Retired bank trust executive Al Koontz of Wheaton didn’t hesitate for a moment when asked earlier this year to coordinate a volunteer group known as Court Friends. “It was just what I needed to keep my mind active, but mostly it was an opportunity to help the most vulnerable members of our community, the disabled,” Koontz explained.
The purpose of Court Friends is to oversee the relationship between court-appointed guardians and their adult wards. According to Koontz, it’s equal parts monitoring and mentoring. While providing advocacy for the disabled ward, the volunteer takes a friendly look over the shoulder of the guardian as well.
By definition, a guardian directs the care and finances of a person who is physically or mentally incapable. The volunteer acts objectively for both ward and guardian.
The program came to the attention of 18th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Robert E. Byrne in 1996 through the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
“Every seven minutes in Illinois, there is an incidence of elder abuse, neglect or exploitation, and only 1 in 12 of those is reported,” Byrne said. He chose to initiate Court Friends to combat this. “Let’s put some protection in the community now and, perhaps, prevent or minimize the problem.”
In April of this year, the first group of interested parties came together under the auspices of AARP. “They sent out a mailing and then provided the training and the materials,” Byrne said. After that, AARP bowed out, and Court Friends became the first of its kind in the state.
“The purpose is threefold: to make sure the disabled person is properly cared for, to ensure that the guardian is handling responsibilities appropriately and is not overwhelmed and, when indicated, to review finances to be certain that the funds are properly accounted for,” Koontz said.
Guardians are required to appear in Probate Court annually to report on how they have cared for their ward. Three months before the annual review, Koontz receives a month’s worth of case files from the county clerk’s office (approximately 40). He has three teams totaling about 35 volunteers. Researchers review each case, updating details such as current addresses of the ward and the guardian. If there is an estate involved, the case is passed to the auditors for inspection. After that, letters are sent to guardians, appointments are made and volunteers go to interview guardians and wards.
Court Friends are not attorneys. They are retirees from myriad professions. “They represent the community, applying their own life experience,” Byrne said. They are looking for any signs of physical abuse and try to confirm the general well-being of the ward.
Volunteer Margie Rizzo of Willowbrook brings a special touch of compassion to her work. “I was a caregiver for my husband, who was disabled,” she said. “There are emotions involved. The first thing we do is establish a sense of trust, because some wards are fearful at first.” She said she receives more than she gives. “It’s wonderful when we see loving relationships, assistance offered by church friends.”
Koontz reviews each completed report, which contains 55 questions; some are addressed to the ward, others to the guardian. “If a nursing home is part of the picture, the volunteer rates the facility too,” he said.
Byrne reads the report next. He contacts the county Department of Human Services if a need is indicated. All of this takes place before the guardian steps into the courtroom for the annual hearing.
Margo Scheiber DuPage County administrator of human services, describes Court Friends as “a wonderful resource, an advocacy for people at risk. They can identify and refer to us when there are needs for finanacial assistance or other community and social service resources.”
Volunteer John Sims of Downers Grove said he comes away from many of his visits marveling at how remarkable these guardians are. “I am stunned,” he said, “and I have to ask, `Could I do that?’ ” Sims, a retired professor of psychology, said he brings a professional knowledge of what to look for and what to ask about and a sensitivity toward how both the ward and the guardian feel.
Koontz is looking for new recruits to add to the roster of Court Friends. “It’s no more than 10 hours each month,” he said. “At our next training session in December, we will explain the program, teach how to conduct an interview, describe what social services are available and talk about how to handle difficult situations when visitors are out in the field.”
Donald Barnickle, a retired principal from Naperville, will assist with training the new recruits. “I see this work as a continuation of my helping a child who had learning problems,” he said. “In school, we planned a special program for that child; a year later, we brought together the staff for a progress report. That’s much the same as our program for the disabled and their guardians. We’re advocates, looking out for the welfare of someone else.”
Koontz said Court Friends has racked up some impressive statistics in their initial six months of operation: “Of the 500 disabled adult estates in DuPage, we have already researched over 300 cases, and our visitors have interviewed nearly 200 wards and guardians.
“And we get results. For example, if someone needs a hearing aid, glasses or a TV, we’ll find out and make sure it is provided.”
Byrne is pleased with the progress made by the Court Friends: “We haven’t used one dollar of tax monies on the program. It works off the energy generated by the love of the volunteers.”
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For information about Court Friends, call Patricia Wiedner, deputy court administrator, at 630-682-7325.
