“The Unbefriended”
How New York Fails Its Most Vulnerable
In New York, more than 28,000 adults are under the care of legally appointed guardians. But the system is in shambles, and weak oversight has enabled guardians to abuse, neglect and defraud the very people they are supposed to care for.
How One Woman Endured a Decade of Neglect in New York’s Guardianship System
Judith Zbiegniewicz lived in squalor, yet every month, her legally appointed guardian was paid $450 from her bank account. She is one of the thousands of vulnerable New Yorkers left stranded by a system meant to protect them.
Highlights From This Series
March 7, 2024
We published the first story in our investigation of New York’s guardianship system, showing how it leaves thousands of vulnerable people sequestered, voiceless and forgotten while the officials who oversee their care struggle to ensure it.
March 11, 2024
Citing our story, the editorial board of the Albany Times Union said it was time for New York’s leaders to “either argue that the current statute is working just fine or begin to work toward a set of solutions to make it function as its framers intended.”
April 2, 2024
Legislative leaders told ProPublica they would consider guardianship reforms so Albany “can adequately improve a failing system that is exploiting too many vulnerable New Yorkers while enriching the pockets of a few.”
Aug. 8, 2024
We revealed how judges failed to police one of New York City’s most prolific guardians, despite repeated warnings that she was using her court-appointed positions to profit off her wards in apparent violation of state law.
Sept. 16, 2024
A former ward we wrote about and her husband received nearly $13,000 in compensation after a judge ordered her former guardian and landlord to pay for past oversight and housing problems. The woman credited ProPublica’s reporting.
Sept. 18, 2024
A leading city lawmaker introduced legislation calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Legislature to reform guardianship, citing ProPublica’s work. “Too many people have been failed by this system, and a real overhaul is long overdue,” the official said.
Courts Appoint Special Counsel to Oversee Reform of New York’s Troubled Guardianship System
Judicial leaders in New York created two new oversight positions as they work to reform the state’s guardianship system. The personnel additions follow a ProPublica investigation that spotlighted lax monitoring of court-appointed guardians.
“A Real Overhaul Is Long Overdue”: Lawmaker Calls On State Leaders to Reform New York’s Beleaguered Guardianship System
A new bill asks Gov. Kathy Hochul and state legislators to overhaul New York’s broken guardianship system. It cites a ProPublica investigation that found the elderly and infirm living in dire conditions while under court-mandated oversight.
Judge Orders Guardianship Firm to Return Thousands It Took From an Elderly Woman for Services It Never Provided
New York Guardianship Services had billed Judith Zbiegniewicz $450 a month for court-ordered care, but a judge found the company provided “minimal services, if any” for years, including at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
