World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is on June 15th, and I will always think of Casey Kasem on that day. It was his last day on earth. Kerri Kasem has tirelessly fought to end the abuse that Casey Kasem endured.
ISOLATION. I was privileged to make a dent in the isolation by getting Kerri and her sister in to see their dad before he died.
ISOLATION is almost always the beginning of worse abuse, as it was for Casey Kasem. Jean Kasem isolated Casey Kasem from his children from the first marriage, his brother, his manager, his co-workers, and his friends. When she moved him to facilities (there were several), she instructed them “NO VISITORS.” I believe she threatened to sue them if they allowed anyone but her to see him. If she visited at all, it was infrequent.
ISOLATION is devastating, especially as our health deteriorates. Sadly, there is a website titled “How to Steal an Estate.” Isolate, medicate, get legal documents signed giving you the estate, steal the estate, then cremate (so no one can know how over-medicated the person was).
WE MUST END ISOLATION!! It takes a village. If you see someone being isolated, speak up. Call their family members.
Due to the efforts of Kerri Kasem and others, we have laws on the books giving family members visitation rights. These supplement the right every patient in a hospital, nursing home, or assisted living facility has to visitors. Visitors cannot be legally denied without a restraining order in any facility. We keep fighting to make it clear that ISOLATION won’t be tolerated. We all need to remind others that it is wrong to keep someone from people they care about (even if those people are ‘bad’).
Please join me today and reach out to someone you know who might be isolated.
“Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.” —Casey Kasem
