Ebbie Crawford has dedicated over a quarter of a century looking after the best interests of people who are unable to care for themselves.
She spent 24 years as a representative for child victims of abuse and neglect through the Court Appointed Special Advocates program, but has since shifted her attention to adults, predominantly seniors, who may also be victims of neglect.
Through the Volunteer Advocates for Seniors and Incapacitated Adults program, she helps make financial and medical decisions on behalf of adults with limited cognitive ability who cannot make those decisions for themselves. The organization only steps in if there are no other available guardians who can be shown to both have that person’s best interest in mind and be responsible for that person, the organization’s advisory board chairman Peter Jessen said.
Care facilities such as nursing homes will often suggest a judge appoint a guardian to someone in their care, and that judge will determine if they need one, Jessen said.
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As a part of the program for the past 18 months, Crawford serves as the guardian for four adults, three of which are seniors. As one of the longest-serving volunteers in Johnson County, she shoulders more than the average volunteer, who helps one or two adults.
“I have one young incapacitated adult,” Crawford said. “I am making sure she makes the right choices and then I will (file) the legal papers for her after explaining what goes on. The other three guardianships are all nursing home-bound. I visit every 10 days to make sure they’re okay. They’re in reasonably good nursing homes, I’ve gotten to know the staff. I sign off on medication and if there’s a change in their status.
”I try to get to know them well enough to know when I speak for them, I’m speaking as best I can.”
Like Crawford, the organization’s program director Joe Erickson worked on behalf of children as a part of the county’s branch of the Department of Child Services. After he retired from the department, he was working as an investigator and court representative for Johnson Superior Court 1 in Franklin when a judge mentioned the adult advocacy program to him that about a dozen other counties in Indiana already had in place. Johnson County launched its program in late 2016. By last year, there were 18 programs serving 42 counties, according to the Indiana Supreme Court.
Erickson himself represented the first person who a judge appointed to Johnson County’s program in 2016, and soon after he was able to train 10 volunteers to represent 10 adults. The number of adults the court has labeled as incapacitated in the county, however, has grown faster than the number of volunteers available, he said.
“You have to learn how to be a guardian and right off the bat I had to start training people,” Erickson said. “As the program grows, it grows faster than the number of people who want to volunteer. We’re in need of volunteers.”
The program currently has 23 volunteers and serves 27 adults, with another seven adults in the process of being approved for the program, Erickson said. There is also demand for Johnson County’s services to stretch into Morgan and Shelby County, although Erickson said there is no guarantee that will happen.
Erickson plans to conduct more training sessions in April to try to even the ratio of volunteers and incapacitated adults. While most volunteer time is spent visiting nursing homes, checking in with the workers there and talking to the adults they represent, volunteers must also be prepared for more complex situations involving medical and financial decisions.
“We have the initial court hearing which I usually testify in,” Erickson said. “Subsequent court hearings may pop up in regards to financial propriety that may involve testimony by the guardian who has obtained information (about the situation). If it’s medical, the hospital calls me or a volunteer advocate. The guardian can make medical decisions. One thing is you have to be informed.
“You need to say ‘what are the side effects?’ and make informed decisions. It’s part of the training.”
The program is funded through a combination of money appropriated by the county council, which provided $24,880 this year, and a grant from the Indiana Supreme Court, which provided $45,523.
“It’s a wonderful service,” Jessen said. “It’s needed to make sure they’re taking care of senior citizens in a dignified way.”
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The Volunteer Advocates for Seniors and Incapacitated Adults program in Johnson County will conduct training sessions for volunteers in April.
The sessions will take place April 9 to 11 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church at 100 E. Madison St. in Franklin.
Volunteer must have no felonies on their record. Anyone interested can contact Erickson at 317-346-4414 or by emailing [email protected]
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