Since last spring, Diana Welker has been concerned about her friend, Lucille Conrady.

Apparently, her concern was not misguided.

Conrady is in her 80s. She lives on an EMS lane off of Backwater Road, North Webster.

There are conflicting reports on whether her home has running water. Some say there is a hose hooked up. Others say the hose is frozen.

This week, Conrady is a patient in Kosciusko Community Hospital, where she is listed in "stable" condition.

Emergency medical service personnel removed her from her home the day after Christmas. She was underweight and suffering from dehydration.

Conrady received intravenous fluids and a hospital spokesman says discharge planners will discuss options for Conrady when she is well enough to leave the hospital. Case managers will look at the best options for her placement, whether that's a nursing home, assisted living or other arrangement.

Welker says Conrady is a victim. A victim of bureaucratic buck-passing by various organizations in Kosciusko County.

Welker says Conrady should have been removed from her home and placed in a nursing home long ago but local officials were either unwilling or unable to get that done.

Conrady has no living relatives except a 15-year-old grandson. The boy's father died of cancer. Conrady's husband also died of cancer 15 years ago.

The grandson's mother is divorced, so she has no legal authority over Conrady. Neither does the grandson, because he is only 15.

The grandson and others who knew Conrady - most notably Welker - tried in vain for months to get somebody to help Conrady.

Welker made several calls to Adult Protective Services, the township trustee and the sheriff's department.

Welker claims she got nowhere. That appears to be true because Conrady's situation never changed.

Finally, last week, a neighbor called the North Webster EMS and Conrady was taken to KCH.

It's not as if no one ever tried to help Conrady. It's just that they apparently didn't try hard enough.

The sheriff's department sent officers to her home and Adult Protective Services also made visits.

Each time, Conrady told the visitors in no uncertain terms that she could take care of herself. She basically told them to get off her property and leave her alone.

And each time the determination was made that Conrady was "fine" or "acting normally" or "doing OK."

It's that determination that bothers Welker.

Welker thinks Conrady may be suffering from Alzheimer's disease. In any case, Welker is convinced Conrady is incapable of taking care of herself.

Welker said Conrady recently became ill from eating spoiled food.

Conrady became increasingly distrustful in recent months and accused everyone who came into her house of stealing from her. A neighbor used to take care of her, but stopped because Conrady was always accusing her of stealing, Welker said.

Conrady also accused her daughter-in-law and grandson of stealing when they would bring her groceries.

Michelle Livinghouse, of Adult Protective Services, visited Conrady. Livinghouse said APS can intervene only if a person is so self-neglecting that she is in personal danger.

After her visit earlier this month, Livinghouse said, she didn't think Conrady was in any immediate danger.

All the officials involved in the case said the only way they could remove Conrady from her home would be to get a court order, since there were no other legally responsible adults involved.

That was a step they didn't want to take.

I understand that removing someone from their home against their will is pretty drastic. I also understand that hindsight is crystal clear.

Nonetheless, it seems that step was warranted in this case.

At the very least it seems we should somehow be able to avoid letting someone deteriorate to a point of near death before helping them.

A North Webster EMS spokesman had this to say:

"She needs to be in a nursing home, we all know that. It's a sad thing when people get to that age and can't take care of themselves but won't let anybody else help."

Isn't that precisely why organizations like Adult Protective Services exist? To take care of people who can't take care of themselves?

I suppose one could say all's well that ends well. After all, Conrady will survive. Ultimately she will get the care she needs.

It just would have been nice to spare her a little suffering along the way. [[In-content Ad]]