NCEA Newsfeed – Thursday, April 18, 2013
The newsfeed includes articles and stories related to abuse of elders and adults with disabilities. Articles related to elders appear in the top half of the newsfeed. Articles related to abuse of adults with disabilities appear towards the bottom. To subscribe to the NCEA listserv, please send an email with your name, occupation, your organization/agency name, city and state, and a statement about your professional interest or expertise in elder abuse to NCEA@UCI.edu. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!
Learn what the Administration on Aging is planning for the Year of Elder Abuse Prevention!
http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/AoA_Programs/Elder_Rights/YEAP/index.aspx
Did you know? A calendar of upcoming elder abuse and neglect events and funding opportunities can be found at the bottom of the newsfeed.
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ELDER ABUSE NEWSFEED
1. ALABAMA (Montgomery), AL.com, April 18, 2013 (Opinion)
Don’t let this session end without improving safeguards for seniors (opinion from Connie Walden)
http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/04/dont_let_this_session_end_with.html
“In Alabama, it’s been estimated that as many as 75,000 elder abuse cases occur every year, although only a fraction are ever reported. But thanks to the work of some of our state legislators, we have an opportunity to decrease those numbers and increase the safeguards for our senior citizens.”
2. CALIFORNIA (Foster City), Foster City Patch, April 16, 2013
Foster City Woman Arrested for Financially Abusing Elderly Couple
http://fostercity.patch.com/articles/foster-city-woman-arrested-for-financially-abusing-elderly-couple
A Foster City woman who had been hired as a caretaker for an elderly Belmont couple has been arrested on suspicion financial elder abuse, Belmont police said this week. The suspect, who has several aliases, was booked into the San Mateo County Jail on suspicion of identity theft, theft from an elder by a caretaker, possession of stolen credit/debit cards and possession of narcotics, police said.
3. CALIFORNIA (Rowland Heights), Pasadena News Star, April 16, 2013
Detectives seek Rowland Heights woman for alleged elder abuse
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_23031485/detectives-seek-rowland-heights-woman-alleged-elder-abuse
Sheriff's investigators are looking for a woman who allegedly fleeced $350,000 from her 85-year-old father-in-law. The sheriff's Walnut/Diamond Bar station and the sheriff's Commercial Crimes Bureau are asking for the public's help in finding 55-year-old Hang Vu whose last known addresses were in Rowland Heights and Phoenix, Arizona.
4. CALIFORNIA (Walnut), Diamond Bar – Walnut Patch, April 15, 2013
Walnut Sheriff’s Station Seeks Woman Accused of Elder Abuse
http://diamondbar-walnut.patch.com/articles/walnut-sheriff-s-station-seeks-woman-accused-of-elder-abuse
Sheriff's deputies are asking for the public's help in tracking down a Rowland Heights woman who is accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from her father-in-law, selling his home and draining his retirement accounts, officials said Monday. The 55-year-old woman, identified as Hang Nguyen Vu, is said to be driving a 2012 dark grey Toyota Prius with a California license plate of 6UCU282. According to sheriff's Sergeant Rich Peña, Vu misappropriated $350,000 from the elderly man.
5. FLORIDA (Ormond Beach), The Daytona Beach News-Journal, April 18, 2013
State fines nursing home $36,000 for mishandling sex abuse claimhttp://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20130418/NEWS/304189997/1040?Title=State-fines-nursing-home-36-000-for-mishandling-sex-abuse-claim
The state this week levied a $36,000 fine against Avante at Ormond Beach nursing home for its handling of a sexual abuse allegation. Inspectors with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration found the nursing home did not properly report an allegation that an employee crawled into bed with a patient.
6. IDAHO (Boise), KTVB, April 17, 2013
Boise man accused of raping senior citizen
http://www.ktvb.com/news/Boise-man-accused-of-sexually-exploiting-vulnerable-adult-203388761.html
A 62-year-old Boise man is in the Ada County Jail accused of felony rape. Finch is accused of sexually exploiting a senior citizen at a Boise home several times throughout the past three years.
7. MINNESOTA (Chisholm), The Republic, April 18, 2013
State health officials say vulnerable adult found in filth at assisted-living facility
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/e6580cdb48054447a786f517fe154cfd/MN--Assisted-Living-Neglect-Allegations
State health officials say a vulnerable adult is recovering from neglect after he was found in filthy conditions at an assisted-living facility in Chisholm. The Minnesota Department of Health has cited Hillcrest Terrace for failing to recognize the man's health had deteriorated. Ambulance crew members say the resident was found unconscious in a room that had mold, smelled strongly of urine and had no bed sheets. A health department report says the man was suffering from critically low blood sugar due to diabetes and a urinary tract infection.
8. MINNESOTA (Rochester), Post Bulletin, April 17, 2013
Woman accused of financial exploitation
http://www.postbulletin.com/news/crime/woman-accused-of-financial-exploitation/article_fd82c57c-488f-55fb-827e-a45a58732c29.html
A Rochester woman has been charged with multiple felonies in Olmsted County District Court after authorities say she spent more than $17,000 of another woman's money.
9. NEW YORK (Islip Terrace), The Examiner, April 16, 2013
Cops: Islip Terrance woman stole identity of her dementia-stricken grandmother
http://www.examiner.com/article/cops-islip-terrace-woman-stole-identity-of-her-dementia-stricken-grandmother
An Islip Terrace woman was arrested Monday on felony charges alleging that she stole the identity of her dementia-stricken grandmother to feed her drug habit, Suffolk County police said.
10. NORTH CAROLINA (Wilmington), Star News Online, April 17, 2013
10 ways to avoid financial scams
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20130417/ARTICLES/130419679
This article shares San Diego Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood’s 10 tips on avoiding financial scams, after he gives a presentation at a recent seminar organized by the Cape Fear Elder Abuse Prevention Network.
11. PENNSYLVANIA (Harrisburg), Seattle PI, April 18, 2013
Pa. courts to study legal problems of older people
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Pa-courts-to-study-legal-problems-of-older-people-4445579.php
A new Elder Law Task Force will take up special legal issues faced by older Pennsylvanians, from their vulnerability to abuse and neglect to the ways in which the judicial system should change to accommodate their needs, state court officials said Thursday. The 38-member task force held its first meeting this week in Harrisburg, and has about a year to study the topic and make recommendations for changes to court rules, new legislation and other solutions.
12. SOUTH CAROLINA (Rock Hill), Herald Online, April 17, 2013
York woman accused of defrauding elderly man
http://www.heraldonline.com/2013/04/17/4782384/rock-hill-caretaker-accused-of.html
A York woman has been charged with exploiting a vulnerable adult in Rock Hill after police say she defrauded an elderly man in her care over the course of several months. Last month, York County’s office of the Department of Social Services gave Rock Hill Police documents showing that 33 checks were cashed in the name of an 89-year-old resident of Park Pointe Village retirement community in Rock Hill, according to a Rock Hill Police report. The checks were made payable to Silvers, who was paid $6,222 beyond her pay. She was privately hired and not an employee of Park Pointe.
13. SOUTH DAKOTA (Sioux Falls), Dell Rapids Tribune, April 16, 2013
Patient records OK’ed in nursing home abuse case
http://www.dellrapidsinfo.com/article/20130416/NEWS/130416003
A judge ruled Friday that a Sioux Falls woman charged with assaulting a Dell Rapids nursing home patient last fall should have access to the victim’s medical records. The suspect and her lawyer want to look for signs of dementia in the medical records. They also want access to the medical records of the victim’s husband, with the defense claiming there is concern he “has some aggressive tendencies” that could explain the bruising discovered on his 73-year-old wife’s torso Nov. 3.
14. TEXAS (Corpus Christi), Caller.com, April 17, 2013
Elder care abuse trial: Call for mistrial, witness called former owner racist
http://www.caller.com/news/2013/apr/17/elder-care-abuse-trial-call-mistrial-witness-calle/
Conflicting statements from a witness during an elderly abuse trial Wednesday caused a defense attorney to try to impeach the witness and prosecutors to ask for a mistrial.
15. VERMONT (Brattleboro), Brattleboro Reformer, April 15, 2013
The crisis is not over for abused adults
http://www.reformer.com/ci_23025556/crisis-is-not-over-abused-adults?source=most_emailed
The average Vermonter probably assumes that all reports of elder abuse or neglect, once received by the state's Adult Protective Services, receive prompt and diligent attention.Even if this average Vermonter has seen news about the huge backlog of uninvestigated cases in recent years, he or she might believe that things are now under control. Yes, the backlog has been dramatically reduced; but it is very important to notice that APS accepted about 29 percent fewer cases for investigation in 2012 than in the previous year.
16. WASHINGTON (Redmond), The Republic, April 18, 2013
Redmond, Wash., woman arrested, accused of abusing, stealing from elderly parents
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/13897cc4fe3a4c0da51ec30b147cc9cb/WA--Elder-Abuse-Arrest
Police in the Seattle suburb of Redmond say they've arrested a 65-year-old woman accused of stealing more than $67,000 from her elderly parents and depriving them of proper food, medication and care. Police allege the daughter strapped her mother into her bed for as long as 12 hours a day and also strapped her into a wheelchair. Both parents suffer from dementia and the daughter had power of attorney for them.
17. WASHINGTON (Redmond), Q13 Fox, April 17, 2013
Police say daughter strapped elderly parents to bed and bilked their money
http://q13fox.com/2013/04/17/daughter-strapped-elderly-parents-to-bed-and-bilked-their-money-police-say/#axzz2QrbuI9hP
Police have arrested a 65-year-old woman suspected of bilking money from her elderly parents while caging them in a room for up to 12 hours a day, the Redmond Police Department said.
18. INTERNATIONAL (New South Wales, Australia), Dungog Chronicle, April 17, 2013
Elder abuse helpline launched
http://www.dungogchronicle.com.au/story/1437787/elder-abuse-helpline-launched/?cs=408
The NSW Government has launched the NSW Elder Abuse Helpline in an effort to tackle the abuse of older people. As many as 50,000 people aged 65 and over have experienced some form of abuse or neglect, whether it is physical, psychological or financial. The free helpline will provide practical assistance for older people, family members, frontline service and support staff.
19. INTERNATIONAL (Nova Scotia, Canada), Cape Breton Post, April 15, 2013
Sessions will train champions to help combat senior abuse
http://www.capebretonpost.com/Living/2013-04-15/article-3220663/Sessions-will-train-champions-to-help-combat-senior-abuse/1
The Nova Scotia Department of Seniors along with the Association for Safer Cape Breton Communities will be offering a free training session to train community members who want to raise awareness about the issue.
ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES
1. MINNESOTA (Minneapolis), CBS Local, April 16, 2013
Charges: Personal Care Attendant Financially Exploited Vulnerable Adult
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/04/16/charges-personal-care-attendant-financially-exploited-vulnerable-adult/
A former personal care attendant in Richfield is accused of financially exploiting a client by using their credit card for unauthorized purchases totaling more than $2,400, according to charges filed Tuesday by the Minnesota Department of Health. The worker was employed by the Crystal Care Home Health Services company out of Richfield and has since been terminated.
RELATED ISSUES
1. MINNESOTA (St. Cloud), My Fox Twin Cities, April 16, 2013
Missing vulnerable St. Cloud man found
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/21986474/st-cloud-police-seek-help-finding-missing-vulnerable-man
A 23-year-old vulnerable man who went missing early Monday morning was found at Crossroads Center in St. Cloud later that morning. Joseph Charles Karnik, 23, lives at a group home and is considered a vulnerable adult due to mental instability.
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Funding Opportunities:
- April 30/November 1, 2013
- The Lawrence Foundation awards grants in support of the environment, education, human services, disaster relief, and other causes. The foundation awards both program and operating grants with no geographic restrictions to nonprofit organizations that qualify for tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as well as public schools and libraries.
- For more information: http://www.thelawrencefoundation.org/grants/guidelines.php
- May 1, 2013
- The American Bar Association has announced a further round of grants to be made in 2013 that will promote and support innovation in the delivery of civil legal aid. These grants will go to the state Access to Justice Commissions. The grants will fund projects in seven critical areas of innovation: expanding limited scope representation and other models for affordable services; improving language access and eliminating implicit cultural bias; employing public libraries as point of access for legal aid; enhancing fundraising outside the legal community; creating partnerships with health care and social services providers, government agencies and other new partners; preserving access for low-income people as courts implement e-filing; and increasing web-based delivery of pro bono services for self-represented litigants. Eligible entities are state Access to Justice Commissions, which are formal entities that bring together the highest level of the state's courts, organized bar, and other stakeholders to support the expansion of access to civil justice for low income and disadvantaged people. Applications for Grants to Promote the Creation of new Access to Justice Commissions are due by February 15, 2013; applications for Innovation Grants are due on May 1, 2013.
- Information: www.ATJsupport.org under “grants.” For additional information contact Bob Echols, State Support Consultant, ABA Resource Center for Access to Justice Initiatives, Robert.Echols@comcast.net
- May 15, 2013
- Kendal Charitable Funds (KCF) is seeking proposals for promising innovations that will transform the experience of aging. We are interested in ideas that can enhance the lives of an aging population, whether through services, research, and/or developing new understandings and awareness of the issue and opportunities. We are looking for pilot projects that address one or more of these criteria. We will give priority to opportunities that have the greatest potential for change and replication, for the greatest number of individuals.
- The proposed project must address one or more non-institutionalized populations, focusing on the following topic:
- Elder Abuse: Identification and/or Prevention of one or more of the following
- Financial
- Physical
- Emotional
- Sexual
- For more information: www.kendalcharitablefunds.org
- May 20, 2013
- The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is pleased to announce that it is seeking applications for research and evaluation relating to abuse, neglect, and exploitation of elderly individuals and residents of residential care facilities. This research furthers the Department’s mission by sponsoring research to provide objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of crime and justice, particularly at the State and local levels.
- For more information: https://ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/sl001043.pdf
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Upcoming Elder Abuse Conferences/Training Events (in chronological order):
· The Academy on Violence and Abuse (AVA) 2013 Scientific Conference will be called “Addressing Violence and Abuse in the Changing Healthcare Environment,” and will take place on April 18-20 in Minneapolis, MN at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Suites. For more information: http://avahealth.nonprofitoffice.com/vertical/sites/%7B75FA0828-D713-4580-A29D-257F315BB94F%7D/uploads/avabrochure_P20.pdf
· The Greater Augusta Coalition Against Adult Abuse in partnership with the VA Coalition for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and Blue Ridge Community College is sponsoring a free, day long training for Commonwealth Attorneys, Law Enforcement, Social Workers, and related professionals on “Obtaining Convictions and Restitution for Adult Abuse” on Monday, April 29, 2013. For more information, contact Anne See at (540) 433-1830 or asee@brls.org. Click here to register: http://fs21.formsite.com/ascott/form10/index.html?1358267517475
· The 6th Annual Forensic Investigations Conference to be held from May 15-17, 2013 at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Seminars will focus on a broad array of emerging forensic practices, in sexual assault, interpersonal violence, child and elder abuse in both an urban and rural environment. For more information https://www.saintlukeshealthsystem.org/event/forensic-conference-1
· The 16th Annual Kern County Elder Abuse Prevention Conference will be themed “Self Neglect Topics: Hoarding & Grief, Loss, and Trauma.” The conference will take place on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at Hodel’s Country Dining. For more information: http://www.co.kern.ca.us/aas/pdf/elder-abuse-conf-2013.pdf.
· The National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP) Annual Training Conference 2013 will take place at the Westin San Diego in San Diego, California and will feature a keynote on Elder Abuse. The conference will take place from May 29-31, 2013. For more info: http://www.nanasp.org/upcomingconferences.html
· The Virginia Coalition for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (VCPEA) will hold its 19th annual conference in Virginia Beach at the Virginia Beach Resort and Conference Center on May 29-31, 2013. Conference information was been posted on the VCPEA website at http://www.vcpea.org
· The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Criminal Justice Institute presents an Elder Justice Symposium for attorneys, law enforcement personnel, health care and mental health care professionals, social service providers and victim advocates. The symposium will be on June 27, 2013, at the Almansor Court Banquet Center in Alhambra, California. For more information: http://da.lacounty.gov/cji/ea062713.htm
· The Alzheimer’s Association annual conference, titled “Dementia Care @AAIC: Translating Research to Practice” will be held in Boston, Massachusetts from July 13-18, 2013. Learn more here: http://www.alz.org/aaic/
· Changing Aging, The Florida Conference on Aging will be held on August 12-14, 2013 and will be themed, “Aging: New Game – New Rules”
For more information: http://www.fcoa.org/conference.html· The 18th International Conference & Summit on Violence, Abuse & Trauma will be held in San Diego, California on September 8-11, 2013. For more information: http://www.ivatcenters.org/
· The 24th Annual NAPSA Conference to be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota October 2-3, 2013, followed by The 4th Annual NAPSA Summit on Elder Financial Exploitation on October 4, 2013. For more information: http://www.napsa-now.org/get-connected/annual-conference/
· The 2nd Annual National Elder Abuse Symposium will be held at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Anaheim, California on December 3-6, 2013. Stay tuned for more information.
An archived collection of previous newsfeeds is available here:
http://nceagov.posterous.com/
National Center on Elder Abuse
Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse & Neglect
University of California, Irvine
Program in Geriatrics
101 The City Drive South
Orange, CA 92868
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