Thursday, June 26, 2014

Advocates Push for Reform of Adult Guardianship System in Texas

It all started when Denise Tighe passed out at a restaurant in her North Texas hometown. The 85-year-old was taken to the hospital, deemed incapable of properly caring for herself and became a ward of the state against her will.

After she was assigned a guardian in 2011, she was taken to a nursing home 20 miles from her hometown near Fort Worth, which she adamantly protested, and her home and a lifetime of jewelry and antiques were put up for sale. She died in January with friends and family questioning whether the state did her more harm than good.

Now one of Tighe’s friends, Virginia Pritchett, is pointing to what happened to Tighe as an example of a broken adult guardianship system in Texas.

Pritchett is one of about two dozen advocates who gave testimony to the state Sunset Advisory Commission on Wednesday hoping to spur change. They say the guardianship process is stripping the rights from competent people and dragging them through a court system that requires them to spend thousands to protect their independence.

The push has gained momentum since the last legislative session when only a handful of critics lobbied with little success. Since then, a coalition of disability and elderly groups from across the state has banded together to develop and refine a set of proposals for the next session — calling for guardianships to be the last option and for more independence for wards of the state.

These elderly people are being warehoused in nursing homes, and these court-appointed attorneys are going through all their money in court hearings that the elderly people don’t even know is occurring,” said Debby Valdez with the San-Antonio based Guardianship Reform Advocates For The Disabled &  Elderly.

Adult guardianship cases are lawsuits designed to ensure vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities are not abused, neglected or exploited. A probate court must determine whether people are competent enough to keep themselves safe and healthy. If the answer is no, the judge can appoint a guardian to make medical, financial and other decisions for them.

Lawyers and judges have said that the system is protecting people and that proposed changes would leave people more vulnerable and throw unnecessary roadblocks into the process.

Texas has about 46,000 people in guardianship, according to the state. Between September 2011 and August 2012, more than 4,500 adult guardianship petitions were filed in probate courts across the state. Of those, 206 were filed in Travis County.

Advocates say that guardianship should be the last option for proposed wards and supported decision-making should be the alternative. This means allowing people with limited disabilities to hire supporters whose jobs are strictly to give information so they can make decisions for themselves.

“Even though it seems counterintuitive, not all people under guardianship are totally unable to make decisions,” said Bob Kafka with the Austin-based group Guardianship Reform and Supported Decision Making.

Supported decision-making has also garnered the support of former Texas Health and Human Services Commissioner Tom Suehs.

A few years ago, the Travis County probate court appointed Suehs’ mother-in-law a guardian ad litem, whom she paid about $300 an hour. She also hired her own attorney to fight the process.
After $30,000 in court fees, Suehs’ mother-in-law settled the dispute in mediation and she got her independence back.

“Some people have started using guardianship as an easy way out, to try to attack and resolve family disputes when they don’t need to,” Suehs said. “My own personal belief is that over the last five or six years, lawyers are creating an industry here."

Suehs worked with lawmakers in the last legislative session for guardianship reform, but some laws passed that did more harm than good, according to advocates. The law that has garnered the most criticism gives guardians the authority to decide where a ward can live and peace officers must enforce it.

“It gives the guardian the authority to call the police and say, ‘I’ve got a court order and I can remove the little old lady from her house,’” Valdez said.

Advocates want people under guardianship to have the ability to decide where to live. And guardians should be forced to visit with their wards monthly and submit reports that are reviewed by the court, advocates say.

Every alternative must be explored before even thinking about taking away someone’s civil rights,” Kafka said.

Source:
Advocates Push for Reform of Adult Guardianship System in Texas

LISTEN and WATCH the archive of the Sunset Advisory Commission.  Note:  fast forward to 9:27.00

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Go Debby Valdez and GRADE!

Susan said...

Wow -- thank you advocates for speaking at the Sunset Advisory Commission about guardianship abuse, especially Debbie Valdez.

StandUp said...

Now we wait for the Sunset Commission's response?

Great job to all!

Betty said...

The Tighe story makes me sick and it's a classic example of what's wrong with guardianship.

Kathleen said...

It is all so sad what is being down to people in the USA under guardianship. I truely feel like this is not America with this going one. Thanks Debby Valdez for what you are doing.

Rachel said...

I believe supported decision making will make its way and overtake guardianship. It will be a while, but the storm is brewing.

Anonymous said...

This comment hit the nail on the head: “My own personal belief is that over the last five or six years, lawyers are creating an industry here."

And this comment: "These elderly people are being warehoused in nursing homes, and these court-appointed attorneys are going through all their money in court hearings that the elderly people don’t even know is occurring.”

The key here is the unethical lawyers and guardians ad litem who overcharge, churn disputes, and sell their own "clients" down the river.

There is no reason, none at all, that someone who is represented by TWO lawyers should not be able to get a quick and fair court hearing and put to rest any concerns about capacity, WITHOUT paying $30,000 for the privilege.

Two solutions: (1) put a strict limit of $500 per case on the fees of each of these lawyers, and you will not believe how fast these matters can be resolved, and (2) REPORT THESE SLEAZEBAG RIP-OFF ARTISTS TO THE BAR, each and every time they pull this garbage. Eventually, a complaint will get through, and they will have to move on to some other hobby, like pulling the wings off butterflies.

Sue said...

Applause Debbie Valdez for your hard work and efforts.

Those who are profiting are strongly opposed to speedy trials and court hearings it's more profitable to draaaaag these cases out as long as possible.

It's all about the money if there was no compensation or job security these people would be finding another source for income and no one knows the amount of money that is generated in one county in one state.

Can you imagine the total GNP for one year? No database of cases either best we are kept in the dark and remember we fund these agencies we are enabling their activities yet we do not have any control over their actions and disregard for the rights of their citizens.

Sound insane? How did we get to this level of the government's intrusion reminds me of the saying: cradle to grave.

There you have it we're all at risk.