• The guardian and/or conservator treats you as an outsider instead of a relative, friend, or loved one.
• Your loved one doesn’t get his/her mail.
• The guardian/conservator sees to it that your loved one doesn’t have a phone.
• When you visit, the guardian “hovers” or even employs someone to hover so you’re not alone with your loved one.
• If your loved one is in a nursing home, you’re only allowed to visit in the dining room or recreation room.
• Your loved one appears to be more sluggish, perhaps even dazed.
• You start seeing questionable documents and realize financial accounts are closed or changed and the statements have been diverted to the guardian/conservator.
• You discover the taxes haven’t been paid — or even filed.
• The nursing facility tells you when you visit, you “upset” your family member or upset the staff.
• You are denied input about your loved one’s care – the doctor won’t talk to you – you are shut out.
• Items are missing items from your loved one’s home.
• The guardian/conservator refuses to take your call or answer your questions.

Here are some WARNING SIGNALS and signs of abuse our members told us about:

“When I asked the Guardian questions (and I asked a lot of them repeatedly), I received dishonest answers – answers that I knew were false.”

“In hindsight, in our particular case, the distant relative from Chicago, who was the first person to arrive in the emergency room at the hospital in Janesville WI, was too willing and very eager and too happy to help Aunt Helen in the position of temporary guardian.”

“The guardian’s background – a lawyer and a professional killer of wildlife, a fish & game commissioner. Disrespectful – above all.”

“The absolute arrogance in her voice as she made sure I knew she had taken over and was in charge – not me.”