How One Woman Endured a Decade of Neglect in New York’s Guardianship System
Channel: ProPublica
Date: 2024-03-19

New York’s guardianship system is supposed to care for tens of thousands of the state’s most vulnerable residents, whom the courts have deemed unfit to take care of themselves. Despite progressive legislation passed three decades ago to enhance the protections offered to wards, a new ProPublica investigation found that today’s system is in shambles, leaving wards voiceless and forgotten, and giving rise to a cottage industry of nonprofits that exploit wards under their care. 

Reporter Jake Pearson chronicled how one woman endured a decade of neglect, living in a deteriorating Queens home with a collapsed roof and rat infestations. The investigation focused on New York Guardianship Services, which provided as few services as possible while withdrawing $450 in monthly compensation from hundreds of wards’ accounts. In this conversation, which originally happened live on Instagram, ProPublica reporter Jake Pearson and ProPublica editor Michael Mishak offer an exclusive look at how the investigation came together. 

Read the story here: https://propub.li/3wHYCLF 

NYGS executives declined to be interviewed for this story. In a statement, Sam Blau, the company’s chief financial officer, claimed that as a fiduciary he was barred from answering questions “about any specific client.” However, he noted, “we are accountable to the Court and our annual accounts and reports are scrutinized by Court-appointed examiners and any issues would be addressed.” 

In his statement, Blau called our reporting “misguided, without full and proper context, filled with omissions and less than accurate information.” But when we asked him to specify his concerns, he did not respond.

// Timestamps //
0:00 - Start
1:13 - One woman’s experience with NY’s Guardianship system
3:19 - Who are “The Unbefriended” 
6:14 - Outcomes of a broken guardianship system
8:35 - Who becomes a guardian
10:24 - Who oversees the guardians
13:08 - The gaps between Article 81’s promise and practice
17:54 - Oversight process
21:11 - Guardianship system improvement via policy
24:45 - How to get in contact with reporter Jake Pearson
26:14 - End

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