Gloucester police say they are re-opening an investigation concerning allegations of diversions of medicine and money brought by the family of a former resident of the McPherson Park elderly housing facility.
Chief Michael Lane recommended the further examination late Monday after Mayor Carolyn Kirk asked his opinion regarding the family's charges, spotlighted in Saturday's Times.
In July, Vito Loiacono of Gloucester told police he believed a case manager at McPherson had withheld prescribed anti-anxiety medication from his grandfather, Joseph Judd, 83, and that almost $17,000 had been withdrawn from Judd's bank account over a period of more than three years with no paper trail of receipts or other accountability.
Judd is now in the Seacoast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center after being rushed to Addison Gilbert Hospital in late June with diabetes and a near-fatal glucose level of 671.
At the center of the allegations is the person who monitored Judd's personal and social care and coordinated his medical services: Marsha Collard of Gloucester, a case manager with SeniorCare, Inc., the private nonprofit corporation that oversees the "supportive housing" program at McPherson Park on Prospect Street.
Collard was cleared of the allegations by her employer in July, and by a brief police investigation that relied on SeniorCare's assurances that its own in-house probe had found no wrongdoing.
Despite more than four months of calls to as many as 10 city and state agencies, including local police, Joseph Judd's family remains in the dark as to why or how their allegations of unexplained withdrawals, withheld drugs and neglectful care were dismissed.
"Because the grandson wasn't happy, we are going to take another look," Lane said, "starting right now."
Kay Bierwiler, executive director of SeniorCare, said in a letter being published in Tuesday's Times that she could not respond to the charges because of privacy constraints.
In the past, SeniorCare did not return calls regarding the issue from the Times or from Loiacono, except to tell him Collard was "found innocent." Loiacono said he phoned Bierwiler again today, asking to see the report on Collard, and she refused, citing confidentiality. Loiacono said he told her he has power of attorney and health proxy for his grandfather and thus, the privacy laws did not apply. Bierwiler still refused, he said.
Meanwhile, Kirk wrote Monday to the Secretary of Elder Affairs, Ann Hartstein, asking her to explore the matter further.
City Council President Jackie Hardy today also called for a probe by the state Attorney General's office.
"If the service providers have nothing to hide," Hardy said, "they should welcome the investigation."
For much more on this story, look to tomorrow's print and online editions of the Gloucester Daily Times and gloucestertimes.com. To have text updates regarding this story and other local Breaking News and Sports coverage, just sign up for the Times' free text-alert service on the gloucestertimes.com homepage.
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