A recent article in the Examiner alleges that Scott Phipps of Phisco Fiduciary committed elder abuse against a senior conservatee, Elinor Frerichs. Elder advocates argue that Scott Phipps kept Frerichs “confined and isolated” at Lakeside Park, her assisted living facility in Oakland. If true, the fiduciary may have violated the rights provided to conservatees in the state of California.
Conservatee’s Rights in California
According to the Notice of Conservatee’s Rights, our state makes clear that, when an elderly person becomes a conservatee, they do not lose all rights to handle decisions. Indeed, “he or she does not necessarily lose the right to take part in important decisions affecting his or her property and way of life.” The conservatee is entitled to “ask questions and to express concerns and complaints about the conservatorship and the actions of his or her conservator.”