Las Vegas is a retirement city for many older Americans. And as the country’s population ages, more and more people are retiring here.
That means that crippling issues related to dementia and Alzheimer's disease -- and who cares for the welfare and property of those aging county residents -- are growing.
So what happens if you retire here, become mentally frail and have no family or anyone you trust to watch over your finances?
Private guardians are out there. But Clark County also employs a Public Guardian.
After 30 years on the job, the county’s public guardian Kathleen Buchanan is retiring.
“Basically, what your Clark County Public Guardian does is we step into the shoes of people who have cognitive impairment,” she said.
Their clients are referred to them by people around the community from neighbors to doctor's offices to social services agencies.
The guardian helps a person with a cognitive disability make financial, medical or social decision.
Buchanan explained that "social decisions" means who a client has in his or her life. She said often times family members, neighbors or even people a client has met at a casino will try to take advantage and drain assets.
She said they often deal with people who are hoarders, who are unwilling or unable to clean up their homes.
“We become involved with that person can’t operate like they used to,” Buchanan said
The need for the guardians services have gone up dramatically, she said. Currently, there is a waiting list of 400 people. People who need medical help or are being exploited are put to the top of the list, but with only 24 people in the office there is only so much that can be done.
You can hear the tears of gratitude in her voice for a job she has loved for decades. But you can also hear her worry, as the growing numbers of older county residents fall prey to criminals.
Buchanan said helping the most vulnerable people was the most rewarding part of her job.
"Who can go to work every day and say they helped someone?" she said.
She and her staff are advocates for people who don't have one and don't know they need help.
Kathleen Buchanan, public guardian, Clark County
