When you think about the perfect crime, do you think of Danny Ocean’s crew pulling off the greatest casino heists in history in the Ocean’s Eleven movies? Or did you think about a novel you’ve read where the bad guy gets away with it because his crime was so perfect no one even knew a crime had been committed (think: murders made to look like suicides.) But if you ask current Michigan leaders about the perfect crime, they’ll tell you it’s elder abuse.
Michigan’s A.G. is hoping to address the issue of elder abuse
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, along with two state Supreme Court justices and two lawmakers, is travelling all over Michigan hosting a “listening tour”. The subject of the tour is ‘elder abuse’, and the people who are coming out to speak on the subject have all been personally impacted by it in some way. Loved ones whose finances were drained away by unscrupulous caregivers, or aged parents who were poorly cared for in unlicensed facilities.
A task force will be working to create new laws and investigate
Just three months after taking office, Nessel created the Michigan Elder Abuse Task Force, and she plans to make sweeping changes to Michigan’s laws, including the issue of guardianship, According to Nessel, there’s no greater way to lose your rights than to have a full guardianship placed over you. “In many ways it’s more restrictive than for a person who is convicted of a very serious crime and placed in the Department of Corrections.” She goes on to say that more thought goes into deciding “whether a person violated a speeding law or traffic-citation case” than into deciding guardianship.
Caring for the elderly is a very challenging business these days
This is a very difficult subject for many people. On the one hand, it makes perfect sense that people want their aging loved ones to be well cared for, especially as they become more fragile and less able to properly care for themselves. But providing round the clock care for aging and infirm people is very hard work. Working with dementia patients is exhausting and emotionally draining work. Being able to take the time to provide proper care for a fragile person is time consuming, and most facilities simply don’t have enough staff. And the staff who work there simply don’t earn enough when you consider their responsibilities.
Elder abuse takes many forms in Michigan
Although people tend to think of elder abuse as being physical abuse (which it sometimes is), there’s a lot more to it than that. Elder abuse can refer to financial abuse, where an elderly person is blackmailed, coerced, or simply forced to give up access to their money. In some cases the money is stolen from them and they don’t realize until it’s too late. Other forms of abuse include sexual assault, emotional abuse, or even neglect, which is a form of abuse. In almost every case this can result in very serious crimes, even when the caregiver did nothing more than make a mistake, or there was a misunderstanding.
If you’re accused of abuse, get help to defend yourself!
There is no type of alleged elder abuse that we haven’t dealt with successfully here at The Kronzek Firm. Whether its allegations of financial or fraud crimes, sexual assault, physical violence, or neglect, our experienced and skilled defense attorneys know how to help you. We understand how stressful this type of work can be, and how easily people can misunderstand good intentions. So call 866 766 5245 today and make sure your rights are protected and your future is well defended.