Conservators: cons and pros

As a licensed clinical social worker, I read the Nov. 13 first article in the four-part series “Guardians for Profit” on court-appointed conservators with great interest -- and pain. How appalling that our most vulnerable population is being so exploited and that our judicial system is so apathetic to what is really going on: Greed run amok. Your series on the elderly and the conservator con game is an example of journalism at its finest.

Hopefully it will help educate the public, including the judges who so willingly aid and abet the criminal conduct of the so-called conservatorship clan.

ELAINE TANAY

West Hills

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Re “When a Family Matter Turns Into a Business,” Nov. 13

An important article, but so one-sided. Abuses among bad conservators are horrifying.

Equally horrifying are cases in which people need but don’t have conservatorship; your article gave almost zero weight to them -- why?

As a neuro-psychologist who evaluates decision-making capacity, here are the kinds of stories I’ve seen:

* A man with Alzheimer’s signs away his $2-million estate to his drug-addicted daughter; this asset could have paid for his care at home.

* An elderly woman depletes her savings on mail sweepstakes schemes.

* A woman with dementia and diabetes insists that she can care for herself, but does not eat or take insulin properly; she is home alone in filth.

In such cases one sees the need for an expedited legal process. I have seen professional conservators who show integrity, depth of knowledge and compassion. So please don’t scare people away like that.

REBECCA GOODMAN

Santa Barbara

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I was appalled and disgusted after reading the Sunday article on conservators. Why aren’t there more legal safeguards to protect the elderly from such predators? These professional conservators should more aptly be named “spendators.”

An independent watchdog agency needs to be set in place to prevent these abuses from happening, and let’s hope it occurs before even more people are victimized and end up watching their life savings drain away into the scavengers’ pockets.

SANDRA COURSER

Sherman Oaks