Newsfeed – Friday, October 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!
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
CALIFORNIA (Napa County), Napa Valley Register, October 13, 2013
Advocates urge families to demand senior caregiver permits
To protect the elderly from criminals acting as caregivers, Napa County enacted the “Caregiver Ordinance” more than two years ago. It requires those who are compensated to care for the elderly and those with disabilities to undergo a background check and to apply for a permit. County officials have struggled to spread the word about the law, and it’s estimated that more than half of Napa County’s caregivers are working without a permit.
CALIFORNIA (Santa Barbara), SUN, October 15, 2013
Assisted-living community janitor faces charges of peeping and elder abuse
Assisted Living employee faces 15 misdemeanor counts, including one count of inflicting unjustifiable mental suffering on an elder; one count of electronic peeping for the purpose of gratifying one’s sexual desires; and 13 counts of electronic peeping in a place in which the other person can expect privacy.
CALIFORNIA (Westlake), Mail Online, October 16, 2013
Mickey Rooney’s stepson declares bankruptcy after admitting he owes legendary actor $2.8 million in elder abuse case settlement
Mickey Rooney's stepson has admitted that he owes the legendary actor $2.8 million after tapping funds from the Babes In Arms star's bank accounts. In an elder abuse case against Christopher Aber and his wife Christina, it is alleged that the couple took from Rooney after taking control of his personal and financial affairs several years ago. However, the couple have now declared bankruptcy, claiming they do not have the money to seal the $2.8 million deal, which was struck between the two parties.
FLORIDA (New Port Richey), TBO The Tampa Tribune, October 14, 2013
New Port Richey man charged with elder abuse
http://tbo.com/news/breaking-news/new-port-richey-man-charged-with-elder-abuse-20131014/
Authorities arrested a New Port Richey man Saturday and charged him with neglecting an elderly woman in his care. When the woman was evaluated, it was discovered that she had two broken ribs, and the feeding tube inserted into her stomach was filled with a black substance and the area around it was infected, according to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.
FLORIDA (Orlando), Orlando Sentinel, October 18, 2013
Duo get prison for $3M elder swindle
Today, Benoit, 85, of St. Cloud lives on Social Security and Medicaid the article states. The $91,000 she and her husband, a car salesman, scraped together was misappropriated by the Littlefields, who were sentenced to federal prison Thursday and ordered to pay $2.9 million in restitution to 26 victims. The judge sentenced Ross Littlefield, 49, to four years and his ex-wife, a former lawyer known as Linda Vasquez, to five years.
MINNESOTA (Coon Rapids), Star Tribune, October 14, 2013
Coon Rapids case highlights elder abuse issue
http://www.startribune.com/local/north/227755961.html
Daughter is accused of intentional deprivation under a new state law after her 87-year-old mother lay ill for a month before she died. The Anoka County case is one of the first charged under a Minnesota law passed last year making it a felony if a caregiver intentionally deprives a vulnerable adult of necessary food, clothing and medical care and knows it could result in substantially or great bodily harm.
OREGON, Statesman Journal, October 16, 2013
Workers found stealing from nursing home residents’ trust accounts
Thousands of residents in nursing homes and other long-term care institutions for the aged and disabled have had their personal savings stolen or mismanaged after relying on the facilities to safeguard the money in special trust fund accounts, a USA Today investigation shows. These trust funds, which most long-term care providers are required to maintain for residents who request that the facility handle their money, are supposed to work like conventional bank accounts, with accrued interest, regular statements and reliable oversight. But USA Today found more than 1,500 recent cases in which nursing homes have been cited by state and federal regulators for mishandling the funds.
SOUTH CAROLINA (Spartanburg), Go Up State, October 7, 2013
Friend of family charged with stealing from 91-year-old woman
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20131007/ARTICLES/131009752
A Spartanburg man is accused of stealing from a 91-year-old woman last month. He was arrested Friday and charged with exploitation of a vulnerable adult, bank fraud and two counts of forgery, according to arrest warrants.
TEXAS (Dallas County), Dallas News, October 13, 2013 (Opinion)
Who will speak up for our aging population in Dallas County?
The Senior Source averages more than 400 complaints a month from residents of the 70 nursing homes in Dallas County or from members of their families. In August, Families for Better Care published a state-by-state review of the quality of nursing home care and Texas ranked as America’s worst nursing home state, with key findings in the negative report card being a lack of professional staffing, numerous violations and widespread abuse and neglect stated the author.
VIRGINIA (Williamsburg), WTKR, October 15, 2013
Assisted living facility employee charged with using dementia patient’s checking account
A Newport News woman is charged with using a check and debit card belonging to an 81-year-old woman with dementia. According to police, the discovery was made after the 81-year-old passed away in mid- September. While her daughter was looking at her bank account statement, police say she noticed several suspicious transactions.
WASHINGTON (Kennewick), The News Tribune, October 17, 2013
Kennewick woman to serve month for stealing from father
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/10/17/2843456/kennewick-woman-to-serve-month.html
A 56-year-old woman was sentenced to a month in jail for taking tens of thousands of dollars from her elderly father to cover her own expenses and make occasional visits to a Toppenish casino. Kelli Rae Ling was given permission to serve the time on work release if she's eligible. The Kennewick woman pleaded guilty earlier this month to first-degree theft.
INTERNATIONAL (Bolton, England), Mail Online, October 18, 2013
Grandmother with dementia choked on ginger cake and died after she was allowed to walk around restricted area of care home at 4am
A woman with dementia choked to death on a ginger cake after she was allowed to roam around restricted areas of a care home at 4am.
The 66-year-old woman got past three duty staff into a cellar that should have been locked, found a Jamaican Ginger Cake in a fridge in an unlocked store room, which became lodged in her throat. She collapsed and died after becoming unable to breath.
INTERNATIONAL (China), Citizen-Times, October 14, 2013
5 things to know about China’s new aged care law
http://www.citizen-times.com/usatoday/article/2980659
Elderly parents in China can now sue their grown children for both financial and emotional support. The Associated Press spent months reporting across formats on population aging and the growing problem of elder abuse and neglect for an occasional series, Old World.
INTERNATIONAL (Copthorne, England), BBC News, October 18, 2013
Orchid View inquest: Home riddled by ‘institutional abuse’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-24579496
Penelope Schofield has ruled neglect contributed to five of the deaths, at Orchid View in Copthorne, near Crawley. At the final day of a five-week inquest into the deaths, which were all "unexplained", Mrs. Schofield said the problems at the home were from the top down and started at an early stage, but nobody did anything to address them.
INTERNATIONAL (Devonshire, Bermuda), The Royal Gazette, October 16, 2013
Daughter of elder abuse victim wins case against carer
http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20131016/NEWS02/131019773
The adopted daughter of alleged elder abuse victim has won a six-year legal battle with her mother’s former carer. Chief Justice Ian Kawaley ruled in the Supreme Court that Rosamund Hayward does not have to pay Yvonne Dawson $25,000 in unpaid fees, as she was ordered to do by a magistrate in 2010.
INTERNATIONAL (Hertfordshire, England), Mercury, October 11, 2013
Adult abuse alerts rise by more than a third in Hertfordshire
Abuse on vulnerable adults in the county has been put in the spotlight, with the number of alerts raised over suspected mistreatment rising by more than a third, the author explains. The figures are a 34 per cent increase compared to the same period previously. There was also a 19.4 per cent rise in the number of alerts leading to a full investigation.
INTERNATIONAL (London, England), London Evening Standard, October 16, 2013
Carer jailed after cheating dementia victim, 85, out of his 92,000 pound home
A London council was under fire today after one of its carers was able to move an elderly dementia sufferer 50 miles from his family, orchestrate the sale of his home and then pocket the proceeds the article states. The 45-year-old woman, a social worker for more than 20 years, hid the stolen money in a building society account she opened in the elderly man’s name and then forged checks from the account to pay herself thousands of pounds.
INTERNATIONAL (Montreal, Canada), The Gazette, October 14, 2013
Bill 399 aims to curb elder abuse
http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Bill+aims+curb+elder+abuse/9031579/story.html
On Friday, the MNA tabled Bill 399, which would force employees of nursing homes to denounce instances of elder abuse and impose fines on institutions harboring workers found guilty of such an offence. The law would also provide protection for whistleblowers.
INTERNATIONAL (Sydney, Australia), WTVQ, October 16, 2013
Neglected elderly woman highlights abuse problem
When an 88-year-old woman arrived at the hospital, her chafed skin was covered in bedsores and feces, toenails were overgrown and curling, and her swollen right leg was 10 centimeters (4 inches) shorter than her left, the result of a fracture healing improperly. The autopsy concluded the woman died from a blood clot in her lung, sparked by the leg fracture. Dr. Stephen Morrison, the medical expert, concluded her condition and the delay in treatment was "neglectful to the point of cruelty in a distressed, demented and totally dependent patient."
INTERNATIONAL (United Kingdom), Express, October 17, 2013
Video: Carer caught stealing money from dementia-suffering pensioner
The video, filmed by the pensioner's grandson, shows callous carer Michelle English, 33, rooting through 83-year-old Jean Robson's bag and helping herself to her cash. Grandson Chris Murphy, of Tarnash, Moray, set up the camera in his grandmother's living room after he became curious about where her money had been disappearing too
INTERNATIONAL (Wallington, England), Mail Online, October 13, 2013
Carer emptied bank account of dementia suffering patient, 85, after moving him 50 miles from his family to steal 90,000 pounds
A carer who stole £90,000 from a dementia-suffering pensioner's bank account has been jailed for almost two years. The 45-year-old, who had cared for him since 2003, exploited her position to almost empty his bank account over three years - then left him alone and uncared for when the money ran out.
INTERNATIONAL (Wokingham, England), Get Reading, October 14, 2013
Abuse referrals ‘highest in England’
http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/abuse-referrals-highest-in-england-6181809
Wokingham has the highest number of referrals for suspected cases of abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults in the country. For the rate of referrals per 10,000 people due to physical abuse Wokingham tops the poll for both men and women with 18.2 for men and 32.1 for women.
ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES
CALIFORNIA (Wildomar), The Press-Enterprise, October 16, 2013
Wildomar: Disabled man neglected, kept in filthy room, records say
A 40-year-old Wildomar man has been charged with neglecting his severely disabled brother, who was kept in a filthy bedroom in their home and had wasted away to about 70 pounds, authorities said. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department began investigating the case in February after the man brought his 35-year-old brother, who had been coughing and vomiting, to the emergency room at Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta. The brother was suffering from severe dehydration, bed sores and more, court records say
FLORIDA (New Port Richley), Tampa Bay Times, October 11, 2013
Holiday man accused of abandoning disabled stepson
Police found the man with a mental disability alone at a Publix, clutching what little he had and begging help. He carried no money or ID, just 31 cents on an EBT card. He said he'd been abandoned by the man who looked after him since he was a boy.
MICHIGAN (Bay City), M LIVE, October 14, 2013
Bay City woman who stole from adult foster care residents must pay $11,000 in restitution
http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2013/10/judge_orders_bay_city_woman_wh.html
Bay County Circuit Judge Joseph K. Sheeran on Friday, Oct. 11, ordered Debra J. Arnold, 53, to pay $11,068.02 in restitution to Bay Human Services. The judge also sentenced her to 20 days in jail, to be served on weekends, with credit for two days already served and an additional 162 days deferred.
MINNESOTA (Duluth), Grand Forks Herald, October 17, 2013
Duluth caregiver fired for maltreatment of vulnerable adult
http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/276000/group/homepage/
A caregiver at a Duluth disability service facility has been terminated for the maltreatment of a vulnerable adult. According to a Minnesota Department of Human Services report, a staff person at Duluth Regional Care Center took about $350 from the adult after promising to use the money to purchase an ATV.
NEBRASKA (Lincoln), Journal Star, October 16, 2013
Police: Man took advantage of disabled woman
Lincoln police jailed a 52-year-old Lincoln man on Tuesday for allegedly raping a mentally disabled woman, Lincoln police said. The 24-year-old woman told police that the man had sex with her three times against her will, Officer Lynette Russell said.
NEW YORK, North Jersey, October 15, 2013
Geriatric psychiatrist testifies in Cohen inheritance trial
A geriatric psychiatrist testified Tuesday that the late Hudson News patriarch Robert Cohen suffered from progressive physical and psychological conditions in his final years – supporting a claim that he was vulnerable to undue influence at a time he was distributing his wealth.
NEW YORK (Erie County), The Buffalo News, October 10, 2013
Stronger role urged for panel that monitors services for children, disabled adults
Erie County lawmakers are calling for a 25-year-old council to step up its advocacy efforts on behalf of imperiled children and mentally challenged adults in the county. The Legislature would be tasked with reviewing the existing law governing the council with the intention of broadening its scope to include adults who would fall under the purview of adult protection, including those who are mentally challenged.
WISCONSIN (St. Croix Falls), ECM The Post Review, October 16, 2013
Psychiatrist found guilty of having sex with patient
http://ecmpostreview.com/2013/10/16/psychiatrist-found-guilty-sex-patient/?utm_source=feedly
A man in his role as a psychiatrist has been found guilty of engaging in sexual intercourse with a 25-year-old female patient who had been in his care in November 2011 in Chisago County. Levi Chen-Wah Leong, 37, of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., formerly of St. Croix Falls, Wis., was found guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree Oct. 11 in Chisago County District Court.
INTERNATIONAL (London, England), Surrey Comet, October 11, 2013
Care home for disabled accused two years ago of a case of ‘institutional neglect’ announces closure consultation
A care home in Surbiton which was accused by care inspectors two years ago of a case of "institutional neglect" has announced plans to close. Scope is considering shutting its premises in Lingfield Avenue, saying the property is "old-fashioned” and does not meet the modern needs of disabled people.
RELATED ISSUES
NATIONAL, Information Law Group, October 14, 2013
Survey: Medical ID theft now fastest growing fraud
http://www.infolawgroup.com/2013/10/articles/identity-theft/medical-id-theft/
The Ponemon Institute released a study sponsored by the Medical Identity Fraud Alliance, called the 2013 Survey on Medical Identity Theft (the “Survey”). The Survey attempts to measure “the prevalence of medical identity theft in the United States and its impact on consumers” by, in part, analyzing the what 788 adult-aged individuals who self-reported that they or family members had been medical ID theft victims experienced.
CALIFORNIA, Times-Herald, October 17, 2013
Brown signs five measures backed by senior legislature
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed off on five of six bills designed to improve and protect seniors as set forth by the California Senior Legislature.
CALIFORNIA (Carmichael), Fox 40, October 10, 2013
Man recently diagnosed with dementia hit and killed by car
http://fox40.com/2013/10/10/man-recently-diagnosed-with-dementia-hit-and-killed-by-car/
Doug Elmets, board member of Eskaton Senior Community where the 82-year-old man lived, says a caregiver was helping the man soak his feet, swollen from the day of walking, when she took a bathroom break. He said that when the caregiver returned a few minutes later the gentleman was gone, and then they found him dead.
CALIFORNIA (Cupertino), NBC Bay Area, October 14, 2013
Cupertino man, 70, with dementia missing after walk
The Santa Clara County Sheriff's deputies are looking for a 70-year-old man suffering from dementia who last went for walk on Sunday from his Cupertino home and hasn't been seen since. He does not have a cell phone or cash on his person.
CALIFORNIA (Fairfield), Fairfield Citizen, October 17, 2013
Elder-abuse shelter competing for handicap van
A Fairfield-based shelter for abused elderly people will compete in an online race to win a new, handicap-accessible van. The automaker Toyota selected 250 nonprofits as finalists and is giving away two vehicles each day for 50 days. The program began Oct. 1 and continues through Nov. 19, with five nonprofits competing each day.
CALIFORNIA (Sacramento), San Jose Mercury News, October 11, 2013
Brown signs bill requiring adult care facilities to notify police, families when residents go missing
Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday signed a bill introduced by a Contra Costa County assemblywoman that would require certain care facilities serving elderly adults and those with disabilities to immediately notify police and family members when a person in their care goes missing. The new law will require adult care facilities to create comprehensive safety plans, and to contact police and family immediately.
TEXAS (Garland), Dallas News, October 11, 2013
Garland police are seeking the public’s help in locating elderly man with dementia
Garland police continue to search for an 82-year-old man who was reported missing Friday. They are seeking the public’s help to locate the man, who suffers from dementia.
WASHINGTON, DC, eNews Park Forest, October 17, 2013
Former Los Angeles-area pastor sentenced for role in $11 million Medicare fraud scheme
Charles Agbu, 58, of Carson, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge George H. Wu to serve 87 months in prison and was ordered to pay $5,788,725 in restitution to Medicare. In many cases, the Medicare beneficiaries to whom Agbu and his co-conspirators claimed they supplied the power wheelchairs and DME did not have any legitimate medical need for the medical equipment, and, in some cases, never received the medical equipment from Agbu’s company.
WASHINGTON (Kennewick), The Bellingham Herald, October 10, 2013
Burn pit charges dropped against prosser farmer with dementia
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2013/10/10/3252185/charges-dropped-against-prosser.html
A Prosser farmer whose smoldering pits of fruit waste severely burned three men no longer faces a criminal charge because he suffers from dementia. The case against Philip Andrew Whitney was dismissed Thursday, four months after it was put on hold so he could be evaluated by state mental health experts.
INTERNATIONAL (United Kingdom), Mail Online, October 14, 2013
Spy cameras could be used to end care home abuse as inspectors are told to ask themselves: ‘Is this good enough for mum?’
Hidden cameras and undercover spot checks could be used to clamp down on the scandal of care home abuse. The new chief inspector of adult social care yesterday revealed she was considering whether to use spy cameras to catch care workers accused of mistreating the elderly.
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Funding Opportunities:
- October 31, 2013
- Applications for the Innovations in Rural Health Award from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, which seeks ideas to focus on rural health care challenges. One winner will receive $25,000 and up to three finalists will receive $7,500 each for their innovative and inspiring ideas.
- For more information: Delvon Worthy, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust ruralprize@kbr.org; http://kbr.org/sites/default/files/New%20Rural%20Award%202014_FINAL.pdf
- 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
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Upcoming Elder Abuse Conferences/Training Events (in chronological order):
· The 37th Annual Consumer Voice Conference will be held in Arlington, Virginia October 24-27, 2013. For additional information: http://www.theconsumervoice.org/events/annual-meetings
. The 21st Annual New Mexico Adult Abuse Conference will be held on October 24 and 25, 2013 in Albuquerque, NM . This year’s theme is “A Cornucopia of Learning, Knowledge and Services”. For information, contact Agapito J. Silva at Agapito.silva@state.nm.us or 505-841-4550.
· The 2nd Annual Elder Planning Symposium, hosted by the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA), will be held at the Embassy Suites in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on November 7, 2013. Register here: http://www.ficpa.org/Public/Conference/Description.aspx?courseID=13ELDR. You can also visit https://www.facebook.com/events/518843064859824/ for more information.
· The 30th Annual Adult Protective Services Conference will be held in San Antonio, Texas from November 19-22, 2013. For more information: https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Adult_Protection/Adult_Protective_Services_Conference/
· The 2nd Annual National Elder Abuse Symposium, hosted by the California District Attorneys Association, will be held at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Anaheim, California on December 3-6, 2013. Register here: http://www.cdaa.org/training/seminar-conference-registration?regevent_action=register&event_id=154
· 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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