NCEA | Newsfeed Collection

NCEA Newsfeed – Monday, October 15, 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 and list of funding opportunities can be found at the bottom of the newsfeed entries.

 ***************************************************************************************

ELDER ABUSE NEWSFEED

1.         CALIFORNIA (Clements), Record Net, October 13, 2012
Woman jailed, may face charges of elder abuse
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121013/A_NEWS/210130323
A 31-year-old woman authorities say swindled an injured senior out of more than $25,000 in recent months is in jail.  The suspect could face charges of elder abuse, identity theft and credit card theft for taking advantage of a 64-year-old Clements woman.

2.         CALIFORNIA (Murrieta), Murrieta Patch, October 13, 2012
Police Seek Elder Abuse Suspects in $1,200 Theft
http://murrieta.patch.com/articles/police-seek-elder-abuse-suspects
Two women are sought in an unsolved elder abuse theft case that occurred when the women befriended an 83-year-old man at a Murrieta Ralphs store. The women offered to drive the elderly man home, asked to use his restroom, and stole about $1,140 in cash from the man’s bedroom.

3.         FLORIDA (Miami), CBS Local, October 13, 2012
Nerve-Wracking Phone Scam Targets South Florida Residents
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/10/13/nerve-wracking-phone-scam-targets-south-florida-residents/
Phone scams are on the rise nationwide. In 2011, the Federal Trade Commission reported more than 70,000 complaints of scams related to telephone and mobile services. There were less than 37,500 phone-related complaints registered in 2010 and less than 11,000 in 2009. These complaints do not include other kinds of scams such as fraudulent sweepstakes and prizes, debt collection or internet services.

4.         FLORIDA (Sarasota), Sarasota Herald-Tribune, October 12, 2012
Florida’s rising tide of elder fraud
http://health.heraldtribune.com/2012/10/12/floridas-rising-tide-of-elder-fraud/
“The aging of the state — along with a prolonged economic downturn that seems to have sharpened the claws of grifters from all over the world– has led to an unforeseen eruption of cases where older people have been too easily parted from their money,” elder lawyer Erika Dine told the audience at a recent forum at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee. 

5.         ILLINOIS (Chicago), Sacramento Bee, October 12, 2012
Woman charged with stealing from grandmother
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/12/4905314/woman-charged-with-stealing-from.html
A suburban Chicago woman has been charged with stealing more than $200,000 from her 98-year-old grandmother. The suspect has been charged with forgery and senior financial exploitation.

6.         ILLINOIS (Elmhurst), Elmhurst Patch, October 14, 2012
Caregiver Tries to Bilk Alzheimer’s Patient Out of Thousands of Dollars, Victim Says
http://elmhurst.patch.com/articles/caregiver-tries-to-bilk-alzheimer-s-patient-out-of-thousands-of-dollars
A caregiver who was recently hired to care for a man with Alzheimer's disease is accused of trying to bilk the family out of thousands of dollars. The victim's daughter said in addition to paying the company from which the caregiver was hired, she was asked by the caregiver to withdraw hundreds of dollars from two bank accounts twice a week and give the money directly to her. An investigation is pending.

8.         ILLINOIS (Palatine), Daily Herald, October 11, 2012
Palatine woman accused of stealing $200K from grandmother
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20121011/news/710119661/
A Palatine woman has been charged with stealing more than $200,000 from her grandmother. She is charged with forgery and financial exploitation of an elderly person, both felonies. Authorities allege that the suspect wrote checks, made electronic payments and forged electronic wire transfers from her grandmother’s accounts to pay for her own credit cards, loans, vacations and other personal spending.

9.         ILLINOIS (Palatine), Chicago Sun Times, October 11, 2012
Police: Woman stole $200K from grandmother, 98
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/15701328-418/police-woman-stole-200k-from-grandmother-98.html
Police say that from October 2005 through July 2011, while a woman had power of attorney for her grandmother, she would write checks, make electronic payments and forge electronic wire transfers from her grandmother’s bank accounts. She used the money to pay off her own credit card bills, loan payments and car payments, prosecutors allege. She also took vacations in the Cayman Islands, Costa Rica and across the United States, and purchased other items for herself, including restaurant outings, apparel, food and gas, prosecutors allege.

10.       MICHIGAN (Taylor), Detroit Free Press, October 12, 2012
Nursing home sexual assault investigation expands
http://www.freep.com/article/20121012/NEWS02/121012018/Nursing-home-sexual-assault-investigation-expands
Detectives in Taylor interviewed a 90-year-old woman this week about an alleged sexual assault last summer at a Taylor nursing home. Despite the police interview with the 90-year-old on Thursday, Tendercare Administrator Larry White said there’s no indication that it was abuse, just the suspicion of abuse.

11.       NEW YORK (New York City), NY Convergence, October 12, 2012
NYCEAC Launches Social Media Campaign
http://nyconvergence.com/2012/10/nyceac-launches-social-media-campaign.html
The New York City Elder Abuse Center is launching a social media initiative to raise awareness about elder justice. NYCEAC builds awareness about elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. The new social media push is in collaboration with NY agencies, nonprofits, practitioners and other organizations focusing on how to improve, prevent and respond to problems.

12.       NEW YORK (Whitestown), Rome Sentinel, October 15, 2012
Elder abuse forum Thursday
http://www.romesentinel.com/news?newsid=20121015-142012
An elder abuse forum will be held Thursday, October 18 at the Whitestown Senior Center. The event is free and open to the public, and there will be a question-and-answer session following the presentations.

13.       OREGON (Forest Grove), Oregon Live, October 15, 2012
Forest Grove detective receives award for role in helping protect vulnerable elderly from abuse
http://www.oregonlive.com/forest-grove/index.ssf/2012/10/forest_grove_detective_receive.html
A Forest Grove detective, a Clackamas County Deputy District Attorney, and the director of Heritage Place Assisted Living were named as recipients of the Oregon Health Care Association's Special Service Award last month for their role in helping shape legislation to protect vulnerable elderly from fraud and abuse.

14.       TEXAS (Waco), KWTX, October 12, 2012
Waco: Seminars To Help Prevent Financial Exploitation Of Seniors
http://www.kwtx.com/ourtown/home/headlines/Waco-Seminars-To-Help-Prevent-Financial-Exploitation-Of-Seniors-173917641.html
Two seminars will be offered at senior centers to warn of the possibilities of financial exploitation. Warning signs include sudden changes in bank accounts or banking practices, unexplained withdrawal of large sums of money, adding names to someone’s bank signature card, unpaid bills despite large sums of money, unfamiliar people accompanying bank customers to withdraw money and sudden transfers of assets.

15.       INTERNATIONAL (Sudbury, Canada), Northern Life, October 13, 2012
Sudbury senior garners province’s highest recognition
http://www.northernlife.ca/news/localNews/2012/10/14-anadel-hastie-senior-award.aspx
Anadel Hastie has received a provincial seniors award for her involvement in many organizations and committees, most notably the city’s Seniors Advisory Panel, the Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, of which she is the current chair, and more recently, Greater Sudbury Police Services’ board on racial and multicultural relations.

ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES

1.         ARIZONA (Glendale), My Fox Phoenix, October 12, 2012
Former caretaker allegedly filmed, encouraged abuse of adult at group home
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/19806346/2012/10/12/former-group-home-caretaker-allegedly-filmed-encouraged-abuse
Police arrested a former employee at a group home in Surprise accused of filming and encouraging the abuse of a developmentally delayed adult. The suspect told police “he hoped the victim would fight back and encouraged him to do so.” He has been booked on 6 counts of vulnerable adult abuse.

2.         ARIZONA (Glendale), Arizona Central, October 11, 2012
Glendale police: Group-home worker encouraged, filmed abuse of client
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/20121011glendale-police-group-home-worker-encouraged-filmed-abuse-abrk.html
A former group home caretaker was arrested on suspicion of filming the abuse of a developmentally delayed adult after police obtained a series of cellphone videos that captured the physical abuse of a member of the group home where the suspect worked.

3.         ARIZONA (Tucson), KPHO, October 15, 2012
Tucson man pleads guilty to vulnerable adult abuse
http://www.kpho.com/story/19826068/tucson-man-pleads-guilty-to-vulnerable-adult-abuse
A Tucson man has pleaded guilty to abusing his incapacitated girlfriend by failing to care for her, causing her to be hospitalized. He pled guilty Monday to vulnerable adult abuse/domestic violence and faces a mandatory prison term of between six months and 2 ½ years in prison.

4.         FLORIDA (Ormond Beach), The Daytona Beach News-Journal, October 12, 2012
Nursing home placed on federal list of problem facilities
http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20121012/NEWS/310129955?Title=Ormond-nursing-home-placed-on-federal-list-of-problem-facilities
Avante at Ormond Beach has been placed on a federal watchlist of problematic nursing homes and could have its Medicare and Medicaid payments terminated if it doesn't show improvement. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has identified the nursing home as a "special focus facility," meaning the federal government considers the nursing home to have a pattern of serious problems that have persisted over a long period.

5.         FLORIDA (Volusia County), WFTV.com, October 10, 2012
Volusia Co. nursing home placed on national watch list for problems
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/volusia-co-nursing-home-placed-national-watch-list/nSZRg/
A Volusia County nursing home has racked up so many violations, it's now on a national watch list of problem nursing facilities. A major complaint against Avante at Ormond Beach involves an alleged sexual abuse incident by a staff member on a resident.

6.         ILLINOIS (Chicago), The State Journal-Register, October 12, 2012
Report finds errors from DHS inspector general
http://www.sj-r.com/thedome/x470402961/Report-finds-errors-from-DHS-inspector-general
A special investigator found problems with more than a quarter of the death-related cases investigated by the Illinois Department of Human Services' inspector general, according to a report released Friday. Michael McCotter was appointed in July by Gov. Pat Quinn to look into problems in the office after the Belleville News-Democrat revealed that since 2003 the inspector general hadn't investigated 53 cases involving disabled adults living at home who were allegedly abused or neglected and later died.

7.         ILLINOIS (Chicago), BND.com, October 12, 2012
Report: OIG investigators had weak skills, lacked supervision in abuse, neglect cases
http://www.bnd.com/2012/10/12/2358167/report-finds-oig-investigators.html
An investigation of a state agency responsible for protecting disabled adults who live at home found that case investigators had weak investigative and report-writing skills, a lack of supervision, were understaffed and failed to involve law enforcement in abuse calls.

8.         NEW YORK (Florence), SC Now, October 15, 2012
Florence police charge pair with abusing sedated patient
http://www2.scnow.com/news/pee-dee/2012/oct/15/florence-police-charge-pair-abusing-sedated-patien-ar-4759311/
Two New Yorkers were arrested Saturday following an incident with a sedated patient at a Florence medical center. One suspect is charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct and abuse of a vulnerable adult while the other is charged with neglect of a vulnerable adult.

RELATED ISSUES

1.         ARIZONA (Tucson), Tucson Sentinel, October 15, 2012
Missing senior with dementia located
http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/101512_missing_macfarland/missing-senior-with-dementia-located/
A 70-year-old man missing from a Midtown assisted living facility was located Monday at a nearby intersection. The man "was found to be in good condition and has been returned to his residence," a police spokesman said.

2.         MARYLAND (Howard County), NBC Washington, October 15, 2012
Missing Maryland Man Found
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Elderly-Howard-County-Man-Missing-174162581.html
A missing Howard County man suffering from dementia was found in good condition Monday morning. He had last been seen by a family member leaving his house Sunday afternoon, and did not return when he said he would.

***************************************************************************************

Funding Opportunities:

• The Marisla Foundation focuses on supporting women's programs dealing with homelessness, substance abuse, domestic violence and vocational training.  The objective of the Marisla Foundation's Human Services Program is to assist women, primarily regarding their physical, mental and financial health.  Giving is national in focus, but the Marisla Foundation shows preference for California funding.  Last year, the Foundation distributed $36 million in grants.  Funding is limited to nonprofits. 
  For more information: https://online.foundationsource.com/public/home/marisla Deadline: October 15, 2012

• The Johnson Controls Foundation announced program grants to support education, health and hospitals, community funds, social services, including aid to the handicapped, care of children, and the aged; and civic, arts, and cultural organizations.  Johnson Controls tends to focus in areas where they have a presence, but will fund on a national basis. Extra consideration is given to organizations or institutions in which Johnson Controls employees are involved and are contributing their time and/or money.  Funds can be applied to annual campaigns, building/renovation (bricks and mortar), capital campaigns, continuing support, emergency funds employee matching gifts, employee-related scholarships, general/operating support, matching/challenge support, and seed money.  The Foundation distributed $6.7 million in grants in 2011.  Funding is limited to nonprofits.
  For more information:  http://www2.johnsoncontrols.com/CorpValues/foundation.htm#foundation  Rolling Deadline

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

●    The Academy on Violence & Abuse to host the conference, Addressing Violence and Abuse in the Changing Healthcare Environment April 19-20, 2013 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Call for Presentations deadline is October 15, 2012. Download the brochure here: http://avahealth.nonprofitoffice.com/vertical/sites/%7B75FA0828-D713-4580-A29D-257F315BB94F%7D/uploads/SpeakerPromoP1_2013.pdf

●    2012 NAPSA Conference: Ending Adult Abuse: On the Horizon? (October 16-18).  This event in Phoenix, Arizona will be followed by the 3rd Annual Elder Financial Exploitation Summit on October 19, 2012. http://www.apsnetwork.org/Training/conference2012.htm  Email info@apsnetwork.org for more information.  Visit the NCEA booth at the NAPSA conference!

·         Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, 25th Annual National Summit, Enabling Caring Communities: Promoting Evidence-Based Programs Across the Lifespan, October 24-25, 2012, Georgia Southwestern State University, Americus, GA  For more information go to : http://www.rosalynncarter.org/  

·       The New Mexico 20^th Annual Adult Abuse Conference will be held in Albuquerque, NM on October 25 and 26. For conference information contact Agapito Silva at agapito.silva@state.nm.us, or 505-841-4550.

·       American Public Health Association’s 140^th Annual Meeting and Exposition, October 27-31, 2012 in San Francisco, California. The theme this year is Prevention and Wellness Across the Life Span. For details, visit: http://www.apha.org/meetings/AnnualMeeting/   Visit the NCEA booth at the APHA conference!

·       The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP) to release their famous 2012 Tool Kit on dementia education on November 1, 2012. For the fifth year, they will host Alzheimer’s and Dementia Staff Education Week February 14-21, 2013
http://www.nccdp.org/staff-education-week.htm\

·       The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies is having its 28th Annual Meeting November 1-3 at the JW Marriott in Los Angeles, CA at L.A. Live. The theme this year will be Beyond Boundaries: Innovations to Expand Services and Tailor Traumatic Stress Treatments
http://www.istss.org/Home1.htm

·       Abuse of Elder and Adults with Disabilities: A Focus on Our Diverse Communities is Washington State’s 9^th Annual Conference and will be held November 7, 2012 at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center in Burien, Washington. For more information http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1110912

·       The 29^th Annual Adult Protective Services Conference in San Antonio, Texas will take place November 13-16^th. The conference has attracted people from almost every state in the U.S., as well as attendees from Japan, Canada, England, Australia, and Mexico. http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Adult_Protection/Adult_Protective_Services_Conference/default.asp

·       The Gerontological Society of America’s Sixty-Fifth Annual Scientific Meeting, Charting Frontiers in Aging, will take place from November 14-18, 2012, in San Diego, California. For details, visit: http://www.geron.org/annual-meeting

·         California District Attorneys Association 2012 National Elder Abuse Symposium (December 4-7, 2012) Guest speakers to include Paul Greenwood, San Diego County Deputy District Attorney, Bob Nichols, Retired Marin County Deputy District Attorney, and many more. http://www.cdaa.org/training/seminar-conference-registration?regevent_action=register&event_id=35

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

Like us on Facebook!