Elder abuse doesn’t have to be physical or emotional to qualify. It can also be financial. A shocking case right in our home town shows just how far a caretaker can go to mess with a patient’s financial life. Luckily, the perpetrator was caught and is now going to federal prison.
The nursing home adminstrator, Denise M. Bailey, of Danielsville is going to federal prison for stealing more than $300,000 in disability benefits from a veteran. According to one of the investigating agents the veteran “…was not capable of managing his financial affairs.” The VA had appointed Bailey to be the fiduciary of the veteran and was ordered to use the money from the VA only for his needs.
The VA deposited over $300,000 into a special account with Bailey as the administrator. It was drained in four days into her nursing home’s account, then into personal accounts. The family of the veteran wasn’t even notified that a payment had came through. To hide her tracks, she tried to submit fraudulent bills to the VA to justify the withdrawals.
A decision on restitution to the veteran’s family has yet to be determined.
We hope that the family can also gain compensation from this person in the court of law. If you believe that your loved one’s finances are being mismanaged, contact Schenk Smith Trial Attorneys. We will help you get to the bottom of it.
