In another case that is still on appeal to this day, Betty Roberts, an 83-year old devoted mother of two wonderful daughters had been diagnosed with dementia. Prior to this time, her life had resolved around her daughters, visiting them constantly, going on family vacations with them, joining them for hair appointments and manicures and celebrating holidays and birthdays with them.
In September 2017, one daughter, LaVerne questioned Betty’s live-in boyfriend David about her care and finances. Following that argument, David kidnapped Betty and took her to Las Vegas to be married (although I would not call it a “wedding”). He then prevented Betty from seeing her daughters as he brainwashed her to believe that they were stealing from her, and wanted to “control her” and put her in a nursing home. He managed to instill fear and distrust in Betty to the extent that she no longer wanted to see her daughters.
This is truly my worst fear as a mother: that if I were to be diagnosed in my later years with dementia, that my own beloved children would be devastated by the unholy trio of incompetence, cronyism and misogny that is so prevalent in the probate courts.
The Netflix movie “I Care A Lot” is based on real stories that are transpiring all over the nation. The movie accurately depicts the emotional anguish and frustration that families all over the nation are experiencing at the hands of untrained, unsupervised and unaccountable judges, attorneys and professional fiduciaries.
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