William E. Carey, 82, died on May 8, 2006, in his apartment at 400 East Randolph Street. His death followed closely after his forcible removal from his apartment by the Chicago Department of Police and the Healthcare Consortium of Illinois in an apparent attempt to seize control of financial assets.

Mr. Carey ("Bill" to his neighbors) had suffered a stroke on February 22, 2002. That he had been able to remain in his apartment according to his expressed wishes was a credit to his friends in Chicago, to a Chinese-born live-in caretaker, to a team of healthcare professionals, and to the ongoing efforts of his daughter, Patricia. Like many baby boomers, Pat faced the challenge of managing the care of an older parent long distance while working on a Ph.D. in New York City. She depended on discount airline ATA for frequent and sometimes unexpected travel to Chicago. In addition to the unwavering commitment of friends and healthcare professionals, her education in ministry at Yale Divinity School and chaplaincy internship at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center proved valuable training.

Bill's care was not an easy task. The stroke had left him paralyzed on one side and with nearly nonexistent speech. A subsequent fall, surgeries, and therapies saw him in several hospitals, rehabilitation institutes, and nursing facilities. Still, Pat assembled a comprehensive care team including, in addition to his regular physicians, highly competent friends, 24-hour live-in care, meals on wheels, and a visiting nurse. From the hospital-style bed in his apartment, Bill enjoyed what was a familiar and comforting view over Lake Michigan and Grant Park.

Bill Carey was a successful businessman, and his lifestyle had given the outward appearance of comfortable finances. But in fact, like many other parents of baby boomers, Bill had made no provision whatever for extended healthcare. And what monies he had invested toward retirement (at best, $300,000) evaporated along with WorldCom.

It was Bill's apartment, however, worth perhaps $200,000, and the possibility of other assets, which attracted the imagination of self-styled "advocates for elder rights," one from the Chicago Department of Police and the other from the Healthcare Consortium of Illinois. The two apparently staked out the building at Outer Drive East, sitting in the lobby long enough to get past lax security. Subsequently, the pair forcibly removed Mr. Carey and his non-English-proficient caretaker from the condominium, taking him against his wishes to Rush University Medical Center for observation. And despite powers of attorney on file, not only was his daughter Pat prevented from communicating with her father or hospital personnel, she was threatened repeatedly by the police officer with "criminal charges." To date, however, no police report ever has been produced to document these activities.

Not surprisingly, since Mr. Carey already was receiving regular medical attention from physicians at the VA and other facilities, and after four days of examination by Rush personnel, Mr. Carey received a clean bill of health. Even so, the pair enlisted the help of the Cook County Public Guardian in continued action to keep Mr. Carey from returning home. Through swift action by attorneys hired by his daughter, however, Mr. Carey was returned to his apartment.

But, of course, the forcible removal of Mr. Carey had had nothing whatever to do with medical concerns. It was simply a strong-arm tactic by the police officer and the "elder rights advocate" to gain control over Mr. Carey's apartment and finances, speculated by the perpetrators to amount to $2,000,000!

For better or worse, the $2,000,000 had never existed! Nor was Mr. Carey's studio apartment worth more than one tenth that amount! Bill's only income had been his Social Security and a $161-per-month VA pension. In fact, Mr. Carey's daughter and son-and-law had been helping with healthcare costs. At one point, finances had gotten so difficult that it had been necessary to borrow money from friends to pay the live-in caretaker.

The biggest tragedy, however, was that two weeks following his forcible removal, Mr. Carey was dead. Still envisioning large sums of money, on May 5, the perpetrators returned to Outer Drive East. Despite prior meetings and assurances between his daughter and Habitat Company management, and unquestioned by any security, the conspirators served papers on Mr. Carey in his sickbed: "You are summoned to appear at a hearing on a petition to adjudge you a disabled person and have a guardian appointed to make decisions for you regarding yourself or your property or both." It marked a final end to confusion, upset, and trauma.

It is little consolation that the police officer and her "elder abuse" confederate never got their hands on Mr. Carey's money. It never existed! And it is small comfort that Bill died - frightened and confused - in his own apartment rather than in a nursing home as the perpetrators had hoped to arrange.

Note: For further information, carey@ward42.org. Click for a calendar and for a complete catalog of supporting documents.