Follow
Share

I am a caregiver to my loved one who is 74. I pay a private caregiver while Im at work. His family who never visited him or called him before his stroke and has not offered to help called Adult Protection Services falsely accusing me of neglect, leaving him home alone, and financial abuse. Only one son has come to visit him on 2 occasions. I am finding that caregivers are guilty until proven innocent. Are there any groups who protect caregivers.

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Find Care & Housing
Interesting and unsettling question for a sad situation. I don't know of any such groups and think you'll probably have to do as much as you can to refute the charges then possibly retain legal counsel. I'm a firm believer in fighting back and turning the tables on someone who would make such accusations.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

When APS investigates it should be really easy to show that a caregiver is with your loved one while you work. They do not consider you "guilty" unless they find evidence that something is wrong.

What is no doubt really behind this is money. The "financial abuse" claim is a clue. Again, APS will have to investigate but you are not considered guilty upfront.

We seriously need an agency to protect our vulnerable population. If some poor stroke victim who can't protect his own rights is being taken advantage of, we need some way to trigger an investigation. But that opens the door to lots of false accusations.

Is your loved one able to speak for himself? Can he tell the APS person what is really going on?
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

I too had false allegations of financial exploitation filed on me by greedy siblings. This was false reporting and beginning July 2014 it is a crime in my state to file reports that are known to be false. It was solely sisters vindictiveness that caused this. APS closed the case within about 6 weeks, and it took that long because once he was here, saw what was going on he was not concerned. He actually told me when he left that he loves investigating cases like this because it is normally one family member taking very good care of a parent. The six weeks was a bit stressful, but I knew I had not done anything to investigate. And when the case closed, he found that I didn't even have access to my Mom's assets! Why would the sibling that holds the checkbook make such an outrageous claim?! Who the heck knows! When this happened I retained a lawyer, because aI had no idea what sibs would accuse me of! And a care agreement was supposed to be coming that would need legal review. Still waiting for that. But, soon, I think.

My only advice would be to be forthcoming and honest with the investigator.
Helpful Answer (2)
Report

It should be illegal to make false allegations. The social worker said he doesn't have to tell me what I'm being accused of and the status of case. Although he found the accusations false he the system protects the caller. The system is being used to be vindictive. My loved one was so stress out that he was going to be removed . these people don't know what they put not only the caregiver but the person your caring for through
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

If this happened to me regarding my Mom I would hunt down my accuser with a vengeance!!! ~"Just saying"
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

CECE, I agree that is should be illegal to knowingly request for investigation based solely in false allegations. In my case, the investigator also said that he didn't have time to deal with false allegations and also that it was purely spite that the investigation was requested. Because of his time spent on cases worthy of his time, and I do not fault him for that, it took six weeks to close the case, with a note to the file of the family dysfunction. I would love for a judge to see that, as they are the only ones that will ever see it, unless a guardian and conservator are appointed.
Helpful Answer (4)
Report

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Ask a Question
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter