Does anyone have a fix for the fact that these are notorious for overcharging the battery and thereby shorting the battery...

Something like this will probably be the solution. I have no schematic for it otherwise I would design something. The problem in the design has probably been fixed in later models. Some people just unplug it for several hours and let the battery run down some and then recharge it. The real problem seems to be when it's left plugged in all the time. Thanks for getting back to me!!!