Theft of Elder Nation: An Editiorial Series

Theft of Elder Nation: An editorial series:
Getting involved early is critical

Contra Costa Times


CARMEN PAREDES SEEMED like such a sweet, friendly person. "You just never would have suspected it," said Kathleen Whittaker, who hired the Peruvian native in 1998 to help take care of her 83-year-old uncle, William Fowler.
The "it" is one of the worst cases of elder financial abuse in Contra Costa County history. During 21/2 years, the $10-an-hour caretaker siphoned more than $600,000 away from the El Cerrito widower.

Paredes, 59, pleaded no contest to felony elder abuse and tax evasion in March 2004. She was sentenced to three years' probation. She got no prison time, although the judge could have given her as many as nine years.

Her two adult sons and a daughter also were implicated in the scheme. They were convicted of misdemeanors.

Obviously, the law in this area is far from robust.

Paredes may have gotten away with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from Fowler, but she and her relatives apparently couldn't cheat the tax man. Last year, the Franchise Tax Board ordered them to cough up taxes on the stolen money - $69,000 from Carmen Paredes, $24,000 from her daughter Claudia Paredes, 28, and more than $34,000 from son Alfonso, 31.

This a cautionary tale about what can happen when a vulnerable elderly person is left in the care of an unscrupulous individual. It shows how caretakers can run amok when no one is keeping a close watch.

One brazen caretaker stole $80,000 from a blind 77-year-old mother of a former San Jose acting police chief. Another took more than $35,000 from the ailing mother-in-law of an Alameda County Superior Court judge. It happens all the time to all kinds of people.
Sadly, there comes a time for many elderly people when they are no longer able to continue living at home alone. Perhaps chemotherapy has destroyed their bodies or Alzheimer's has ravaged their minds.

That time came upon William Fowler, a retired sea captain, all at once. Going into his early 80s, Fowler was still going strong. He took walks and swimming lessons. He dated women he met in dance class.

He managed his bills with meticulous detail. He took home extra grocery bags so he wouldn't have to buy trash bags. He lunched on free sample soups and sandwiches at Andronico's.
But one day Fowler went into the hospital for surgery and got an infection that left him bedridden for two months. His niece Kathleen Whittaker faced the same dilemma that many do. She had her own demanding job and hectic life. She couldn't possibly care for a sick, elderly person around the clock.

The last thing she wanted to do was put him in a nursing home. So, she set out to help Fowler hire an in-home caretaker. Someone to help with bathing, dressing, keeping track of medications, shopping for groceries, preparing meals, cleaning the house and driving to doctor appointments.

Licensed home health care agencies cost a bundle. They charge $30 an hour and up. Some conduct background screenings that include a criminal records check. Others don't bother to check for local convictions. There are no guarantees that the person sent to your loved one's home isn't a sociopath.

Most people can't afford $30 an hour, so that point is moot. They end up hiring cheaper workers who aren't affiliated with agencies. They average $10 an hour and have no license or training.
The problem is we know nothing about these strangers we invite into our vulnerable loved ones' homes. They could be criminals for all we know. There have been documented cases in which people sent for in-home care have had criminal records. Caretaking is hard, low-paying work. People with criminal records don't have many employment options.

It doesn't take a genius to figure that convict plus vulnerable elder spells trouble. Paredes didn't have a criminal record that we know of, but she definitely had a criminal mind. At first, things seemed to go well.

Read More

--------------------------
The media is getting the message. Another editorial series on Elder Abuse. Well done.
The stories of Financial Abuse is only the more obvious ones. Let us not kid ourselves. There are others like abandonment, neglect, psychological abuse by family members. No? Not our business as such cases are classified as family matters or family dynamics. You just have to witness one of those to convince yourselves that Elder Abuse MUST BE EXPOSED!