Reflections on the Verdict from the Brooke Astor Trial

Dorian,

I also knew about this news. The first time I heard about it was when the grandson sued his father. This year the verdict came and even the grandson is surprised about his father's guilt.

It is so sad that the son would do such a thing. One thing I don't understand is she had lots of money for a good home care or an expensive Catholic nursing home. Maybe the son really wanted to let her go "naturally". It is unthinkable. They said his wife made him do it. Still as a son, this is just incredible and is every mother's nightmare! I am sad that the grandson had to sue his Dad and thus become the whistle blower - it imust be hard for him to deal with his father.

I think the real issue here is the moral responsiblity of adult children. Astor denied all these abuses of course and the lawyer said he loved his mother. Well, it does not seem that way. Astor is about 84 now. I wonder what he thinks about it when he himsefl may need care if he gets Alzheimer's???

Regards,

Nina

I also think it is the society the created such monster like Marshall. He had every power to manage it properly for his mother so everyone could live happily. But he chose to go down the horrible path.

The value of life plays a role. Marshall probably looked down upon the value of life when one gets Alzheimer's. What if he gets Alzheimer's in prison? I wonder if his own son would care for him? It is such tragedy for the family.

Nina

As a society we are failing to confront the challenges we are going to face with a large aging population. The stories of elder abuse are shocking and abhorrent ranging from financial to physical to mental abuse. And they are happening every day. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) and WITNESS, an international human rights organization, are producing videos about elder abuse to help build support for passage of the Elder Justice Act in Congress. You can watch some of the videos they have produced on the Elder Justice Now campaign site:http://elderjusticenow.org/videos/ . Elected officials need to hear from constituents on this issue.

For nearly three decades, Congress has failed to pass a law aimed at stopping elder abuse.

But there is a real chance that the Elder Justice Act could pass this year.

If enacted, the Elder Justice Act will share best practices nationwide and provide education, awareness and training to consumers, law enforcement and financial institutions. It will also increase the ability to prosecute elder abuse and ensure that front line workers have the resources and information they need to help the nation's elders.

Take action by visiting www.ElderJusticeNow.org

I want to give you a quick update about what's going on in our elder justice campaign - The National Council on Aging (NCOA) and WITNESS screened the new elder justice campaign video at a briefing on Capitol Hill today! Go to http://elderjusticenow.org/ and be one of the first to view the new video.

"An Age for Justice: Confronting Elder Abuse in America," a new video produced by the Elder Justice Now campaign, shows the families and individuals whose lives have been turned upside down by elder abuse.

The video provides stark proof of the financial, emotional, physical and psychological impact of the violence and abuse that an estimated five million Americans face every day.

We hear from Vicki Bastion, 92, who installed a security gate inside her home to protect her and what valuables she had left from her grandson and his gang‐related friends; Betty Beckle talks about her daughter beating her; Bob Lee tells us about his father, who was victimized by a paid caregiver; and Pat Wilson tells us about her husband, who has Alzheimer's disease and was victimized financially by a young woman in Las Vegas. The video was produced by NCOA and WITNESS, to shine the light on what one interviewee called a "dark mark on our humanity."

Watch the video and take action on this issue at http://elderjusticenow.org/!