A Detroit area says her parents' caregivers are imprisoning them in their own home.

Marcie Mitchell tells WXYZ she hasn't seen her father and stepmother for more than a month and isn't able to communicate with them because their access to telephones has been taken away. The couple is not being allowed to leave the house or have visitors.

In 2018, Mitchell petitioned to become her parents' caregivers after they had issues with memory and dementia. The court appointed a company called Caring Hearts Michigan which then hired a company called Executive Care to employ staff to look after the couple.

Both companies are owned by Catherine Kirk who has been named guardian and conservator -- and in that role, she is legally able to bill Mitchell's parents' estate for their care. The estate is estimated to be worth $2.7 million.

So there's the punchline:  A $2.7 million estate and a healthcare provider whose owner is seemingly able to appoint herself conservator.

Now we think we understand how this works.

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