Home Health Aid Forms Inappropriate Relationship With End-Stage Dementia Patient

ByVictoria Negron

|

Updated onMay 2, 2018

Home Health Aid Forms Inappropriate Relationship With End-Stage Dementia Patient

This case involves a wealthy elderly woman with dementia who required a home health aid during the last year of her life. The home health aid that came to take care of her was a 42-year old man. Months after the home health aid began to care for the woman, the two became romantically involved. Fearing that she was being taken advantage of, the woman’s family members entered into guardianship proceedings to secure guardianship over her. During the proceedings, it was discovered that the home health aid had married the elderly woman 2 months before her death. The judge annulled the marriage, but the home health aid appealed the annulment, asserting that he had the right to inherit the woman’s estate. An expert in dementia was sought to review the woman’s medical records and determine if she was capable of making sound decisions during this time period.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

1. How regularly do you see patients with dementia?

2. Could you opine on this woman's decision-making capacity when she entered into her marital contract?

Expert Witness Response E-005551

inline imageI am the director of the Alzheimer's disease and dementia center of a university hospital and, in that capacity, I focus exclusively on treating patients with dementia. I also teach and conduct research on dementia. I have previous experience conducting both current and retrospective assessments of cognitive abilities and testamentary capacity, as well as of the ability to knowingly enter into marital contracts. I serve on the committee of a psychiatric association to develop treatment guidelines for Alzheimer's disease. I have testified in court as an expert on testamentary capacity, weakened intellect, and undue influence.

About the author

Victoria Negron

Victoria Negron

Victoria Negron has extensive experience in journalism and thought leadership in the legal space, with a background crafting content, whitepapers, webinars, and current event articles pertaining to the role of expert witnesses in complex litigation matters. She is a skilled professional specializing in B2B product marketing and content marketing. Currently, she serves as an Enterprise Product Marketing Manager at Postman, and previously held the position of Technical Product Marketing Manager at Palantir Technologies, where she developed her skills in launch strategies, go-to-market strategy, and competitive analysis.

Her expertise in content marketing was further refined during her tenure at the Expert Institute, where she progressed from a Marketing Writer to Senior Content Marketing Manager, and eventually to Associate Director of Content & Product Marketing. In these roles, she honed her abilities in digital marketing, SEO, content strategy, and thought leadership.

Educationally, Victoria holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Florida - Warrington College of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Literature, Art, and Hispanic Studies from Hamilton College. Her diverse educational background and professional experience have equipped her with a robust skill set in product marketing, content development, and strategic marketing initiatives.

Find an expert witness near you

What State is your case in?

What party are you representing?