Happy New Year, everyone!
Newsfeed – Friday, January 3, 2014
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!
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
NATIONAL, The Wall Street Journal, December 23, 2013
Financial scammers increasingly target elderly Americans
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303330204579248292834035108
People 60 years and older made up 26% of all fraud complaints tracked by the Federal Trade Commission in 2012, the highest of any age group. In 2008, the level was just 10%, the lowest of any adult age group. One in every five Americans age 65 or older has been abused financially, according to a 2010 survey by the Investor Protection Trust, a financial-education organization. Financial abuse cost older Americans at least $2.9 billion in 2010, up 12% in two years, according to Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.
NATIONAL, The New York Times, December 23, 3013
Winning Veterans’ trust, and profiting from it
The article states that some lawyers, financial advisers, and insurance brokers capitalize on the loose oversight to unlock the V.A. money and enrich themselves, sometimes at veterans’ expense. Some advisers sell financial products like annuities and trusts that are meant to mask veterans’ assets or income — arrangements can tie up family money for years or even decades. Others circumvent V.A. rules and charge hundreds or even thousands of dollars for advice that may — or may not — help veterans qualify. Still others offer to train lawyers and advisers about the workings of the V.A.
ALASKA (Anchorage), Alaska Dispatch, December 20, 2013
Con artist who stole $2 million from elderly woman gets 5 ½ years
A former registered nurse from Anchorage was sentenced to five and a half years in prison on Thursday after stealing more than $2 million from an elderly woman’s estate. The cash helped bankroll extravagances like a four-acre retreat in Hawaii.
ARIZONA (Chandler), AZ Family, December 31, 2013
Woman accused of abusing adult-care patient
http://www.azfamily.com/news/Ariz-woman-accused-of-abusing-adult-care-patients-237559571.html
Authorities say an adult-care provider is accused of abusing three women in her care at her Chandler home. Chandler police say a 42-year-old woman was arrested Thursday on suspicion of physically and emotionally abusing vulnerable adults.
ARIZONA (Kingman), Las Vegas Review-Journal, December 30, 2013
Kingman caregiver arrested in death of patient
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/kingman-caregiver-arrested-death-patient
A live-in caregiver has been arrested in the death of his patient in Kingman, Ariz. An autopsy concluded that the victim, who had 27 broken ribs and internal organ injuries, died of blunt force trauma, Sgt. Bob Fisk said
ARIZONA (Tucson), Tucson News Now, December 23, 3013
Elderly abuse at Tucson care home caught on camera
New details today, as a Tucson man gets four years probation for abusing a 93-year-old woman at a local care facility. In addition to probation, Annuhar Ruiz will have to pay more than $3000 in restitution. He has been in jail for the last several months since his arrest in mid-July.
CALIFORNIA (San Diego), San Diego 6, December 23, 2013
Nurses charged with elder neglect after San Diego 6 investigation
More than a year after San Diego 6 released surveillance video of two male nurses performing sexual acts near a then-98-year-old bedridden patient, the men have been charged with felony elder neglect and lewd conduct by a caregiver. Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood said a March 2011 video shows Ruiz and co-defendant Russel Torralba -- who is also charged in the case but remains at large -- engaging in a sex act near the bedridden woman they were caring for.
CONNECTICUT (Willington), Journal Inquirer, December 26, 2013
Judge gives woman probation in elder abuse case
A Willington woman has been sentenced to five years of probation after she previously pleaded guilty to allowing her home to be so filled with feces and garbage that authorities had a hard time locating her elderly mother, police say.
FLORIDA (Marion County), Ocala, December 27, 2013
Suspect stole money from dead brother’s account
An Ocala man who reportedly admitted stealing more than $30,000 from an account set up to manage his deceased brother’s finances was charged Thursday with grand theft, financial exploitation of the elderly, criminal use of personal identification and unauthorized use of a credit card. According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the mother of the accused told Deputy Rodney Counts that her son had made numerous unauthorized transfers from her personal bank account into a joint account that had been established to manage the finances of another son, who is deceased.
FLORIDA (St. Cloud), Orlando Sentinel, December 31, 2013
Personal assistant exploited elderly man with dementia, deputies say
A St. Cloud man was arrested Tuesday after Osceola deputies said he performed thousands of dollars worth of illegal construction work for an 89-year-old St. Cloud man with dementia. The elderly man wrote checks totaling more than $25,000 between April and September for home-improvement projects performed by Charles Tracy Bailey or his employees, deputies said.
GEORGIA (Douglas County), Douglas County Sentinel
Elderly woman found locked in squalor
http://www.douglascountysentinel.com/news/local/article_3440dc80-6ea8-11e3-9cf7-001a4bcf6878.html
Investigators say a 93-year-old woman suffering from Alzheimer’s was found locked in a bedroom in squalor by investigators checking out a tip of possible drug activity. Investigator Trent Wilson said that the 33-year-old daughter indicated that her mother was suffering from Alzheimer’s and that was the way that they had decided to keep her from roaming off, but Wilson said the conditions of the home were some of the worst he has ever seen. There was no restroom inside the room and the signs of neglect were obvious.
GEORGIA (Lithia Springs), WSB-TV Atlanta 2, December 27, 2013
Police: Alzheimer’s patient locked in basement while family sold meth
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/police-alzheimers-patient-locked-basement-while-fa/ncWyZ/
An elderly Alzheimer's patient is in state protective custody Friday after investigators said her daughter and granddaughter locked her in the basement of a Lithia Springs home while they dealt methamphetamine out of the house. Investigators said it appears they kept the woman locked in the room off and on for six months.
ILLINOIS (Elmwood Park), Chicago Sun-Times, December 27, 2013
Cop accused of stealing $20k from elderly man with dementia
An Elmwood Park police sergeant has been relieved of his police duties amid allegations he forged a $20,000 check from an elderly man with dementia. The sergeant met the man when he came into the police station on Oct. 19, 2012 to report that money was missing from his apartment. The man, who lived alone, additionally told the sergeant that he kept $70,000 at his residence, the citation said.
MICHIGAN (Port Huron), Monroe News, December 23, 2013
Woman who left mom’s body at store faces sentence
An Oregon woman who left her mother's body behind a thrift store near Port Huron is returning to court for her sentence for manslaughter. Kelly Rhodes had been charged with murder but last month pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. Authorities believe neglect had a role in the death of the 89-year-old woman.
MISSIOURI (Farmington), Daily Journal, December 27, 2013
Bond reduction denied in ‘financial exploitation’
Thomas Terry, 62, is charged with five Class A felony charges of financial exploitation of the elderly. The charges involve the five of the 42 affected investors who were over the age of 60 at the time the alleged crime occurred. The judge said that she felt the bond was entirely appropriate and denied the motion for a bond reduction.
MISSIOURI (Stoddard County), The Daily Statesman, December 29, 2013
Monia’s case ordered back to Stoddard County
http://www.dailystatesman.com/story/2036665.html
The former insurance man was charged in April with two counts each of forgery and financial exploitation of the elderly in connection with a case in which he is accused of taking more than $220,000 from a Scott City couple after promising to invest the money in annuities for them. He is accused of defrauding nine people -- most of them elderly -- in the two counties.
NEW HAMPSHIRE (Enfield), Valley News, January 1, 2014
Caregiver charged with identity theft
http://www.vnews.com/news/townbytown/norwich/10019489-95/caregiver-charged-with-identity-theft
A 33-year-old Enfield woman has pleaded not guilty to allegedly using the credit card of an elderly woman whom she was supposed to be assisting. The Enfield woman was working for Armistead Caregiver Services and was providing assistance to a 76-year-old Norwich woman when the elderly woman noticed she had an outstanding bill of about $5,000, according to a police report.
NEW JERSEY (North Arlington), Cliffview Pilot, December 30, 2013
Police: North Arlington brothers in bank robbery locked disabled uncle in bedroom
Two North Arlington brothers arrested for a Little Ferry bank robbery on Friday are charged with locking their elderly, disabled uncle in a bedroom before leaving the house that day. Terry and Nicholas Shelton, already behind bars in connection with Friday night’s holdup of the TD Bank on Main Street in Little Ferry, face additional charges of neglect of the elderly or disabled.
OREGON (Clackamas), Oregon Live - The Oregonian, December 23, 2013
Clackamas deputies seek woman in financially devastating elder abuse, theft case
http://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/2013/12/clackamas_deputies_seek_woman_2.html
Police are crediting a Sandy-area insurance agent for interrupting financially devastating elder-abuse theft and are asking for help finding a person of interest in the case. Lt. Robert Wurpes, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office spokesman, said the victim, an elderly widow, has learned that her bank accounts were drained and that an unauthorized reverse-mortgage line of credit was opened on her home.
WEST VIRGINIA (Oak Hill), The Fayette Tribune, December 30, 2013
Oak Hill man arrested for exploitation of elderly woman
A man was arrested Wednesday, Dec. 18 for the financial exploitation of an elderly Oak Hill woman, Fayette County Sheriff Steve Kessler said in a recent press release. Thomas Wayne Shepherd, 22, of Oak Hill, was charged with five counts each of forgery and uttering, two counts of computer fraud and one count of identity theft after police say he stole the woman’s checks, forged her signature, passed the checks and accessed her credit card illegally.
WISCONSIN (Sturgeon Bay), Door County Advocate, December 30, 2013
Elder abuse case settled with probation
http://www.doorcountyadvocate.com/article/20131231/ADV01/312310154/
A Sturgeon Bay man was given two years probation as part of a plea agreement in an elder abuse case. James J. Conklin, 52, was scheduled to go to trial earlier this month in Door County Circuit Court for a felony count of intentionally subjecting an individual at risk to abuse, causing bodily harm, along with a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.
INTERNATIONAL (The Republic of the Philippines), Business Mirror, December 22, 2013
Rookie solon files bill to prevent elder abuse, aid victims
A FIRST-TERM lawmaker has filed a bill seeking to establish programs and activities to help victims of elder abuse. House Bill 2569, authored by Rep. Sol Aragones of the Third District of Laguna, seeks to create an inter-agency task force which shall have the mandate to establish and implement an Elder Victim Assistance Program.
INTERNATIONAL (United Kingdom), The Telegraph, December 27, 2013
Dementia patients most at risk from bad hospital care
Poor care in hospitals means dementia sufferers are more likely to die or suffer an injury than other patients, research has found. The study of more than 17 million hospital visits found patients with the condition had far higher mortality rates, longer lengths of hospital stay and a higher likelihood of readmission than patients without it.
INTERNATIONAL (Leicestershire, United Kingdom), Leicester Mercury, December 27, 2013
Care home abuse claims up in Leicestershire
http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Care-home-abuse-claims/story-20371151-detail/story.html
Reports of alleged abuse in residential and care homes have risen by 10 per cent, according to latest figures. The 2012/13 annual report of Leicestershire Safeguarding Adults Board found that 842 complaints of abuse were made relating to homes in the county – 77 more than in the previous year.
ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES
MISSISSIPPI (Columbia), News Channel 12, December 27, 2013
Vulnerable adult taken to hospital after physical abuse
http://www.wjtv.com/story/24316182/vulnerable-adult-taken-to-hospital-after-physical-abuse
Officials say that around 11pm on December 18, Columbia police responded to a call of physical abuse. The 24-year-old daughter of Thomas Davis, who suffers from cerebral palsy, was transported to Marion General Hospital.
SOUTH DAKOTA (Sioux Falls), The State, December 22, 2013
State report faulted at assisted-living center
http://www.thestate.com/2013/12/22/3165662/state-report-faulted-sf-assisted.html
A 29-year-old schizophrenic with severe diabetes was found unresponsive in a Sioux Falls motel room last summer. Doctors soon learned the patient had been removed less than two days before from Cayman Court, an assisted-living facility for people with severe mental illness.
INTERNATIONAL (Ireland), The Irish Times, December 24, 2013
Staff at disability facility to have suspensions lifted but are moved to administrative duties
About a dozen staff at a care facility for people with intellectual disabilities, who were suspended earlier this month, are to be reinstated, but moved to administrative duties pending further investigations into complaints about standards of care. Informed sources have maintained that the abusive incidents alleged to have occurred include shower doors not being closed while individuals were being showered, clients being locked out of their bungalows and individuals being spoken of as if they were not present.
RELATED ISSUES
CALIFORNIA (Los Angeles), Inquirer, December 31, 2013
Doctor pleads guilty to fraud
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/95483/fil-am-doctor-pleads-guilty-to-fraud
Filipino American doctor Ovid Mercene has pleaded guilty to federal tax charges, admitting participation in a large-scale scheme to defraud Medicare and Medi-Cal. From 2008 to 2012, the 61-year-old Mercene of La Mirada in southeast Los Angeles County, admitted mostly homeless patients from LA’s Skid Row for treatment they did not need, as a means of defrauding the taxpayer-funded health programs, according to the US Attorney’s office.
GEORGIA (Cobb), MDJ, December 28, 2013
Police looking for elderly dementia and schizophrenia patient in Cobb
Cobb Police and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations are looking for a 72-year-old woman who suffers from dementia and schizophrenia. The woman was last known to have taken a taxi to the AmTrak station in Atlanta, and police say she left on her own accord.
ILLINOIS, KMOV 4, December 27, 2013
Dementia patient jailed for 5-year-old seat belt citation
A 72-year-old Dementia patient in Illinois was thrown in jail for an unpaid seat belt ticket that dated back five years. Family members of the woman said they called police because they wanted officer to check in on her. When officers arrived at the woman’s home, they ran her ID and noticed she had a bench warrant for the 5-year-old ticket.
NEW YORK (Kirkwood), CNY News, December 28, 2013
Body of missing woman found
http://cnynews.com/body-of-missing-woman-found/
Authorities say the body of a missing 88-year-old woman from Kirkwood, just outside of Binghamton, has been found in northeastern Pennsylvania. State police say that the woman's body was found Tuesday in a wooded area off Route 11 in Hallstead, just south of the New York-Pennsylvania border.
OHIO (Brook Park), Cleveland, December 24, 2013
Hypothermia claims dementia patient after husband dies of heart attack
http://www.cleveland.com/brook-park/index.ssf/2013/12/hypothermia_claims_dementia_pa.html
The two, in their 70s, were found dead by a family member about noon Monday in their Brook Park home, according to police, who did not suspect foul play. The wife had dementia and depended on the husband, who acted as her caregiver, the medical examiner's office said. When he died, the woman was apparently unable to care for herself and did not know who to call, the office said.
TENNESSEE (Murfreesboro), News Channel 5, December 31, 2013
Search underway in Murfreesboro for missing man with dementia
Police said they are looking for an elderly man suffering from dementia in Murfreesboro. Officials with the Murfreesboro Police Department said 72-year-old man was reported missing after he did not return home Tuesday evening. He was last seen at 4:30 p.m.
TEXAS (Clyde), ABC Local News, December 26, 2013
Woman with dementia found dead in West Texas
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/state&id=9372766
A 92-year-old woman suffering from dementia was found dead 100 yards from her West Texas home after going out in only a nightgown and house shoes Christmas Day. Lester's daughter reported her mother missing Christmas Day after arriving at the home and finding that her mother wasn't there and the front door was unlocked.
TEXAS (Missouri City), Chron, December 24, 2013
Man with dementia, schizophrenia reported missing
A 61-year-old man police say suffers from dementia and schizophrenia has been reported missing. According to an alert issued by Houston police, the man was last seen on Monday at 4:30 p.m. in the 10100 block of Bissonnet.
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Funding Opportunities:
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January 10, 2014
- The Tufts Health Plan Foundation is accepting letters of inquiry to apply for grants through its 2014 Healthy Aging program. Nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island focused on improving the lives of older adults, ages 60 and over, should submit letters under one of three categories: health and wellness, purposeful engagement, or empowerment.
- Contact: Tufts Health Plan Foundation; foundation@tuftshealth.com ; http://www.tuftshealthplanfoundation.org
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January 10, 2014
- Applications for grants from the Needmor Fund, which support community organizing projects that encourage the efforts of people who are working together for justice and the common good; encourage involvement in community affairs by people whose participation has been systematically denied; and foster the active participation of all citizens in crafting values and policies that are more equitable.
- Contact: Needmor Fund, 42 South Saint Clair Street, Toledo, Ohio 43604; (419) 255-5560; http://www.needmorfund.org/procedures.htm
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Upcoming Elder Abuse Conferences/Training Events (in chronological order):
· IOM Forum on Global Violence Prevention will host a public workshop on February 26-27, 2014. This workshop will explore a model for thinking about mental health, violence, and prevention with the goal of arriving at a better understanding of the relationships between mental illness and risks of violence perpetration and victimization as well as the mental health consequences of exposure to violence. The workshop will be held at the Keck Center in Washington, DC, and is free and open to the public. However, space is limited. More information found here: http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Global/ViolenceForum/2014-FEB-26.aspx?utm_medium=etmail&utm_source=Institute%20of%20Medicine&utm_campaign=12.18.13+Forum+and+Roundtable+News&utm_content=&utm_term=
· The 3rd World Congress on Adult Guardianship will be convened on May 28-30, 2014 in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area. It is sponsored by the National Guardianship Network in affiliation with the International Guardianship Network. The theme of the conference is, “Promising Practices to Ensure Excellence in Guardianship Around the World.” Proposals for presentations are due July 31. See http://worldcongressguardianship.org
An archived collection of previous newsfeeds is available here: http://ncea.posthaven.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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