May 24--An Evanston woman pleaded guilty Monday to the neglect of her elderly mother and was sentenced to 30 months of probation.
Margaret M. Flaherty, 50, entered the plea to neglect or abuse of an elderly person and was also ordered to undergo treatment for drug and alcohol use.
Flaherty was arrested last June after authorities said she "knowingly failed to provide hygiene, nutrition, prescribed medication and medical care and treatment to maintain her mother's health, causing the victim's pre-existing physical health to deteriorate."
Authorities said the neglect occurred from September 2014 through May 2015, when Flaherty lived with her mother. They said the mother was found in bed lying in feces and urine, that Flaherty did not bathe her or change her sheets for several days, that her weight dropped to 84 pounds and that she was unable to walk. They also said Flaherty's mother, who was in her late 70s, suffered from diabetes, hypertension and dementia.
Flaherty was arrested after another relative reported the case to authorities. Her mother's condition has improved, authorities said Monday.
At Cook County's Skokie branch courthouse Monday, Judge Jeffrey Warnick ordered Flaherty to participate in a 12-step drug and alcohol program that includes taking twice-weekly Breathalyzer testing, to have no contact with her mother and to pay fees and fines of $700.
The judge said one reason Flaherty's mother was neglected was that Flaherty was in jail for an alcohol-related arrest when she was supposed to be looking after her mother and that other family members failed to step in.
Warnick warned Flaherty that, if she fails to meet the term of her probation, she could be sent to jail for three to five years.
Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter.
