Help Protect Elderly Parents from Systemic Failures & Abuse

Hello!

I'm doing my best, within my means and abilities, to advocate for the needs of my mother and father - medically, emotionally, socially, physically, and financially.

Currently, I feel like I'm facing a losing battle trying to go up against "the system," which is failing them on so many levels.

About my mother:

My 80-year-old mother raised 5 children, one of whom faced serious health care issues his entire 40 years (sadly passed away in 2018). In addition to always nurturing and caring for her family and friends, she spent countless years volunteering in the community, raised money for the American Cancer Society, assisted my father with his business, worked for the local school district as a cook, and later spent several years as a Nutrition Services Supervisor for the local hospital.

She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. It has been heartbreaking to watch and experience her cognitive decline.

Against the wishes of myself and my father, and without anyone trying less restrictive alternatives first, she was moved into a Memory Care Center last year.

On February 6, 2025, she was physically assaulted by staff, resulting in care from the local hospital Emergency Department. In addition to her current injuries, there have been other grievances, including but not limited to: serious urinary tract infections (UTIs) due to negligence of her hygiene, theft of personal property/valuables, medical needs ignored, and mistreatment by staff.

Unfortunately, the Care Facility is covering up the abuse. They are claiming that she took a fork and tried to kill herself. To make matters worse, the facility is working in close collaboration with a court-appointed guardian and conservator - and NOT in the best interests of my mother. The negligence, abuse, false narrative, and abuse of power are preposterous.

About my father:

My father is an Army Veteran who proudly served in a medical capacity during the Vietnam War era. He married my mother in 1970 and looks forward to celebrating their 55th anniversary in September. He opened his small private eye clinic in 1974 and supported a family of 7 (plus dogs)! As a small business owner, he unfortunately never had a retirement savings and sadly didn't plan well for their long-term care needs at this stage of their life. However, he did a lot of good things for others during his career. He supported and financially sponsored local baseball leagues, was a financial sponsor and business mentor for local participants in the Miss Minnesota pageant system, volunteered extensively through the Chamber of Commerce, was a financial supporter of the Ronald McDonald Home for Families and Children with Cancer, and so much more. He was a pillar of great values in the community.

Around the time of my brother's death, my father was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He has had knee replacements on both legs and developed severe arthritis and neuropathy in both his hands and feet. He struggles from a traumatic brain injury, consistently high blood pressure, and most recently, was diagnosed with dementia. Despite all of this, he is fiercely independent and wants to stay in their home as long as possible. He has been approved for homecare support services and I've set up a significant amount of resources for him - including contracts for snow shoveling, lawn mowing, light cleaning, medical transportation to visit his wife, Adult Day Program for socializing, clothing/food vouchers, and more. Of course, he's very appreciative of the support.

Help needed:

I'm hopeful to raise funds to cover legal expenses necessary to retain an attorney and litigator. At this point, legal counsel is absolutely necessary to properly advocate for my mother and father's medical needs and services. I've tried to do as much of this on my own with my limited resources. Personally, I've already spent thousands of dollars and done as much legal advocating as I can on my own. Ideally, it would have been helpful to have already had an attorney involved. However, in attempting to be fiscally responsible and resourceful, I've done my best to this point.

In order to move forward, it has become evident that legal counsel is critical. We need the fierce advocacy and independent mouthpiece of an attorney to effectively navigate the system for us. It has become clear that without legal support, their needs, safety, care, and best interests will not be properly addressed.

Financial Needs:

After consulting with an Elder Law Attorney, recommended by a friend, the following is their estimate for legal fees:

$10,000 - minimum retainer fee

$50,000 - fees for representation to appeal the current court order

These are the minimums that they quoted. Depending on how the case proceeds, it's uncertain how much the final legal expenses will be.

100% of the funds raised will go to the legal fees.