Suzanne Araneo’s memories were gone. And so was just about everything else.
“It was like a knife through my heart,” said Araneo, 67, recalling the scene when she returned. “There was not one single thing left.”According to a lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Monmouth County, she had been coerced while heavily medicated to sign what is known as a durableagreement that essentially handed over total control of her life to someone she had never met.
The lawsuit charged that within days of signing that agreement all of Araneo’s possessions would be taken, liquidated or converted. Furniture was sold off, personal papers discarded and bank accounts raided.The complaint, which included accusations of false imprisonment, unjust enrichment, and breach of contract — as well as a violation of her rights as a nursing home resident — named Anchor Care, along with Stern.
Following an 11-day stay at the hospital, Araneo, who lives alone, was admitted to Anchor Care in February 2021 for what she expected to be a short-term period rehabilitation. She then had hoped to be discharged home not long afterward, the lawsuit stated. However, according to the lawsuit, she was soon placed on a number of psychiatric medications at the nursing home for treatment of anxiety and depression that, taken with other drugs that had been prescribed for neuropathy, frequently result in serious side effects — including dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, and difficulty concentrating.
The filing added that Araneo did in fact execute a general durable power of attorney with the full understanding of its terms and conditions being necessary in order to obtain Medicaid benefits. Araneo was ultimately found competent in October and only then was she discharged. When she finally returned home, she said just about everything she owned was by was no longer there.
And in Florida, the state’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in May arrested a man who allegedly used a power-of-attorney agreement to steal $40,000 from an elderly victim residing in a Medicaid-receiving facility. Officials said the individual made multiple withdrawals from the victim’s bank account for personal use, including back-rent to a marina. The state Attorney General’s office said the money should have been spent on medical bills, property taxes and care for the victim.
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