Elder Abuse : Adult Protective Services is Not Helping
This is one family member's struggling to report elder abuse and not getting a response for adult protective services.
My name is Brenda, and this is my mother's story. Meet Jo Ann, a 77-year-old Californian residing in Bakersfield. She's suffering from Dementia/Alzheimer's and enduring abuse in unimaginable ways. For the last four years, I've tirelessly tried to get her help, to rescue her from the clutches of her abuser, my own brother. It's been an agonizing journey.
My life has been put on hold. I've spent countless hours on the phone, on the internet, searching for answers, and seeking help. My household includes my 24-year-old daughter and my 17-year-old son, who is on the autism spectrum and has a severe heart condition. His infectious laughter and boundless happiness often brighten my darkest days.
My mother's abuser, my brother, financially exploits her, using her money for his vices - tobacco, drugs, and alcohol. He receives food stamps meant for her, and she's left with barely enough to eat. She often survives on cereal or the occasional pizza delivery.
His abuse extends beyond financial exploitation. He physically assaults her, verbally abuses her, and threatens to harm her and her pets. He manipulates her into believing that she can't return to my home, leaving her with the sole option of a nursing home, which terrifies her.
I've made numerous calls to check her welfare via the police, but the response is always the same - she's fine. Adult protective services have been involved multiple times, yet they claim there's nothing they can do because no one has deemed her incompetent.
Her living conditions are deplorable, with a filthy house and even dog feces on the floor. My brother once allowed sewage to flood the house, and it took several calls and interventions to rectify the situation, which was funded by my mother's money.
Despite my efforts, he managed to cash in her life/funeral insurance, but I intervened to stop it. He took the check, which was marked as a stop payment, and even after the bank detected it, he withdrew $900 using her card.
Her weight has plummeted to a shocking 65 pounds due to poor nutrition and neglect. She used to receive Meals on Wheels, but he ate the meals meant for her. In the presence of her caregiver, he told her to "shut the F up," and she replied that she wished someone would help her get rid of him. When I reported this incident, Adult Protective Services promised to investigate.
My brother continuously manipulates her, and she's begged me for help behind his back. She's attempted to escape when he sleeps, but her efforts are thwarted. Her suffering makes me feel helpless and desperate, racing against time to rescue her from this nightmare.
This is my mother's story, a story of elder abuse that no one seems to hear. Please, help us bring her the justice and safety she deserves.