Hanover Park woman pleads guilty to neglecting a senior

A 57-year-old Hanover Park woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to neglecting her octogenarian father, a resident of Mount Prospect.

A Cook County judge sentenced Paulette A. Rhody to two years in prison in exchange for her guilty plea to criminal neglect of an elderly person, a class 3 felony punishable by two to five years in prison. Probation is also an option.

Mount Prospect police began investigating Rhody in January 2011 after they conducted a well-being check and found the then-81-year-old man in need of medical assistance and his residence in disarray, said authorities in a prepared statement issued at the time of Rhody’s December 2011 arrest.

At the time, the primary caregiver could not be located and the man was placed under the care of the Cook County Office of the Public Guardian, authorities said.

Rhody was arrested after police determined she was the primary caregiver.

Rhody, who prosecutors say has no criminal background, received credit for the 163 days she has spent in custody since her arrest. She must serve at least 50 percent of her sentence before she is eligible for parole.

Rhody’s attorney, Cook County Assistant Public Defender Daniel Naranjo, said Rhody’s father is currently living at a health care facility but was unsure whether it was a nursing home or an assisted living facility.