Struggling to make even the most basic life decisions, 84-year-old Penny Raffa was given a legal guardian shortly after Christmas in 2010. Her family says that's when the real trouble began. 

The guardian, recommended by a lawyer for the Montgomery County nursing home suing Raffa for unpaid debts, hired another attorney, also suggested by the nursing home, to represent Raffa in the debt case.

But the lawyer purposely did no work on her behalf, according to a lawsuit now before one of Pennsylvania's highest courts, and Raffa lost the case. Then, to pay off the debt, she was forced to sell her home. 

Critics of Pennsylvania's guardianship law cite glaring problems with a system meant to protect older adults like Raffa from potential fraud and other conflicts when they are declared legally incapacitated. Now, a bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to make guardianship a choice of last resort.

Read the full story: An older Pa. woman was placed under guardianship. Her family says the system betrayed her.

THE CONTEXT: The two lawyers named in the suit, brought by Raffa’s estate after her death in early 2012, have denied wrongdoing. And the tangled sequence of events alleged has not been substantiated.

The state has over 18,000 active guardianships, nearly half of which involve people over the age of 60. Those guardians, who aren’t required to be certified or trained, oversee more than $1.7 billion in assets.

In most cases, almost anyone can petition a court to declare a person incapacitated and have them placed under guardianship.

In Harrisburg, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced legislation that would mandate older adults have legal representation at guardianship proceedings, and require guardians to undergo mandatory training, certification, and background checks, among other changes.

"Appointing a guardian for a person represents a serious step," state Sen. Judy Ward (R., Blair) said at a hearing on guardianship last month, noting that it results in a "total deprivation of liberty and autonomy."

» LEGISLATIVE AGENDA: Join us Thursday, April 27 from 6-7 p.m. on Zoom for a free panel on what issues and policies are on the state legislature's 2023 docket. Register here and submit questions to events@spotlightpa.org. 

OFFICIAL OBIT: Former U.S. Rep. Bud Shuster (R., Pa.) died Wednesday at the age of 91, WTAJ reports. Shuster was chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and initiated numerous road projects, including Interstate 99, aka "The Bud Shuster Highway."

LOW SCORE: Fewer Penn State undergrads trust the university to take reports of sexual misconduct seriously than did five years ago. CDT (paywall) reports a recent survey found a 20% drop among female students. 

PERFECT SCORE: York native Trinity Thomas has tied an NCAA all-time gymnastics record with the 28th perfect 10 of her career, The Dispatch reports. It came on her last vault event in the NCAA championships.

STOTT STREAK: Congrats to Bryson Stott for besting Willie "Puddin' Head" Jones' 16-game run for the longest hitting streak to begin a season by a Philadelphia Phillies player in the modern era. 

PLAY NEXT: About that nickname. Bleacher Report says Willie Jones got it from a 1933 song called Puddin' Head Jones. Listen here.