NCEA | Newsfeed Collection

NCEA Newsfeed – Friday, November 16, 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!

In honor of Veterans Day, NCEA has compiled a list of resources for older and disabled veterans who are being targeted for financial abuse.  We have also created a poster and web banner that anyone may download and use.  These resources are available at www.centeronelderabuse.org/veterans.asp 

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.         NATIONAL, AARP, November 14, 2012
7 Common Snowbird Scams
http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-11-2012/7-common-snowbird-scams.html
AARP gives an overview of common scams that target senior citizens, especially from November through April.

2.         NATIONAL, Philly.com, November 15, 2012
GAO: Banks can help defend elderly against scams
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/breaking/20121115_GAO__Banks_can_help_defend_elderly_against_scams.html
Banks and other financial institutions are an important line of defense against scammers seeking to defraud the elderly, but too often tellers and branch managers are not trained to recognize the warning signs, says a Government Accountability Office report issued Thursday.

3.         ALABAMA (Mountain Brook), Alabama.com, November 13, 2012
Emmet O’Neal Library seeks to educate public on Alabama’s rank as top 20 state for identity theft
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/11/emmet_oneal_library_seeks_to_e.html
The Emmet O’Neal Library will host an Elder Abuse & Fraud Prevention Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, November 28. Representative Paul DeMarco will moderate the event at the library, which will feature simple tips on how elders can spot potential fraud and identity theft situatitions.

4.         CALIFORNIA (Culver City), Sacramento Bee, November 15, 2012
Coroner says beating didn’t kill elderly bus rider
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/15/4988543/coroner-says-beating-didnt-kill.html
An 89-year-old man died just weeks after being beaten aboard the Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus near Culver City. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office said that the cause of death was high blood pressure and clogged arteries and was not a result of the assault.

5.         CALIFORNIA (San Diego), Los Angeles Times, November 15, 2012
San Diego man jailed on suspicion of beating elderly couple
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/11/san-diego-man-jailed-on-suspicion-of-beating-elderly-couple.html
A 20-year-old San Diego man was arrested Thursday afternoon on suspicion of beating an older couple who were collecting cardboard behind stores at a strip mall in Lemon Grove. The suspect was booked into county jail on charges of elder abuse, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery and attempted carjacking.

6.         ILLINOIS (Chicago), CBS Local, November 15, 2012
Ex-Assisted Living Worker Steals Cash from Residents
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/11/15/ex-assisted-living-worker-steals-cash-from-residents/
A former worker in an assisted living home in Warrenville has admitted to using residents’ ATM cards to steal thousands of dollars in cash from their accounts. She pleaded guilty to one count of Financial Exploitation of a Person With a Disability and could receive a sentence ranging from probation to seven years in prison.

7.         MASSACHUSETTS (Hingham), Wicked Local, November 14, 2012
Hingham police warn of Hurricane Sandy scam aimed at elderly
http://www.wickedlocal.com/hingham/newsnow/x1671793637/HIngham-police-post-Hurricane-Sandy-scam-alert#axzz2CLTx0CFE
Police are warning senior citizens to be on the alert for a Hurricane Sandy scam that targets Medicare recipients. Hingham police said the fraudulent callers say the hurricane damaged the federal Social Security Administration’s computers, so they need the senior citizens’ Social Security numbers. Residents who suspect such fraud in Hingham and other communities are urged to visit the web site www.StopMedicareFraud.gov, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

8.         MASSACHUSETTS (Hingham), Hingham Patch, November 15, 2012
Police Warn Hingham Elders of Hurricane Sandy Storm
http://hingham.patch.com/articles/police-warn-hingham-elders-of-hurricane-sandy-scam
Hingham Police are warning senior citizens to be aware of a new phone scam targeting Medicare recipients. Scammers have called Medicare recipients, pretending to be from the Social Security Administration and saying that the hurricane damaged their computers. They then attempt to obtain Social Security numbers, presumably for identity theft purposes.

9.         RHODE ISLAND (Providence), Courthouse News, November 15, 2012
Legionaries of Christ Sued for $1 Million
http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/11/15/52280.htm
The Legionaries of Christ used undue influence to persuade a dying man with diminished capacity to leave it $1 million in his will, the late man's son claims in Federal Court. The son has been unsuccessful in his attempts to recover the money lost, which exceeds $1 million. He wants the money returned, and seeks $10 million in punitive damages for undue influence and fraud.

10.       VIRGINIA (Henrico County), Times Dispatch, November 13, 2012
Elder abuse issues before Crime Commission closely tied to Henrico case
http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/elder-abuse-issues-before-crime-commission-closely-tied-to-henrico/article_12b86f04-cb23-5f4c-a7ed-3f7803aeedf9.html
A former housekeeping employee of a retirement home was indicted for stealing nearly $200,000 from the estate of a World War II veteran who passed away in December 2010 at the age of 92.

11.       INTERNATIONAL (Quebec, Canada), The Star, November 15, 2012 (Opinion)
Assisted suicide opens the door to grave abuses of the elderly
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1287933--assisted-suicide-opens-the-door-to-grave-abuses-of-elderly
The author believes that legalizing assisted suicide will raise the potential for elder abuse.

ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES

1.         ALABAMA (Tuscumbia), WHNT, November 14, 2012
Disabled Vietnam Veteran Confined To House, Thieves Steal Only Transportation
http://whnt.com/2012/11/14/disabled-vietnam-veteran-confined-to-his-house-thieves-steal-only-transportation/
A disabled Shoals man has no way to get around his home after thieves stole his only transportation. He had used a Q-Link Frontrunner 500 to navigate his own yard, which thieves stole in addition to a hauling trailer. The Tuscumbia Police Department is investigating this case. Anyone with helpful information is asked to call the Shoals Area Crime Stoppers Tipline at 256-386-8685.

2.         ARIZONA (Tucson), Seattle Pi, November 15, 2012
Tucson man sentenced in adult abuse case
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/crime/article/Tucson-man-sentenced-in-adult-abuse-case-4041495.php
A Tucson man who was convicted of abusing his incapacitated girlfriend by failing to care for her has been sentenced to 1 ½ years in prison.

3.         CALIFORNIA (Alameda County), Mercury News, November 15, 2012
Alameda County jail discriminates against disabled, lawsuit claim
http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_22004894/alameda-county-jail-discriminates-against-disabled-lawsuit-claim  
A disability advocacy group sued Alameda County's sheriff's department Thursday claiming its main jail lacks the amenities necessary to properly care for inmates with disabilities. The lawsuit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court, claims that inmates with disabilities do not have proper access to toilets, showers or visiting areas. In addition, the lawsuit claims, some inmates with disabilities are discriminated against because they are housed in the jail's infirmary, which is equivalent to them being placed in solitary confinement.

4.         CALIFORNIA (Los Angeles County), Los Angeles Times, November 15, 2012
Man accused of raping disabled woman on bus pleads not guilty
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/11/man-believed-to-be-metro-bus-rapist-faces-20-years-in-prision-.html
A man accused of raping a developmentally disabled woman aboard a Metro bus has pleaded not guilty and faces more than 20 years in prison if convicted, prosecutors say. Authorities say the suspect is the man who followed an 18-year-old disabled woman to the back of the bus and raped her as the bus drove.

5.         CALIFORNIA (San Francisco), SF Luxe, November 14, 2012
Sisters Jailed for Humiliating Sex Assault
http://sfluxe.com/2012/11/14/sisters-jailed-for-humiliating-sex-assault/
A pair of sisters have been jailed after they subjected a man described as a “vulnerable adult” to a degrading sexual assault and sent photos of the abuse to friends on a Blackberry Messenger. They allegedly threatened him with a fake handgun, forced him to strip and demanded he perform sex acts.

6.         WASHINGTON (Spokane), ABC News, November 14, 2012
Sentencing Near in Police Beating of Disabled Man
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/sentencing-police-beating-disabled-man-17719109#.UKWh5eSxzTo
Defense lawyers say a former Spokane police officer should not spend any time in prison for using excessive force against a mentally disabled janitor who died after being arrested on suspicion of stealing money from an ATM. They believe that public humiliation and loss of his career are punishment enough, but prosecutors counter that the former police officer should get 10 years in prison for his treatment of a 36-year-old man more than six years ago.

7.         INTERNATIONAL (South Shields, United Kingdom), Shields Gazette, November 14, 2012
Care boss stole £6,000 from residents and home
http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/crime/care-boss-stole-6-000-from-residents-and-home-1-5128661
A care home manager stole thousands of pounds from vulnerable residents she was meant to be caring for. She immediately admitted the crime when confronted.

RELATED ISSUES

1.         CALIFORNIA (Concord), Mercury news, November 13, 2012
Families want law to require care homes to call 911 when residents vanish
http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_21990585/families-want-law-require-care-homes-call-911
Nearly 2,000 dependent adults were reported missing last year, and elder advocates say a quick response is key to clients' safety. Assemblywoman Joan Buchanon’s office is researching a proposed bill that would require care home facilities to contact authorities, including police, immediately after a resident is discovered missing or has failed to return at a scheduled time.

2.         CALIFORNIA (San Francisco), SF Gate, November 10, 2012
Family violence reports in S.F. soaring
http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Family-violence-reports-in-S-F-soaring-4027023.php#page-1
Reports of domestic violence in San Francisco rose sharply from mid-2010 to mid-2011 - including a remarkable 47 percent increase in phone calls to domestic violence crisis lines, according to a draft report on family violence prepared by the city and obtained by The Chronicle. Advocates and city officials alike don't know whether the rise in domestic violence reports can be attributed to more public awareness about the importance of reporting abuse, or whether incidences of family violence are actually on the rise.

3.         PENNSYLVANIA (Philadelphia), CBS Local, November 14, 2012
Philadelphia Police Searching for Missing Man with Dementia
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/11/14/philadelphia-police-searching-for-missing-man-with-dementia/
Philadelphia police are reaching out to the public for help finding a missing man with dementia. 72-year-old Tik Lam was last seen at his home and was wearing blue flannel shirt with a black vest, jeans and black sneakers. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Lam is asked to call Central Detectives at 215-686-3193 or call 911.

4.         VIRGINIA (Richmond), WTVR, November 12, 2012
Man with dementia found safe after 5 days missing
http://wtvr.com/2012/11/12/otis-holmes-found/
A 48-year-old man with dementia who went missing last week was found 5 days later and is apparently safe and sound.

5.         WISCONSIN (Milwaukee), Journal Sentinel Online, November 15, 2012
Missing woman with dementia is found in Milwaukee
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/missing-woman-with-dementia-is-found-in-milwaukee-577lkes-179498831.html
A 78-year-old Milwaukee woman suffering from dementia who had been reported missing Wednesday afternoon was found at 8:40 a.m. Thursday. The woman was taken to a hospital for evaluation. Preliminary indications are that she was cold, but unharmed.

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

·       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

·       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

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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