County Public Guardian Put on Leave, Escorted out of Building

America’s dirty little secret, guardianship abuse and the kidnapping and imprisonment of the elderly against their will, is slowly being exposed as more and more people wake up to this nightmare and are willing to speak up against the atrocities that are taking place all across the country. Widespread systemic abuse of the elderly and the disabled is unfortunately the norm in America. In Santa Clara County, California, the head of the Public Guardian office, Don Moody, was escorted out of his office this week and placed on paid administrative leave “in the wake of a report that pointed to widespread dysfunction under his watch.”

I look forward to the day when Mary Giordano, elder care attorney with Franchina and Giordano, finally is forced to pay for the crimes committed against my own mother.

By Jennifer Wadsworth @jennwadsworth

September 26, 2014

A high-ranking Santa Clara County official was placed on paid leave Thursday in the wake of a report that pointed to widespread dysfunction under his watch.

Don Moody, the public administrator/guardian/conservator, was escorted out of his office, sources tell San Jose Inside. County spokeswoman Gwen Mitchell confirmed that Moody was relieved of his duties for the time being but declined to elaborate.

“He’s out on leave, and it’s a personnel matter,” she said. “That’s all I can say.”

Moody came on board nearly six years ago as head of the Public Guardian’s office, a branch of the Social Services Administration (SSA) that takes financial control of adults who are unable to care for themselves and with no family or friends to care for them. His termination comes weeks after the county placed another SSA official—John Vartanian, director of the Department of Child Support Services—on paid leave for racking up travel rewards using public money.

During his tenure, Moody’s department has repeatedly come under scrutiny by the media, the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury and internal audits.

A grand jury report out this summer—the second in as many years—noted that Moody fails to track the amount of work and number of clients he handles. The people he hires to manage clients’ property don’t go through a thorough background check, the report found. Instead of having a panel of experts determine whether to assume control of a person’s estate, effectively revoking their civil rights, the decision lies with one person. And for years, countless referrals from the court have reportedly fallen through the cracks.

The latest grand jury report was spurred by a complaint that the office mishandled a case in which a client died before being conserved by the county.

“The grand jury’s inquiry into this case led to a broader examination of the safety net provided … for seniors who are not able to advocate for themselves, have no one else to advocate for them, and whose cognitive abilities are severely compromised,” the report explains.

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http://abc7news.com/archive/9134284/