Pearl Harbor veteran's case sheds renewed light on elder abuse

[Story]

I see volumes on preserving relics of metal and stone, but not much on the flesh.

EL CAJON — At 93, Arnold V. “Max” Bauer is as proud a Pearl Harbor survivor as they come.

He’s always eager to recount the day the Japanese unleashed bombs by sea and air on his Navy ship. He’s always willing to talk about how he stayed aboard the USS Vestal and then dropped into the harbor to hunt for survivors.

He keeps a special, state-issued Pearl Harbor survivors license plate on his Mercedes-Benz sedan.

In recent years, though, the hero has fallen on hard times.

His wife of 62 years died in 2007. His body grew frail and a caregiver moved into his house in the rambling foothills east of El Cajon.

Then came this week’s news: Sheriff’s deputies arrested the caregiver after discovering that Bauer was living in squalor, his house filled with trash, rotting food and rat droppings. When deputies found him, he was gripping a photo of the Vestal.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jan/27/pearl-harbor-veterans-case-case-sheds-renewed-ligh/

A Sheriff’s Department official said Bauer’s grown son and daughter, who both live in the Los Angeles area, had been unaware of their father’s condition.

The son, Timothy Bauer of Rancho Palos Verdes, said Thursday that his sister was “legally responsible” for their father, but would not elaborate.

 

[HepKitty]

OMG that poor guy! this sort of thing makes me sick! How could his kids *not* know, and apparently not even care? Story you should know this sort of thing makes me cry

 

[Johnnysan]

I agree...the kids are just as culpable in this matter as is the "caregiver."

 

[martinsantos]

I think almonst impossible son and daughter don't know about what were happening... Very, very sad.

 

[Chas]

Elder abuse happens far more often that you can imagine. In most cases, it's the caregiver that is the person of interest in these cases.

 

[Marshall]

That is so sad. The Greatest Generation sacrificed so much for the freedoms we enjoy; things like this should never happen.

 

[Phantomfixer]

I haven't had a relationship with my father since I was 17( now 45). Before that there wasn't anything there, he liked the bottle and women. It was his choice. IE remarried had more kids etc .... bottom line don't judge the kids till you walk in their shoes. Just because this guy was a WWII vet doesn't make him the father of the year. Sad yes, and the caregiver should be held accountable...

 

[martinsantos]

The point you put is the same I always think when I visit prisions. And a prision is, usually, a subsidiary of hell.

A lot of guys there are paying for their crimes. And it's good that this happens. But the staying in prision means "no liberty", and not "staying in hell". If fact, since the prision system was created the point is to try those who made a crime be back to society (proudly I saw, and helped, a lot of guys and women in this way. And unhappilly helped and saw a lot of failures).

Let's say if the veteran here is a terrible man; the caregiver could just try to find another job. But never to do what he did. This is cruelty. And more cruelty if the vetern is just a good man.

I haven't had a relationship with my father since I was 17( now 45). Before that there wasn't anything there, he liked the bottle and women. It was his choice. IE remarried had more kids etc .... bottom line don't judge the kids till you walk in their shoes. Just because this guy was a WWII vet doesn't make him the father of the year. Sad yes, and the caregiver should be held accountable...

 

[Phantomfixer]

Agreed but my point was don't bash the kids if they are out of their fathers life. The caregiver should never have been in this position and should be held accoutable. I was not trying to bash the vet by any means. He is the victim here.

 

[Zemke Fan]

This thread is closed. Points made. Caregiver needs to be disciplined for abuse of a proud vet.

 

[Zemke Fan]

Closed.