Protecting The Elderly and Especially Our Mother

My mother lives in Sunrise senior care in Bellevue.  It is an upscale place for seniors with dementia.  This year she has had two checks written that can’t be explained.  One for $3200 and one for $1500.  The $1500 check was stolen and written by a Sunrise staff CNA named Marlene.  She was fired without being reported to the Washington State board that handles nursing licenses.  Thus she will just move on and prey on the elderly elsewhere.

My sister and I find this situation intolerable.  We are following up with Officer Slusser of the Bellevue Police Department on case #13-47xyz.   Talking with Officer Slusser today was a pleasure.  He listened, asked what he could to help and took steps in that direction by calling the Sunrise manager, Jared Gruber.  Unfortunately, Jared was not available.

Physically my mother and I are only a few miles apart.  Emotionally, my mother and I are not close at all.  Nonetheless, it is not okay for her to have money stolen from her by Sunrise staff with no consequences beyond getting a new CNA job.

There is little I can do directly in this matter.  Our mother has given her Power of Attorney to Ladd Leavins a downtown Seattle lawyer that thinks it is okay for her Morgan Stanley account to be churned by her broker, Robert Zorich, for $20,000 this year alone.  I can work with Officer Slusser of the Bellevue PD, the WA State Nursing Board and WA State Adult Protective Services to make sure it is well known at Sunrise that while our mother might be easy prey to steal from, there are consequences that will last a lifetime if those would prey on her get caught.

I am extremely grateful for a society of law and order that seeks to protect its most vulnerable citizens from abuse.  As a person with a profound disability, this means a great deal to me.