An elderly Texas couple that was forced into state custody and a nursing home may be a step closer to regaining their freedom–and dignity–now that a new lawyer has been assigned to their case. The nightmare began last November when Michael Kidd broke his hip and required surgery. State Adult Protective Services was called in after his wife Jean had been in the waiting room for days and wasn’t eating.

Caseworkers paint a picture of two incompetent old people, age 67 and 70, suffering from dementia. Reports say the Kidds have mismanaged their finances and used poor judgment, that Michael is verbally abusive and even attempted to assault Jean. Michael says Jean has memory trouble but denies everything else. A judge determined the Kidds were incapacitated and unable to care for themselves. The state took over the Kidds lives, sent them to the Countryside Nursing Home in Pilot Point, and is now burning through their money to pay for their care.

But when the Kidds asked for an accounting of how their assets were being spent, the state refused. Instead, the couple only receives $60 a month of their own money to spend as they please.

 They have no personal belongings in their room other than the television. All of their remaining possessions sit in their house in Richardson.

Bob Graham lived across the street from the Kidds for 21 years. He is furious about what the state is allowing to happen to their home. The yard has been neglected. The power was shut-off last spring and food left spoiling in the kitchen. Graham says the state even left the doors unlocked. “What irritates me is the gross negligence in handling their financial affairs,” Graham told Oliver. “There has got to be a better way of handling this than just coming in, in a totalitarian fashion, and taking over people’s lives against their will with no advocate to speak for them,” Graham continued.

Meanwhile, Jean has lost 20 pounds and two teeth during their “imprisonment,” and Michael says the experience is taking a toll on him as well: “Now, I am deteriorating instead of getting better.” They say their situation should serve as a warning to others:

“How could this happen in a country that talks about and brags about freedom,” says Michael Kidd. “And yet this is how we treat our old people. This can happen to any of you.”