This is a story of the death of Margaret, a travesty of justice. It’s what happens when people jump to conclusions without obtaining all the facts (or even half the facts) and don’t consider the consequences of the actions they take. This is a story of how one of the most respected seniors of Apache Junction was not allowed to live as she wished. This is a story of how she was killed at the hands of Pinal County Fiduciary Department and Adult Protective Services. This is a story of how the lives of her two caregivers were turned into shambles by this same department. This is a story of how to not treat the elderly in order to protect them. And, unfortunately, this is a story that didn’t have to happen. Margaret shouldn’t be dead, yet. Most importantly, This is a story that should NEVER happen again.
Their removal of Margaret from her home against her wishes and the subsequent sale of her home ultimately killed her. You don’t need to take my word for it, her doctor will tell you the same thing. Margaret’s best chance for reaching 100 years old, her primary goal, was best if she could have stayed in her home and I could have continued to take care of her. Too bad they didn’t know that was what she wanted. But then, they never interviewed me.
Due to the actions of Geraldine Roll, Ernie Appel and the (honorable?) Judge Wharton, Margaret’s life was taken from her, her caregiver’s lives were trashed, and Margaret’s wishes were never realized. One caregiver lost a job that she quit a good career to do, just because she loved Margaret so much. I lost most everything I owned and all of what I would’ve owned if Margaret could have waited to pass away in two or three years. Yet, her strength wasn’t strong enough without my care.
Three lives were either lost or completely ruined, because of one agency’s failure to fully investigate whatever they thought they were supposed to investigate. Since they couldn’t charge me with anything and Margaret was never in any danger or apparent threat, had no marks or injuries anywhere on her body, there was absolutely no reason for the action they took.
One would have thought, with the way Margaret looked for a 98yr, they would never have questioned the care that Margaret was getting. She looked like she was in her eighties. She looked great for a 98yr woman. But for some reason, they did question her care, yet they never questioned me. The question that I never got answered, is why. Why did they remove Margaret from her home? Why did they sell her home out from under her and leave her to die somewhere with no rights and no connection to her loved ones? Why did they take her dignity away from her?
In respect to her own care, she had no say-so in what they did to her. All I know, is that they were not concerned about how she was living. They weren’t even concerned about how she died. Apparently. they weren’t concerned about her at all. I wish I could tell you what their concern was.
I often wonder if the reason that they could have done this was that the county wasn’t getting the optimum tax return on her property because the valuation on her property was frozen in 2006 to keep the taxes low. This is something most seniors do. Her taxes were still being assessed at a 2006 valuation, not 2015 valuation. I don’t want to think that our government could have taken her life by being that micro-managing. But then, I’ve been accused of being naive more than once.
Their actions were definitely deadly for Margaret. Although I’m still alive, my life has been totally ruined. I break down every time I see a commercial for a reverse mortgage, simply because it reminds me of Margaret. I try not to think about the way Margaret had to die, because of the actions of these people, but I can’t help it. I end up breaking down when I do. It was exactly the way she didn’t want to die. Why was she forced to? Because of the actions of these people, Geraldine Roll, Ernie Appel, and the (honorable?) Judge Wharton, to not choose life over death.
And all for want of a reason…I can now understand how people who’ve lost everything to a natural disaster like flood, fire or earthquake feel. I have to accept what has happened. Except for the fact that their loss was due to a natural disaster, or “an act of God”, where they had no choice, it wouldn’t feel so bad. Margaret’s and my loss was directly due to the irresponsibility of a “gung-ho” gang of county officials who sought nothing more than to destroy the lives of those helping others.
Too bad their actions ended up being the death of Margaret.
It was fear that led them to do this. Fear directs everything that happens in a government run by Republicans. With a party designed to be controlled by fear, what else can you expect?
That means that it was fear that was responsible for the death of Margaret.
