Most Popular
-
Barack Obama and Me
It was the year 2000 and I was a young hungry reporter in Chicago covering a young hungry state legislator
-
A Prison Cover-up During Hurricane Rita
For days after the storm, inmates in Beaumont lived without A/C, electricity or hot meals. Press releases kept saying everything inside was fine. Guards and prisoners agree — that was nothing but B.S.
-
-
It's Hip to Be Square at Masraff's
Continental cuisine is over, so why would anybody want to eat at this retirees' hang-out on South Post Oak Lane?
-
Movie Pirates
That couple in the back row — they're making out big time, but not in the way you think
-
Barack Obama and Me (257)
It was the year 2000 and I was a young hungry reporter in Chicago covering a young hungry state legislator
-
A Prison Cover-up During Hurricane Rita (24)
For days after the storm, inmates in Beaumont lived without A/C, electricity or hot meals. Press releases kept saying everything inside was fine. Guards and prisoners agree — that was nothing but B.S.
-
What's the Problem Houston? (6)
The city's skuzzy alt-rock scene thinks it is dying
-
Are You Hot Enough for Citizen Lounge? (7)
All This Useless Beauty
-
It's Hip to Be Square at Masraff's (4)
Continental cuisine is over, so why would anybody want to eat at this retirees' hang-out on South Post Oak Lane?
-
Barack Obama and Me
It was the year 2000 and I was a young hungry reporter in Chicago covering a young hungry state legislator
-
A Prison Cover-up During Hurricane Rita
For days after the storm, inmates in Beaumont lived without A/C, electricity or hot meals. Press releases kept saying everything inside was fine. Guards and prisoners agree — that was nothing but B.S.
-
-
Movie Pirates
That couple in the back row — they're making out big time, but not in the way you think
-
-
Paris Hilton Does Her Best Angelina Jolie Impression
12:57PM 03/21/08 -
"Foxy Lady" to "Bitch": Dayna Steele's Houston Radio Odyssey
11:22AM 03/21/08 -
Aeros Win, as Does Britany
10:52AM 03/21/08 -
Scenes from a Farmers’ Market in Monterrey, Mexico
02:02PM 03/21/08
What we are writing about
- American Gangster
- Amy Sillman: Suitors...
- birth defects
- Bob Dylan
- Christmas Tree-O
- Continental Club
- Houston art
- Houston local music
- Houston music stores
- Houston Rockets
- Houston theater
- I'm Not There
- illegal immigrants
- Main Street Theater
- McGonigel's Mucky Duck
- Meridian
- Perspectives 158:...
- players' scoring averages
- Proletariat
- Rudyard's
- Rumors
- Sig's Lagoon
- Somerville
- Sound Exchange
- toxic industrial...
- Toyota Center
- Turkeys of the Year
- Verizon Wireless Theater
- Warehouse Live
- Wii
Recent Articles By Todd Spivak
-
Texas coin companies target elderly investors
Heads you lose, tails you lose
-
Heads You Lose, Tails You Lose: Lie, Puke and Say No
Coin brokers are taught that customers aren't trustworthy
-
Woodwind Lakes subdivision built on oil and gas field turns on neighbor who pointed out the contamination
-
Woodwind Lakes: Danger — Baby on Board
Two feet below the inviting backyard was a sludge pit bubbling toxic waste
-
Woodwind Lakes: County Gofers
With a lot of prompting, HCAD files a lawsuit the neighbors never did
National Features
-
Village Voice
A Long Way Wrong?
Another celebrated memoir threatens to blow into a million little pieces.
By Graham Rayman -
LA Weekly
Hoop Dawg
Billionaire Donald T. Sterling owns the L.A. Clippers and loves the ladies. And those are just two of his problems.
By Patrick Range McDonald -
The Pitch
Children of the Porn
Elvin Boone's sex-shop empire crumbles as his offspring feud.
By Justin Kendall -
Westword
The Good Soldier
When the Army tried to take down Andrew Pogany, they messed with the wrong coward.
By Joel Warner
Taking Care
Continued from page 1
Published: April 19, 2007Judge Austin apparently was also hip to the Press story. He pushed Hill's case to the bottom of the docket, then called Hilsher, LeDoux and Purdie back to his private chambers for a 30-minute pow-wow before proceeding.
In a rare rebuff to a guardian ad litem's recommendation, Austin ignored LeDoux's report, cleared the way for Lise Liddell to become guardian two weeks later and on March 19 officially set Hill free.
“The judge told our lawyer he was fast-tracking the case because of the Press article,” says Lise Liddell, adding that Austin also inquired about her father's law firm. “He didn't want the county to be portrayed negatively.”
A couple days after the hearing, Marvin Evans and a friend carried Margie Hill upstairs to her bedroom, where she lay surrounded by photographs of family and friends.
“She looked like a little girl,” Lise Liddell says, “with the covers under her chin and the biggest smile on her face.”
Home health care nurses now visit Hill several times a week, paid for by Medicare insurance. Dr. James Skelton, who specializes in internal medicine and long-term care, has made house calls to examine Hill. He praises Evans for taking excellent care of her by cooking, cleaning and administering medications.
“Everything here is just right for my mama,” Evans says. “I've been doing this for years; ain't nothing different.”
Evans says he is thrilled to have his mother back home where she belongs. But he shudders to think of other cases that end less happily.
“The county degraded my mama,” he says. “They took an elderly lady and threw her into any old nursing home.”
The Liddells spent $20,000 on attorney fees and $8,500 upgrading Hill to a better nursing home. They are still waiting to get Hill's Social Security check transferred back into her bank account.
It took weeks to undo the damage done at Lexington Place and get Hill's blood-sugar levels back under control. And it took months to navigate through red tape before the county would even allow Hill to leave Lexington Place. “At first, I thought we'd have her out of that joint in a week,” Lise Liddell says.
Judge Austin and attorneys Hilsher and LeDoux did not respond to interview requests for this article.
“We handled the [Hill] case like we would normally handle other guardianship cases,” Estella Olguin, community relations director for Harris County Protective Services, wrote the Press in a recent e-mail.
Olguin credited the Press for teaching the county about a valuable resource: 4-1-1 directory assistance. “As a result of this case,” Olguin wrote, “we did learn that it is sometimes possible to locate people in other parts of the country by dialing information.”
What a tragedy, not only for the elderly woman but her family as well. The county should be ashamed. I will say I'm not surprised by the statement of one of those involved on the county's behalf, who said "We didn't treat this case any differently than all the others (basically)". The "rubber stamp" procedures are common throughout government entities. Something as simple as a call to another state's 411 services could have saved this family thousands of dollars, dollars which I doubt they will recover from the county unless further legal services are retained. That's my two cents, if you have change, throw it in the comments.
Comment by Dan — April 21, 2007 @ 12:48PM
“We handled the [Hill] case like we would normally handle other guardianship cases,” Estella Olguin, community relations director for Harris County Protective Services, wrote the Press in a recent e-mail.
Now that's downright scary. Apparently the elderly and vulnerable aren't safe in Harris County with HCPS "protecting" them then.
Josette LeDoux, Scott Hilsher, and Elizabeth Pena should be fired. Now. Not one of them had Margie Hill's interest or wishes in mind. Not one of them listened to HER. They were too busy with their own self importance. Will they listen the next time? No, that's apparent by Estella Olguin's comments. Where's the apology to Margie Hill? Where's the apology to her family? Where's the remorse for invading the Hill family's lives and turning them into a living hell?
The county should be forced to reimburse the Liddells for the county's inefficiency and abuse of Margie Hill.
Shame on everyone involved in Margie Hill's needless and cruel nighmare. Shame.
Sincerely,
Elaine Renoire
www.abusiveguardianships.com
Comment by Elaine Renoire — April 21, 2007 @ 09:42PM
How can such an event occur? What is our legal system comming to? How can we change these types of things? Do we need to vote cetain people out of office? I would love to see an article that gives us a way to remove the type of managment that allow this type of event.
Comment by Cliff — April 25, 2007 @ 05:48AM
And who is going to pay her back for the $30,00. ?
Comment by annie mckenna — August 5, 2007 @ 03:13PM
And who is going to pay her back for the $30,00. ? My mother is also being raped by the abusive guardianship proceedings in New York. These tragedies are secretly happening all over the US. To hear my mothers stories as well as others go to www,youtube.com and search the words guardian, conservator, abuse, elderly, etc. You will be shocked. Contact me at friday@optonline.net and let me know what you think.
Annie McKenna
Comment by annie mckenna — August 5, 2007 @ 03:17PM
And who is going to pay her back for the $30,00. ? My mother is also being raped by the abusive guardianship proceedings in New York. These tragedies are secretly happening all over the US. To hear my mothers stories as well as others go to www,youtube.com and search the words guardian, conservator, abuse, elderly, etc. You will be shocked. Contact me at friday@optonline.net and let me know what you think.
Annie McKenna
Comment by annie mckenna — August 5, 2007 @ 03:18PM