Mom Had Lonely Death In Nursing Home As Guardianship Industry Kept Daughter Away — This waking nightmare is in West Bradford, Chester County, Pa. and concerns Mary Bush and her mom, Genevieve.
The nightmare ended for Genevieve in 2021 when she died alone in Green Meadows Nursing Home in Paoli.
She had been kept in nursing homes since 2015 against her will, since being declared incapacitated in 2011.
Genevieve’s husband and Mary’s father, Fabian, died in 2004. A money dispute between Genevieve and her sons led to her revoking their power of attorney in 2005.
Genevieve also sued the sons saying they wrongfully took money from the estate. Chester County Common Pleas Court Robert J. Shenkin, however, ruled for the sons saying the investments they used had been made in their name.
So she rewrote her will in 2007 giving what remained of the estate to Mary and created a trust naming Mary as trustee.
“They already got their inheritance,” Mary said her mom told her about the sons.
And what remained was a nice bit as the family Cape Cod sat on 15 acres of prime real estate.
Mary and Genevieve refurbished the Cape Cod making it a beautiful place in which Genevieve could live the remainder of her years.
In 2008, she gifted the house and land to Mary rather than putting it in the trust because she wanted to be sure Mary got it.
The sons next step was to seek guardianship and filed a petition for declaration for incapacity. They hired attorney Alexander Chotkowski and on Oct. 30, 2009 a constable served the paper.
This started a process that put Genevieve into a guardianship in June 2011 and continued until Genevieve’s death in 2021.
While serving the paper constable kindly called the law firm of Reger, Rizzo and Darnall for a lawyer for Genevieve, who naively accepted.
The lawyer, Thomas K. Schindler, told Genevieve that she did not have to appear in person for any hearings despite the state code mandating that she do.
Judge Katherine B. L. Platt declared Genevieve to have Alzheimer’s disease. Mary says her mom was as sharp as anyone. She was still handling her own finances and maintaining the trust.
Judge Platt ruled that Mary and her younger brother be made guardians of the person while her older brother was made guardian of the estate, which meant he handled the money.
Judge Platt also ordered Mary to sign the house given as a gift back to her mother.
In 2013, Judge Platt removed Mary as guardian after a dispute with the younger brother and ordered her evicted from the house. She was replaced as co-guardian by an attorney who would soon quit. Two years later the younger brother was removed from his post after an incident, and Genevieve was taken from her long-time home to the county’s Pocopson Home.
The estate was charged $65,000 for her stay in Pocopson.
Mary found her neglected. She was sitting in her own waste and had visible injuries.
After complaints, Genevieve was moved to Park Lane at Bellingham in West Chester, which charged $14,000 per month.
This was in January 2016.
Mary wasn’t happy with Park Lane either and made complaints. The staff responded by banning Mary from seeing her mom, and told police to watch out for her if she arrived.
When Mary arrived Westtown-East Goshen Police were soon on the scene. They escorted her from the building, and one of the cops stuck his finger in her face.
“I heard about you,” he said. The cop slammed her to the ground and cuffed her. Mary was a 56-old-woman when this happened. Yes, she was injured. She was taken to the hospital.
The small upside is that she sued the police department and won.
However, it was 614 days before she saw her mom again.
“I counted them,” she said.
“She had no idea if I abandoned her or if I was dead or alive or nothing,” she said.
The visits came with conditions, though. It could only be at Adult Protective Services and a deputy sheriff had to be present. Also Mary had to pay for caregiver to sit with Genevieve in the van and Genevieve had to pay for the cost of the van.
And it could only be for one-hour a month.
Mary says her mom was a changed person. She was uncertain and sad.
Genevieve, however, recognized her and could carry on a conversation.
So much for the Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Judge Platt.
The visits stopped when the county authorities said Genevieve no longer had enough money to pay for the van.
This happened in August 2018. It was the last time Mary saw her mother.
Genevieve died June 16, 2021. It was 15 hours after the deed was secured by developers Cameron and Lauren Adams who brought the property for $480,000 cash.
That’s a refurbished Cape Cod on 15-acres in suburban Philadelphia for $480,000.
An autopsy was prohibited.
“My mom never got a funeral. The judge that was involved just threw her in the ground.”
Mary is still fighting. She is asking the orphan court to give the property back as she is the trustee and the trust has never been dissolved.
The attorney for the Adams is asking she be declared in contempt for the act and forced to pay legal fees.
The Adams have also filed charges of harassment and stalking against Mary because she has taken photos of the dumpsters full of things from house.
Mary is not backing down. She has become a national figure in exposing guardianship corruption even speaking at a Free Britney (Spears) event.
“I’m just so determined. As far I’m concerned they murdered my mom for money. For the last seven years, they kept me from Mom,” she said.
Here’s another view Mary Bush at #FreeBritney Los Angeles Sept 29, 2021 (youtube.com)
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Julian.
