Brooke Astor was a wealthy socialite, philanthropist and author. She led a charmed
life yet she despite her considerable financial means, she was not able to avoid the
physical and mental infirmities that old age can bring. Old age is the great
equalizer. Whether one has billions, millions or just a few thousand dollars in the
bank, an elderly person is very vulnerable when their physical and mental
acumen begins to diminish.
While doing research for my book, I became very interested in this woman's
plight caused by the very one she should have been able to trust,
her own son.
Anthony D. Marshall
Anthony D Marshall was a theatrical producer, former US Marine, a CIA intelligence
officer and a US Ambassador to several foreign countries including the Malagasy Republic,
Trinidad and Tobago, Kenya and the Seychelles. A well educated man with a
distinguished career who apparently succumbed to greed. I will not go into all of
the details here, but will give you a link to a New York Times article should you
want to learn more.
Brooke Astor's Son is Sentenced to Prison
This is a high profile case that has been reviewed by many reputable
publications and the supermarket tabloids over the past several years.
Sensational yes, but this type of abuse occurs at all socio-economic levels, not
just the very wealthy. I read that Met Life's Mature Market Institute released
a study which showed that in 2009 alone, elderly Americans lost $2.9 billion to
financial abuse. Sadly, family members are often responsible for much
of this abuse.
This will be my last post on this topic for a while. I want to thank all of you
who have shared your own stories with me and have thanked me for
broaching this subject. Several of you have encouraged me to continue
with my research and I appreciate your support. When my book comes out
in print, I will let you all know. Until then, I will resume posting about
happier things because we all need a bit of levity in our lives.
Big Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
