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!
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
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. NATIONAL, Consumer Reports, January 10, 2013
Financial elder abuse by relatives: There is help
http://news.consumerreports.org/money/2013/01/financial-elder-abuse-by-relatives-there-is-help.html
In light of a recent episode of the Dr. Phil Show that focused on elder abuse, Consumer Reports offers existing resources to help older adults and their families prevent, detect, and intervene in situations of suspected financial exploitation.
2. NATIONAL , Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse & Neglect, January 8, 2013
Dr. Phil takes on elder abuse with help from UC Irvine
http://www.centeronelderabuse.org/features/feature-drphil.asp
UC Irvine gerontologist Kerry Burnight, PhD, discussed elder abuse and prevention on the January 8, 2013, edition of the Dr. Phil show, airing on CBS.
3. CALIFORNIA (Kern County), New America Media, January 14, 2013
Three Years in Prison for Nurse in Elder Abuse Case
http://newamericamedia.org/2013/01/three-years-in-prison-for-nurse-in-elder-abuse-case.php
A California judge sentenced the former director of nursing at a Kern County skilled nursing facility to three years in prison last week for illegally prescribing psychiatric drugs as a form of chemical restraint, hastening the deaths of three elderly patients. The woman pled no contest in October to one felony count of elder abuse that contributed to the victim’s death.
4. CALIFORNIA (Napa County), Napa Valley Register, January 9, 2013
New state law expands reporting of elder abuse
http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/new-state-law-expands-reporting-of-elder-abuse/article_b5ef5670-5aa0-11e2-982f-0019bb2963f4.html
A California law that took effect Jan. 1 expands the requirements for caretakers to report suspected abuse at nursing and senior homes. In Napa County, prosecutors and advocates for the elderly hope Assembly Bill 40’s new requirements will help bring more such crimes into the light, and more quickly.
5. CALIFORNIA (Santa Clara County), NBC Bay Area, January 10, 2013
DA: Hawaiian Grandma Steals $400K From Disabled
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/DA-Hawaiian-Grandma-Steals-400K-From-Disabled-186381801.html
A Hawaiian grandma has been charged with stealing more than $400,000 from a Milpitas nonprofit that provides housing for the poor, sick, elderly and disabled by faking unnecessary plumbing problems. The suspect is now in custody on charges of defrauding Housing for Independent People for "extensive and unneeded" plumbing repairs to an Oakland property, which houses a homeless shelter.
6. FLORIDA (Clermont), Orlando Sentinel, January 11, 2013
Clermont Health and Rehab investigated for possible elderly neglect
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/lake/os-elderly-neglect-clermont-20130111,0,1230374.story
Clermont Health and Rehabilitation Center is the subject of an investigation by Clermont police and the state Department of Children and Families into elder-neglect accusations, authorities said. Police were called Monday to South Lake Hospital after an elderly rehab center patient was hospitalized with third-degree ulcers on his buttocks as a result of neglect, according to a police report.
7. FLORIDA (Jackson County), JC Floridian, January 8, 2013
Local man charged with elder abuse
http://www.jcfloridan.com/news/crime_courts/article_60988f04-59e5-11e2-a131-001a4bcf6878.html
A local man was charged with abuse of the elderly after allegedly punching his 85-year-old housemate in the face following a verbal argument. According to law enforcement officials, the suspect has a relationship with the daughter of the victim.
8. ILLINOIS (Chicago), The Chicago Tribune, January 11, 2013
Jane Doe beaten to death in ’11, deserves to be identified
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-01-13/news/ct-met-kass-0113-20130113_1_betel-nut-homicide-victims-murder-victims
An unidentified Asian woman in her 50s or 60s was beaten to death and left by the railroad tracks in Chicago. Detectives believe that she was in a dependent situation, and may have been killed by a relative or caretaker and that she was a victim of constant physical abuse. The article cites the expertise of Mary Twomey, co-director of the National Center on Elder Abuse, who says that immigrants who don’t speak English are particularly vulnerable.
9. MISSOURI (Sikeston), Southeast Missourian, January 11, 2013
Pair charged with robbery, elder abuse and more
http://www.semissourian.com/story/1930208.html
Two suspects have been charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree elder abuse, felonious restraint, receiving stolen property, first-degree burglary and an unclassified felony of armed criminal action after police responded to report of an armed robbery at the home of an 83-year-old woman.
10. MISSOURI (St. Louis), CBS Local KMOX, January 14, 2013
Nursing Home Organization Responds To KMOX Investigation
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2013/01/14/nursing-home-organization-responds-to-kmox-investigation/
A trade organization representing most of Missouri’s nursing homes is making the case that the facilities are performing exceptionally well, despite being “underfunded, unnoticed, and underappreciated.” The comments by the Missouri Health Care Association came in response to a KMOX investigation Friday which showcased dozens of area nursing homes which had been fined by federal authorities for a number of deficiencies, ranging from sexual and verbal abuse to neglect.
11. OHIO (Erie County), Sandusky Register, January 9, 2013
Area officials target elder fraud with task force
http://www.sanduskyregister.com/article/3056986
A group of public directors recently created an elder financial fraud task force, aimed to reduce criminals exploiting area senior citizens. The Register talked with the four officials spearheading the task force. They include: Erie County Job and Family Services executive director Karen Balconi Ghezzi; Erie County prosecutor Kevin Baxter; Serving Our Seniors executive director Sue Daugherty; and Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth. The four answered questions about their role in the task force and the severity and ramifications of elder financial abuse.
12. OREGON (Albany), Democrat Herald, January 10, 2013
Blazer stolen from disabled man
http://democratherald.com/news/local/blazer-stolen-from-disabled-man/article_4f48c80c-5aeb-11e2-8841-001a4bcf887a.html?comment_form=true
A Chevrolet Blazer was stolen from a disabled man last week, parting the man from his only form of transportation. The man believes the person who stole his car is a man who was supposed to rent his spare room, then disappeared with his car and prescription medications.
13. PENNSYLVANIA (Lebanon County), January 8, 2013
Nurse steals $160 from patient with dementia
http://www.whptv.com/news/local/story/Nurse-steals-160-from-patient-with-dementia/ZsJrC9hdmEW7RHyj7i72Cg.cspx
A visiting nurse from 'Visiting Angels Nursing Service' was arrested for stealing $160 from a patient. The suspect was arrested Tuesday and accused of stealing the money from the patient's home. She had been hired by the victim’s family visit the victim twice a week since he is suffering from the onset of dementia.
ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES
1. ARIZONA (Battleford), The Star Phoenix, January 10, 2013
Care home worker denies assaulting disabled patient in Sask. group home
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Care+home+worker+Ashley+Johnson+denies+assaulting/7801750/story.html
The woman accused of abusing a disabled woman in a North Battleford group home has taken the stand in her own defense. The alleged victim has cerebral palsy, developmental delays and a seizure disorder; she cannot walk or speak. A former coworker of the suspect testified that she saw the suspect pour lemon juice in the victim’s eye, rub her eyes with hand sanitizer, and force her to eat whole peppercorns.
2. ILLINOIS (Justice), The Chicago Tribune, January 11, 2013
Caregiver who stole from disabled men gets prison time
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/warrenville/chi-caregiver-who-stole-from-disabled-men-gets-prison-time-20130111,0,4106024.story
A Justice woman who looted the checking accounts of the developmentally disabled men she was supposed to be helping was sentenced today to 40 months in prison. The woman, who had no prior record, had pleaded guilty last year to one count of financial exploitation of a disabled person. She took almost $9,000 from five residents by making numerous cash withdrawals with their bank cards.
3. MINNESOTA (St. Paul), Minnesota Public Radio, January 9, 2013
Vulnerable adults protection: Lawmakers push for tougher background checks
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/01/09/politics/vulnerable-adult-legislation/
Minnesota lawmakers gathered Wednesday to push legislation at both the state and federal levels aimed at protecting vulnerable adults from financial exploitation. More than 25,000 Minnesota residents have a court-appointed guardian or conservator to take care of their finances, and the number is expected to rise in the future as more Minnesotans enter retirement age.
4. MISSOURI (Kansas City), Fox 4 KC, January 14, 2013
K.C. Teen Pleads Not Guilty to Disabled Man’s Murder
http://fox4kc.com/2013/01/14/k-c-teen-pleads-not-guilty-to-disabled-mans-murder/
A teenager pleaded not guilty on Monday to killing a developmentally disabled man in September. Prosecutors say the suspect told a witness he robbed a man, then shot him when the man fought back. The victim, a 38-year-old man, had just earned $40 in cash working as a maintenance man. His family says that he had trouble reading and writing, but always managed to provide for himself.
5. NORTH DAKOTA (Bismarck), Bismarck Tribune, January 11, 2013
Woman charged with burning disabled son
http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/woman-charged-with-burning-disabled-son/article_7628b178-5c42-11e2-9670-0019bb2963f4.html?comment_form=true
A Bismarck woman is accused of burning her 31-year-old disabled son with a cigarette. She has been charged with endangerment of a vulnerable adult, a Class B felony. A judge set her bond at $15,000 and ordered the suspect to have no contact with her son.
6. OHIO (Cincinnati), Local 12, January 9, 2013
Caregiver Sent To Jail For Scalding Disabled Patient
http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/Caregiver-Sent-To-Jail-For-Scalding-Disabled/Xi9e9Ea7mU6kUAs59ja5RQ.cspx
A local caregiver is sentenced to more time behind bars for causing the burns suffered by a patient in his care. He was accused of putting a developmentally handicapped patient in a tub of scalding water and faces up to three years in prison. However, prior to sentencing the defense, as well as the victim’s family, asked the judge to place him only on probation. A jury found the man guilty of one count of felonious assault as well as three counts of tampering with evidence.
7. OHIO (Mahoning County), WKBN, January 9, 2013
Pastor Convicted of Raping Disabled Woman
http://www.wkbn.com/content/news/local/story/Pastor-Convicted-of-Raping-Disabled-Woman/LD9jCMf-qkGOoQs_dmSV6Q.cspx
A North Jackson pastor was convicted by a judge on Wednesday of raping a developmentally disabled 20-year-old woman in 2010 who was staying at the shelter he ran. He was convicted of rape and gross sexual imposition Wednesday on the third day of his bench trial. He faces a maximum of 16 years in prison.
8. TEXAS (El Paso County), El Paso Times, January 12, 2013
Hit-and-run driver kills disabled man near Clint
http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_22353644/socorro-police-investigating-fatal-pedestrian-hit-and-run?source=most_viewed
A mentally disabled man was struck and killed by a vehicle Friday morning as he and two others were picking up litter from a roadway near Clint, El Paso County sheriff's deputies said.
9. WASHINGTON (Seattle), Komo News, January 11, 2013
Police: Angry driver rams disabled man’s scooter
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Police-Angry-driver-intentionally-rams-disabled-mans-scooter-186525891.html
A disabled West Seattle man was riding his mobility scooter in the bike lane when he claims he was intentionally rammed by the driver of a pickup who wanted him off the road, according to the Seattle Police Department. The victim is visually impaired and could not get the license plate number of the pickup or give officers a good description of the driver.
10. INTERNATIONAL (Kolkata, India), Times of India, January 10, 2013
Cop arrested for raping disabled woman in Kolkata
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Cop-arrested-for-raping-disabled-woman-in-Kolkata/articleshow/17962556.cms
At a time sexual violence against women is being protested across the nation, an officer of the Kolkata Police was on Wednesday caught raping a mentally disabled woman at her home in Beniapukur. The officer is accused of sneaking into his neighbor’s house in the afternoon while the 45-year-old woman was alone and began sexually assaulting her. When passersby discovered the crime, they raised an alarm, gathered a crowd, and beat the suspect until police arrived.
11. INTERNATIONAL (Malad, India), Mumbai Mirror, January 13, 2013
Accused opened accounts in names of ill, disabled people
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/2/2013011320130113004125113bcdc9030/Accused-opened-accounts-in-names-of-ill-disabled-people.html
Investigations into the Malad friendship club racket, that was busted last month, have revealed that the accused used to open fake bank accounts in the names of people who were handicapped, suffering from ailments, or urgently in need of money. The accused went as far as forcing ill people to surrender their identification documents for the amount of money they needed for treatment.
RELATED ISSUES
1. ARIZONA (Tucson), Tucson Sentinel, January 8, 2013
Deputies: Missing Southwest Side woman found by TPD
http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/010813_missing/deputies-missing-southwest-side-woman-found-by-tpd/
A woman missing from her Southwest Side home since Tuesday afternoon was found just after 10 p.m. by Tucson police. Her husband told deputies that she suffers from dementia.
2. CALIFORNIA (Sacramento County), CBS Local, January 11, 2013
Two Local Women With Dementia Reported Missing
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2013/01/11/police-searching-for-missing-rocklin-woman-who-has-dementia/
Two unrelated women with dementia have been reported missing from Sacramento County.
3. MARYLAND (Hyattsville City), Hyattsville Patch, January 14, 2013
Hyattsville Police Seek Missing Man With Dementia
http://hyattsville.patch.com/articles/hyattsville-police-seek-missing-man-with-dementia
The Hyattsville City Police Department is asking the public to keep an eye out for a missing 86-year-old man who suffers from dementia. The man, named Willie Clarence Cheeks, stands about 6 feet tall, with brown eyes and grey hair. He was last seen on Sunday, Jan. 13 at about 6 p.m., wearing a red plaid shirt, with blue jeans and black boots.
4. NEW JERSEY (Monroe), NJ.com, January 11, 2013
Monroe police look for missing man suffering from dementia
http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2013/01/monroe_police_look_for_missing.html
Police have put out a missing person alert for an 85-year-old man suffering from dementia. Police said the man is approximately 6 feet tall, weighs 218 pounds and has brown eyes. Police also described him as partially bald with white hair on the sides of his head.
5. NEW YORK (Commack), North Shore of Long Island, January 10, 2013
Commack woman with dementia found
http://www.northshoreoflongisland.com/Articles-News-i-2013-01-10-94902.112114-sub-Commack-woman-with-dementia-missing.html
A woman from Commack who suffers from dementia went missing Thursday afternoon.The Suffolk County Police Department issued a Silver Alert for the woman, 74-year-old Marie Imbesi. She was last seen at 1 pm outside her home, and was driving a white 2000 Cadillac Seville with a tan top. She was later found unharmed.
6. WASHINGTON, D.C., WTOP, January 14, 2013
Elderly Lanham man with dementia missing
http://www.wtop.com/58/3188288/Elderly-Lanham-man-with-dementia-missing
Prince George's County Police are searching for a missing Lanham man who suffers from dementia. Daniel David Bowles, 81, was last seen Tuesday at his home in the 6100 block of Main Street. Police believe he is driving a gold 2007 Honda Odyssey with Maryland license plates 884M990.
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Funding Opportunities:
- February 15, 2013/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
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Upcoming Elder Abuse Conferences/Training Events (in chronological order):
· mmLearn.org is hosting a live webcast on Financial Abuse of the Elderly, with presenter Dr. Robert W. Parker, Chief of Community Geriatrics at UTHSCA. The webcast will be held on Thursday, January 17 at 10:00am CST. For more information: http://mmlearn.org/index.php/online-videos.html
· The Alzheimer’s Association is accepting proposals for their international conferences until February 4, 2013. Submit proposals here: http://www.alz.org/aaic/care/dementia-care-posters.asp. The conference, titled “Dementia Care @AAIC: Translating Research to Practice” will be in Boston, Massachusetts from July 13-18, 2013. Learn more here: http://www.alz.org/aaic/
· The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP) released their famous 2012 Tool Kit on dementia education on November 1, 2012. http://www.nccdp.org/staff-education-week.htm For the fifth year, they will host Alzheimer’s and Dementia Staff Education Week February 14-21, 2013
· Registration is now open for the 2013 Aging in America Conference, presented by the American Society on Aging. The conference will take place from March 12-16, 2013. For more information: http://www.asaging.org/aia
· 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
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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