax: (360) 786-1446

District Office
107 W. Stewart Ave. Suite E-7
Puyallup, WA 98371
(253) 840-4701

24 comments:

Connie said...

You go Q13!

StandUp said...

My hat is off to Senator Kastama!

Steven said...

This is important news and it's happening all over the country. APS does good work, but they also destroy lives as well.

There needs to be strong oversight of APS.

Norma said...

I am glad to see this attention in Washington State. The Seattle Times did a great series a few years back and I was sure it would start the tidal wave of reform, but it didn't.

Thank you Senator Kastama, for coming to the forefront to protect Washington State's vulnerable population.

Sue said...

There must be consequences for false statements and fraudulent petitions for guardianship. Scrutiny is a great beginning it will uncover errors, intentional misrepresentation of a case, dirty tricks that are destroying innocent peoples lives with no chance to recover.

Applause to Senator Kastama for stepping up. Thank you we need more good people like you.

Nancy said...

Arizona, Iowa, Texas, and now Alaska...it's so good to see these abuses exposed and legislators like Sen. Kastama caring enough to do something real to protect the citizens.

Thelma said...

The courts are responsible, and it's up to the legislature to oversee that the courts are carrying out the statutory intent.

B Inberg said...

Q13 thank you for your help exposing what's happening in the state of Washington, now multiply this to the other 49 = A DISASTER.

Waiting for 50 states to fix this problem while the US Senators in Washington DC specifically WI Senator Herb Kohl who is the big daddy of the Aging Committee is sitting on his hands. Many Senators and Congressmen including President OBama are aware of the national disaster, yet they do nothing.

I say it's long overdue, it's time for someone in high position to call a press conference and inform the guardianship racket nationwide that the gig is up - stop the bs. They are coming for them.

If this was happening to children there would be outrage and this would stop but oh well it's the old folks on their way out.

The guardianship racket is getting filthy rich for harming their wards we know this, they know we know yet they continue because they bought and paid for their walls of protection campaign contributions, special interest groups and lobbyists.

And they are coming for me, for you for your loved one BEWARE and take this seriously.

honeybear said...

The victims in Washington State have to be jumping up and down to have this Senator's interest.

Heidi said...

I have to admit, I smiled from ear to ear when I heard the reporter say that since their last report they've received lots of calls and complaints about guardianship.

The power of the people!

Lily said...

Just a week or so ago, you posted the video of Senators Hatch and Black from Iowa introducing an amendment to a bill specificially for guardianship abuse. And now, we have Senator Kastama stepping up to the plate. This is just wonderful news and it warms my heart.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Q13, thank you senator Kastama, and thank you NASGA!

Angie said...

Hats off to these victims for speaking up and getting Q13's attention.

And applause for the Senator too.

Anonymous said...

Q13 and Senator Kastama just endanagered a vulnerable adult by falsifying the misleading the public on the facts. The people you broadcasted looted monies and changed beneficiaries from their mother. Senator Kastama received campaign contributions from Stregue. A clear conflict of interesting. Q13 and Senator Kastama just endanged a vulnerable adult at the price of helping out a DEMOCRATIC campaign contributor. Get your facts straignt Q13. It is public record. Your segment should have read HOW TO COVER YOUR A$$ when a Democratic politician is caught taking money from their vulnerable adult mother.

B Inberg said...

Hey anon .... have criminal charges been filed against those you are accusing of criminal activities? Do you have proof of your allegations and have you brought the evidence to Sen Kastama and Q13 or any other investigative agencies?

Anonymous said...

This is a very serious issue in Washington State. Criminal charges should be brought upon anyone neglecting information of abuse of elderly. These elders are the ones that gave us freedom in past wars. It is high time to stop elder abuse. Robert

Anonymous said...

I tried to visit my mother today at Clairbridge and was told I could not visit. The management team said the Gaurdian has givin them this authority. My mother is 88 years young. Mom always asks when I will come back to visit. I ask, when people are allowed to isolate elderly people that have a loving relationship with there children, this sould be abuse. People allowing this should be held to be investigated for isolation. Isolation leads to depression and the health and well being of a loving parent and child. I have been lied to several times of where my mother was and why she could not visit. I have witnessed several injuries at my mothers care facility. Black eyes of so many it gives me reason to ask for help. Please help sincerely , Jeff

NASGA said...

Jeff, you're right. It is abuse.

Please join us and help us fight it!

Join by going to our main website, www.StopGuardianAbuse.org, to the "Join NASGA Advocates for Reform" page.

Anonymous said...

My mother Gerildene needs medical care by those appointed by Pierce County Judge Katherine Stolz. These people, Guardians, Attorneys,Nurses, and caregivers are all being paid through my mother savings of many decades. Yet after hundreds of thousands of dollars her care is being ignored. I have complained of care given by a nurse that appointed by Guardian. Yet after many months now My mothers legs are severally swollened. I have never seen perscibed support stockings on my mothers swollened legs under this nurse care. My sibblings have complained several times. Why does the State of Washington use this type of Gaurdianship system ? They seem to me to be going after elders financial savings and not caring for the elders from the experiences I have heard of. I have seen my mother with black eye, bruses, broken bone that my mother said was caused by her being pushed. When I comment on injuries and abusive behavior at this facility Mom is living at I have been threatened that staff would call sheriffs and cops. I myself have called to report what was seen by myself. I have witnessed cursing to elders living there, staff running through the hallway being chased. Staff turning elders to face the wall that are wheel chaired and injured with a blackened eye. I serously believe elder abuse is out of control with the system in place appointed by Courts in Washington. My last visit to Mom , I asked for staff member to look at Mom swollen legs but was denied by the same person that said she could call to have me not allowed to visit my mother Gerildene. I have heard of so many cases of people not reporting abusive behavior to diability people. I have reported. Only to whatch of more ignore medical needed invidiual that are being paid and appointed by the same indiviual. Why are not these being held accountible. Or are they going to be??? Jeff Strege

Anonymous said...

This family has given the nicest property to Puyallup as a park with a lake. How do nice people like this get screwed by those that are called gaurdian's / This gaurdian should be investigated and stripped of license from all states. a national reform law should be on President Barrack Obama's desk to take care of these people that gave us this freedom. I would like to see these corupt gaurdian's and there attorney's go to jail for there abusive behavior and not caring for these elders. Pat

Anonymous said...

Latest innovation scam in guardianship in the corrupt State of Washington. This in Snohomish Co. which introduced "emergent" local court rule LR-98.16 in Nov. 2011. CPGs or certified professional guardians have at least some standards. Now the lawyers have created an oxymoron in that county the "non-certified" professional uardian...essentially a paid lay guardian held to lower standards. Under WA law a "professional guardian" is an unrelated person who cares for three or more people. And all "professional guardians" must be certified by the Supreme Court of WA.

Anonymous said...

You can change a guardianship in WA using RCW 11.88.120 as a non lawyer by petitioning the court under this statute. The court is supposed to review it and, if non frivolous, to issue a show-cause order and set it for hearing. They did that with me but did NOT provide service to all the required parties as required by the statute. Then the opposing attorneys moved to strike due to incorrect service. If anyone goes this route read the statutes carefully and always check the court docket. You can't trust anything the courts do. The lawyers also tried to pretend it was a regular motion, that it was frivolous and I should be subjected to sanctions!

Anonymous said...

In WA the children of AIPs (alleged incapacitated persons) are entitled to interim and final GAL (Guardian ad litem) reports. If you don't get these, be sure they are villifying you behind your back and don't want you to see and refute what they are writing. In my case, the judge yelled at me and said I "had no relationship with my mother" because the GAL had written that I only had spoken with her for the past 4 months--even though I had already submitted phone records to the court showing contact for many years. When I finally got the GAL report through the WSBA, it turned out my mother couldn't tell me apart from my daughter and thought she had three children (I am her only child)--this woman was given the right to change her will and rename beneficiaries! Needless to say, one of the beneficiaries is a former boss who took her to a lawyer she worked with in the past. I will get a dollar, I'm sure. And I also learned that the petitioner's attorney had a previous professional relationship with the "independent" guardian selected. Undisclosed to me, of course. Today the stand-in judge said I was plain out of luck. There is, he said, an issue of undue influence in my mother's financial affairs. Not to worry--the guardianship attorney (selected by my "mother's" attorney) will see that everything is on the up and up!

Sweetwater North said...

I am sitting here listening to my house creak and moan courtesy of some electricians who cut through quite a few support beams and then wired the house up for fire. I find life insurance applications all over the house and quite frankly I am scared for my life. This was brought on by james Ricky winbush, Leschi community senior center andChild support services just to list a few. Als Tiffany Malich, my sister. I am writing this post because i don't think I will survive this ordeal. Arthur E Wake ll. Leschi neighborhood, Seattle washington