NCEA | Newsfeed Collection

NCEA Newsfeed – Friday, December 14, 2012

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!

Calendar of upcoming elder abuse and neglect events can be found at the bottom of the newsfeed.

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ELDER ABUSE NEWSFEED

1.         ALABAMA (Little Rock), WRBL, December 10, 2012
Criminal penalties for elder abuse in AL.
http://www2.wrbl.com/news/2012/dec/10/criminal-penalties-elder-abuse-al-ar-5144367/
Two bills proposed for the next Alabama legislative session will provide additional criminal penalties for the abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of older citizens (defined as people over age 60). One bill would set up misdemeanor and felony penalties for abusing or neglecting the elderly. Another bill would establish misdemeanor and felony penalties for exploiting the elderly through deception, intimidation, undue influence, force or threat of force.

2.         COLORADO (Boulder), Daily Camera, December 10, 2012
Man pleads guilty to stealing from elderly Boulder mother-in-law
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_22162230/man-pleads-guilty-stealing-from-elderly-boulder-mother?IADID=Search-www.dailycamera.com-www.dailycamera.com
A Boulder man has pleaded guilty to felony and misdemeanor theft for stealing from his elderly mother-in-law. His mother-in-law, a 94-year-old retired University of Colorado professor, suffers from dementia and is in nursing care. The man drained his mother-in-law’s assets, took out loans on her house and stopped paying for her nursing care, taking about $578,000. He faces up to six years in jail.

3.         MAINE (Bangor), Bangor Daily News, December 11, 2012
Official: 85 percent of elders abused in Maine never report it
http://bangordailynews.com/2012/12/11/news/state/85-percent-of-elders-abused-in-maine-never-report-it/?ref=videos
There are an estimated 14,000 new reports of elder abuse in Maine every year, which, according to Ricker Hamilton, director of the Maine Office of Aging and Disability Services, represents only about 15 percent of instances of elder abuse that actually happen.

4.         MINNESOTA (St. Paul), Twin Cities, December 10, 2012
Man charged with neglecting, exploiting his ailing aunt dies
http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_22162083/st-paul-man-charged-exploiting-ailing-aunt-is
A month after he was charged with seven felonies alleging financial exploitation of his 92-year-old aunt, a St. Paul man has died, according to an official with the Department of Public Health, which maintains death records. He was charged in February with gross misdemeanor criminal neglect after medical personnel on Aug. 8, 2011, found his aunt with a bedsore and dried feces on her body. She reported being "in pain everywhere," according to the complaint.

5.         OREGON (Albany), Albany Tribune, December 11, 2012
Elderly and Disabled Oregonians Often Victims Of Financial Exploitation and Self-Neglect
http://www.albanytribune.com/11122012-elderly-and-disabled-oregonians-often-victims-of-financial-exploitation-and-self-neglect/
Financial exploitation and self-neglect are the two areas of abuse and neglect with the greatest number of victims among elderly and disabled Oregonians. These are the findings of the 2011 Adult Protective Services report that was introduced Monday at the joint meeting of the House and Senate Judiciary Committee.

6.         PENNSYLVANIA (Philadelphia), Philly Burbs, December 13, 2012
State: Suspects in elder abuse case should not have been working at assisted living center
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times_news/state-suspects-in-elder-abuse-case-should-not-have-been/article_f445b16e-116a-5989-af06-a0426731f7da.html
One of two Philadelphia women charged with abusing an 83-year-old resident of a Lower Southampton assisted living center shouldn’t have been working there, and the second woman should not have been unsupervised while working with residents, according to state regulatory officials. The two women were both caught in multiple incidents of abuse and mistreatment by a hidden camera. One should not have been hired, as she does not have a high school diploma or equivalency degree. The other did not complete a training required before providing unsupervised living services.

7.         PENNSYLVANIA (Philadelphia), KSEE 24, December 13, 2012
Nursing Home Workers Caught on Cam Abusing Patients
http://www.ksee24.com/news/local/Nursing-Home-Workers-Caught-on-Cam-Abusing-Patients-183410731.html
Two former workers at a Pennsylvania nursing home are in jail after police say they were caught on camera abusing an elderly patient. Investigators say the abuse happened at the Arbors at Buck Run, a nursing home in Bucks County, Pa. The daughter of a patient at Arbors became suspicious about how her mother was being treated and decided to take action, according to investigators.

8.         SOUTH CAROLINA (Mount Pleasant), Mount Pleasant Patch, December 12, 2012
Man Accused of Elder Abuse Out on Bond
http://mountpleasant-sc.patch.com/articles/man-accused-of-elder-abuse-out-on-bond
A former Mount Pleasant nursing home aide has been released after posting a $100,000 bond on charges that he abused a 101-year-old bedridden man. At least some of the alleged abuse was captured on a hidden camera set up by the victim's granddaughter, according to media reports. The hidden camera shows images of Kimbrough shaking, taunting and harassing the elderly man.

9.         SOUTH CAROLINA (Mount Pleasant), ABC News 4, December 11, 2012
Nursing home employee arrested for abusing elderly man
http://www.abcnews4.com/story/20314766/nursing-home-employee
A nursing home employee was arrested after a 101-year-old resident said the man poured detergent into his eyes and sexually assaulted him. According to police, the victim's granddaughter hired a private investigator after a series of complaints by her grandfather. The investigator installed a hidden camera in the victim's room.

10.       TEXAS (Corpus Christi), Caller.com, December 12, 2012
Adult Protective Services, WellMed partner to target elder abuse
http://www.caller.com/news/2012/dec/12/adult-protective-services-wellmed-partner-to/
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded a $907,000 grant to the Texas Department of Family Protective Services, in partnership with the WellMed Charitable Foundation, the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging and the Elder Justice Coalition. The grant, among the first awarded as part of the Elder Justice Act of 2010, will fund an elder abuse prevention and intervention initiative at WellMed clinics in five Texas markets.

11.       TEXAS (Dallas), Dallas News, December 9, 2012
Be extra protective of elders’ money during the holidays
http://www.dallasnews.com/business/columnists/pamela-yip/20121209-be-extra-protective-of-elders-money-during-the-holidays.ece
Thieves work overtime this time of the year, and a prime target is the elderly. “There are a lot of different things at play this time of year that make it critical to have this conversation,” said Sandy Markwood, chief executive of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. “One thing is that we saw an increase in financial exploitation of older adults just because of the economic downturn, and people were looking at preying on anybody to get additional resources. But the other issue is at this time of year, there is just an awful lot of spending activity and oftentimes, it’s easy to pick up somebody’s personal information, their credit card information and maybe not to pay attention as closely if somebody has one of your checks and/or forged your signature.” she said.

12.       VIRGINIA (Staunton), WHSV, December 13, 2012
Another Case of Elder Abuse at Retirement Community
http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/Another-Case-of-Elder-Abuse-at--183255652.html?ref=652
A former resident of Envoy Home in Staunton, Virginia pleaded guilty to sexually molesting an elderly woman and will now spend a year in prison.  The Staunton Senior Center started a program to prevent elderly abuse in the Valley about a year and a half ago. That way, managers hope to prevent more cases in our area by teaching families what signs to monitor.

13.       INTERNATIONAL (Lancaster, United Kingdom), BBC, December 13, 2012
Hillcroft nursing home staff charged with abuse of residents
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-20710773
Three men and a woman have been charged with mistreating vulnerable elderly residents at a care home near Lancaster. The former employees are accused of a total of 19 offences under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 of being a carer involved in the ill-treatment and wilful neglect of a person with lack of capacity.

ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES

1.         CALIFORNIA (Placer County), Fox 40, December 13, 2012
Deputies: Man who Raped Disabled Woman Now in Custody
http://fox40.com/2012/12/13/deputies-man-who-raped-disabled-woman-now-in-custody/
A man accused of getting a mentally-disabled patient at a nursing home pregnant last year is now in custody. The alleged victim is severely handicapped and legally blind. The suspect was arrested Thursday morning in Sacramento and was booked on a rape charge. He is being held on a $150,000 bail.

2.         FLORIDA (Indian River County), ABA Journal, December 13, 2012
Man Who Police Say Posted Facebook Video of Disabled Man Being Punched Is Charged in Attack
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/man_who_allegedly_posted_facebook_video_of_disabled_man_being_punched_is_ch/
A Florida man posted a video on Facebook of a homeless man being punched in the face. Although the homeless man told authorities he didn’t recall being punched, police were able to file charges of aggravated abuse of a disabled adult against the cameraman and another suspect. Additionally, a misdemeanor battery charge was filed against the cameraman, and the other suspect faces a charge of felony battery with a prior conviction.

3.         MARYLAND (Windsor Mill), wings Mills Patch, December 13, 2012
Windsor Mill Man Indicted for Abuse of Disabled Adult
http://owingsmills.patch.com/articles/windsor-mill-man-indicted-for-abuse-of-disabled-adult
A Windsor Mill man was indicted and charged with assaulting and abusing a vulnerable adult in an October incident in which the disabled adult was assaulted and strangled.

4.         MISSOURI (Columbia), Columbia Missourian, December 10, 2012
Columbia woman charged with financial exploitation is sentenced to prison
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/a/156794/columbia-woman-charged-with-financial-exploitation-is-sentenced-to-prison/
Columbia woman who pleaded guilty in October to financially exploiting a person with a disability will serve four months in prison and will then be placed on probation so she can begin to pay back the woman she bilked out of tens 0f thousands of dollars.

3.         MISSOURI (Columbia), Columbia Tribune, December 11, 2012
Woman sentenced for swindling disabled victim
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2012/dec/11/woman-sentenced-for-swindling-disabled-victim/
A Columbia woman who in 2010 took thousands of dollars from a mentally disabled woman through intimidation was sentenced yesterday to probation instead of prison so she can pay back the victim. The woman pleaded guilty to felony financial exploitation of an elderly/disabled person and was sentenced to eight years in prison. Circuit Judge Christine Carpenter ordered her to serve 120 days in jail. If she completes that satisfactorily, she can be released on probation and would be required to pay $400 in restitution each month.

RELATED ISSUES

1.         MICHIGAN (Farmington Hills), Detroit News, December 8, 2012
Missing man with dementia from Farmington Hills found
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121208/METRO02/212080369
A 79-year-old Farmington Hills man with dementia who was reported missing by his family on Thursday was found in Livonia Saturday morning.

2.         MICHIGAN (Grand Rapids), WoodTV, December 12, 2012
Grand Rapids man found after 5 days
http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/grand_rapids/grpd-missing-man-has-mild-dementia
 A Grand Rapids man diagnosed with dementia has been found safe after disappearing last week. 

3.         INTERNATIONAL (Blairgowrie, United Kingdom), The Courier, December 13, 2012
‘Very frail’ dementia patient (90) who left Ninewells Hospital found in Fife after search
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Dundee/article/26376/very-frail-dementia-patient-aged-90-who-left-ninewells-hospital-found-in-fife-after-search.html
Catherine Knoll disappeared from the Area 6 outpatient clinic at around 1pm yesterday, after she was driven there from her Blairgowrie home by the Patient Transport Service. She was discovered 16 miles away in St Andrews several hours later — 32 miles from home. Police are unsure how she got to Fife but it is thought she wandered out of the hospital and boarded public transport.

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Upcoming Elder Abuse Conferences/Training Events (in chronological order):

·       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

·       The 6^th 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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