By ESTELLE SLOOTMAKER: For Complete Post, Click Here…
Very few court-appointed guardianship cases reflect the plot of the popular Netflix movie “I Care a Lot,” in which Rosamund Pike plays a predatory guardian who makes a living swindling the elders she’s supposed to protect. However, similar situations are still unfortunately common enough that many Michigan providers and activists are working hard to ensure the guardianship system effectively serves Michigan’s older adults.
Alison Hirschel is director and managing attorney of the Michigan Elder Justice Initiative (MEJI), elder law attorney at the Michigan Poverty Law Program, and serves on Michigan’s Elder Abuse Task Force. The task force is comprised of more than 100 individuals representing 55 organizations who are dedicated to addressing abuse, neglect, and exploitation of Michigan’s vulnerable older adults. One focus of the task force is making sure that court-appointed guardianships and conservatorships truly serve the people they are supposed to protect and support.