“The Unbefriended”
How New York Fails Its Most Vulnerable
In New York, more than 28,000 adults are under the care of legally appointed guardians. But the system is in shambles, and weak oversight has enabled guardians to abuse, neglect and defraud the very people they are supposed to care for.
How One Woman Endured a Decade of Neglect in New York’s Guardianship System
Judith Zbiegniewicz lived in squalor, yet every month, her legally appointed guardian was paid $450 from her bank account. She is one of the thousands of vulnerable New Yorkers left stranded by a system meant to protect them.
Judge Orders Guardianship Firm to Return Thousands It Took From an Elderly Woman for Services It Never Provided
New York Guardianship Services had billed Judith Zbiegniewicz $450 a month for court-ordered care, but a judge found the company provided “minimal services, if any” for years, including at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
