March 2021 by Greg O.
I served as conservator, and earlier, as de facto conservator, to my mother for many years. After a long standing combative relationship with my mother's Trustees became untenable, I stepped down and the conservatorship was passed to a professional fiduciary: Mandell and Movsesian. For years before they became conservator, mom's doctor had been lowering the amount of my mother's nutrition which was delivered through a feeding pump. In spite of this, and the fact the visiting RN from hospice had examined my mother for lack of nutrition and wasting issues each visit, (one to two times a week and was in direct contact with moms Doctor), they brought in their own nurse and nutritionists. They waited until the hospice nurse was out of town so she could not protest giving mom more liquids. As a result of an inordinate amount of fluids, mom began to aspirate and choke within 24 hours. I spoke to the conservators and was asked what I know about what happened. I told them I saw that the nutrition pump was set to give a greater amount of fluids over the same period of time and was told, essentially, this was none of my business. There were overtones of retribution, like not allowing me to visit my mother If I brought up such things. I was told just to be happy to be able "to visit and be with my mother." This was not the only time they threatened me in this manner. I don't believe that a professional would treat their client in this manner, nor client's family, who cared for her for decades, in this manner.
