NCEA | Newsfeed Collection

NCEA Newsfeed – Tuesday, November 20, 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 partnership with N4A, the NCEA has created a “Home for the Holidays” Campaign Focusing on Preventing Financial Exploitation of Older Adults. The campaign encourages family discussions to ensure the financial safety and security of older loved ones. The consumer guide, Protect Your Pocketbook: Tips to Avoid Financial Exploitation, shares ways to avoid financial fraud, signs of exploitation and services to contact for assistance. (News Release)

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, US News, November 20, 2012
Protecting Elders from Financial Abuse
http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/the-best-life/2012/11/20/protecting-elders-from-financial-abuse
Helping older Americans make sound money decisions and protecting them from financial predators needs to become a top-tier objective of seniors' groups and government agencies charged with looking out for the welfare of the nation's growing elderly population. This is easier said than done, as was emphasized in a report last week from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on elder financial abuse.

2.         NATIONAL, Forbes, November 20, 2012
Holiday Gatherings Can Put A Fork In Elder Fraud
http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnwasik/2012/11/20/holiday-gatherings-can-put-a-fork-in-elder-fraud/
The author advises that the holidays are a great time to make sure that elderly loved ones are protected against criminals who target seniors for financial exploitation.

3.         NATIONAL, Equities, November 15, 2012
Kohl Urges Action on Combatting Elder Financial Abuse
http://www.equities.com/news/headline-story?dt=2012-11-15&val=721311&cat=finance
Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Herb Kohl convened a hearing on combatting the growing problem of financial abuse of older Americans. According to a recent survey by the Investor Protection Trust (IPT), more than seven million older Americans - one out of every five citizens over the age of 65 - already have been victimized by a financial scam. 

4.         CALIFORNIA (Corcoran), ABC Local, November 16, 2012
2 accused of stealing from Corcoran elderly man
http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=8887887
Two people are in jail Friday morning in connection with an elder abuse case in Corcoran. One man had allegedly been taking large amounts of money from an elderly 84-year-old man to go gambling. The female suspect was accused of taking large amounts of money from the same victim to pay for legal issues and gambling.

5.         CALIFORNIA (Pleasanton), Pleasanton Patch, November 17, 2012
Police Log: Second Elder-Fraud Suspect Found
http://pleasanton.patch.com/articles/police-log-lawyers-guns-and-money
A Pleasanton woman, being sought last week as a suspected co-conspirator in an elder abuse and fraud case, turned herself in Friday to authorities, according to police. She self-surrendered to the Hayward Police Department on a charge of criminal conspiracy. Her husband was arrested Thursday  on a warrant for suspicion of fraud, forgery, practicing law without a license and theft of an elderly person’s estate. The assets of the 82-year-old alleged victim are estimated between $750,000 and $1 million and were placed in a trust controlled by the couple.

6.         CALIFORNIA (Pleasanton), San Ramon Patch, November 16, 2012
Pleasanton Man and Former Police Commander Arrested on Suspicion of Elder Abuse
http://sanramon.patch.com/articles/pleasanton-man-and-former-police-commander-arrested-on-suspicion-of-elder-abuse
The Pleasanton Police Department ended a several month long investigation into an elder abuse case reported by Alameda County Adult Protective Services. The victim, an 82-year-old Pleasanton resident and property owner, was being defrauded by the suspects, who allegedly placed the victim’s entire estate into a trust controlled by the suspects. The two suspects are married, and the man is a former Police Commander who was employed by the Pinole Police Department and allegedly used his position of authority to gain the trust of the victim.

7.         CALIFORNIA (Pleasanton), ABC Local, November 16, 2012
Fmr. police commander arrested for financial elder abuse
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=8888909
A former police commander is in county jail in Oakland. The one-time Pinole cop is accused of the financial abuse of an 82-year-old woman.

8.         CALIFORNIA (San Diego), San Diego Daily Transcript, November 20, 2012
Elder financial abuse ‘more brazen and diverse,’ deputy DA says
http://www.sddt.com/Commentary/article.cfm?Commentary_ID=10&SourceCode=20121120tbc&_t=Elder+financial+abuse+more+brazen+and+diverse+deputy+DA+says#.UKwio-SxzTo
Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood was invited to testify last week at a hearing in Washington, D.C., called by the Senate Special Committee on Aging, titled, “America’s Invisible Epidemic: Preventing Elder Financial Abuse.”  Greenwood said at least 65% of his office’s prosecutions involve some sort of financial exploitation.

9.         CALIFORNIA (Three Rivers), Visalia Times-Delta, November 20, 2012
Caretaker suspected of abuse, assault
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20121120/NEWS01/311200019/Caretaker-suspected-abuse-assault
A woman was taken into police custody on suspicion of assaulting the 88-year-old woman under her care. She was arrested on suspicion of elder abuse, battery likely to cause great bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, cruelty to a dependent and inflicting great bodily injury.

10.       CALIFORNIA (Three Rivers), The Sacramento Bee, November 19, 2012
Caregiver arrested for elder abuse
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/19/4996669/caregiver-arrested-for-elder-abuse.html
A caregiver is in jail and an 88-year-old California woman is hospitalized with dislocated fingers and brain swelling.

11.       CALIFORNIA (Three Rivers), November 18, 2012
Caretaker arrested in Three Rivers elder abuse
http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/11/18/3071626/caretaker-arrested-in-three-rivers.html
An 88-year-old woman from Three Rivers was taken to a local hospital Sunday with injuries from abuse, the Tulare County Sheriff's Department said. Deputies were called to the residence  of the older woman, and it was later determined that she was suffering from several dislocated fingers and swelling to the brain.

12.       COLORADO (Aurora), CBS Local, November 16, 2012
Financial Abuse of Elderly Becoming More Common
http://denver.cbslocal.com/2012/11/16/financial-abuse-of-elderly-becoming-more-common/
Jefferson County District Attorney Scott Storey says he sees financial elder abuse more and more. He started an Elder Abuse Unit for exactly this reason, and it’s one of the only ones in the state. In its first year, the Elder Abuse Unit had 35 cases, this year that number has gone up to 58 so far.

13.       GEORGIA (Albany), WALB, November 16, 2012
Woman found in filthy conditions
http://www.walb.com/story/20120234/brothers-arrested-for-elderly-abuse
Two Dougherty County men are accused of nearly starving their 81-year-old mother to death. Sheriff’s investigators say they brothers only called an ambulance because they thought their mother was dead. Paramedics found the woman in a filthy room where the lights had been taken out. She was covered with bedsores infested with ants and maggots.

14.       GEORGIA (Augusta), Augusta Chronicle, November 19, 2012
Man guilty in slaying of disabled senior Johnny Luckey
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/crime-courts/2012-11-19/man-guilty-slaying-disabled-senior-johnny-luckey?mmo_ccc=xfinity
A Richmond County jury found Joseph Lashun Jordan guilty on all charges Monday in the robbery and slaying of an 81-year-old disabled man who was shot while watching television in his south Augusta home.

15.       IOWA (Des Moines), Press-Citizen, November 18, 2012 (Opinion)
Our View: Time for Iowa to pass elder abuse law
http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20121119/OPINION03/311190007/Time-Iowa-pass-elder-abuse-law?odyssey=nav%7Chead
“It’s frustrating that, as a state with a rapidly growing senior and elderly population, Iowa doesn’t already have a law devoted to elder abuse. There is a more general dependent abuse law that deals with cases of physical or sexual abuse, financial exploitation and denial of care. But especially during tough economic times, it’s unfortunately not surprising to hear that financial exploitation of the elderly is a growing crime.”

16.       MISSOURI (Advance), KFVS 12, November 19, 2012
Advance woman charged with elder abuse on her 87-year-old landlord
http://www.kfvs12.com/story/20132208/a

An Advance woman is facing a felony charge of 2nd degree elder abuse against her 87-year-old landlord. She allegedly assaulted him after he served her an eviction notice, and the landlord was eventually airlifted to a hospital in St. Louis after sustaining injuries from being pushed a flight of stairs.

17.       NEW JERSEY (Union City), WPIX, November 19, 2012
Caretaker Charged After Dead Grandmother Found Bound To Chair
http://www.wpix.com/news/wpix-union-city-granny-found-dead-tied-to-chair,0,3748635.story
A 56-year-old Union City man has been arrested in his mother’s death after police found his 91-year-old mother slumped over in a recliner, tied to the chair with shoelaces. "Of course I feel bad, but you can talk to my lawyer," said the suspect when asked about his mother's death.

18.       WASHINGTON (Seattle), West Seattle Komo News, November 16, 2012
West Seattle brothers accused of leaving father to rot
http://westseattle.komonews.com/news/crime/800492-west-seattle-brothers-accused-leaving-father-rot
Two West Seattle men are facing felony elder abuse charges for allegedly allowing their father to waste away so that they wouldn’t have to spend their future inheritance. When an EMT arrived at the home, she told police she smelled urine and feces in the father’s bedroom and saw the man sitting on the toilet wearing only a t-shirt and socks. The EMT reported that “the socks looked like they had grown into his feet.” Doctors diagnosed the elderly man with dehydration, sepsis, acute renal failure, acute hyperglycemia and altered mental status. He died two weeks later.

19.       WASHINGTON (Seattle), Seattle Pi, November 16, 2012

Sons accused after elderly West Seattle man rots, dies
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Sons-accused-after-elderly-West-Seattle-man-rots-4042130.php
Two West Seattle brothers accused of leaving their father to rot alive now face felony elderly-abuse charges following his death. Conditions were so bad when paramedics arrived in November 2010 that a trail of blood followed the first responders as they carried the man from the home. The man was dehydrated, demented and caked in filth, and died two weeks after he was removed from his sons’ care.

20.       INTERNATIONAL (Ottawa, Canada), Ottawa Citizen, November 16, 2012
Support worker convicted of assaulting senior with dementia
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Support+worker+convicted+assaulting+senior+with+dementia/7562161/story.html
A personal support worker was found guilty Friday of bending back the fingers of a 90-year-old war veteran with dementia but was acquitted of grabbing the same man’s cheeks and jerking his head to the side. The suspect had pleaded not guilty to both counts of assault.

21.       INTERNATIONAL (Barnsley, United Kingdom), Daily Mail, November 16, 2012

Dementia sufferer, 77, sent home wearing just an open-backed gown and with a tube still in her arm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2233899/Dementia-sufferer-77-sent-home-wearing-just-open-backed-gown-canula-arm.html
A dementia-suffering pensioner was sent home from hospital with a tube still in her arm, barefoot and naked except for an open-backed hospital gown.

22.       INTERNATIONAL (Luton, United Kingdom), BBC, November 19, 2012
Luton woman denies neglect in dementia bus case
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-20393950
A council worker has denied neglect after an elderly woman with dementia was left on a bus in Luton overnight.

ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES

1.         ARIZONA (Tucson), KVOA, November 15, 2012
Men sentenced for vulnerable adult abuse of disabled girlfriend
http://www.kvoa.com/news/men-sentenced-for-vulnerable-adult-abuse-of-disabled-girlfriend/
A Tucson man who pleaded guilty to "vulnerable adult abuse" for neglecting his stroke-impaired girlfriend will be spending the next year and a half behind bars. The man was arrested after neighbors found his girlfriend on the floor, covered in feces and urine.

2.         FLORIDA (Tampa), Bay News 9, November 17, 2012
Police surprise disabled veteran who was victim of burglary with new Xbox
http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2012/11/17/police_surprise_disa.html
A disabled Army veteran is picking up the pieces, thanks to some help from Tampa Police.

3.         ILLINOIS (Chicago), Chicago Tribune, November 15, 2012
Woman admits stealing money from DuPage group home residents
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-11-15/news/chi-woman-admits-group-home-theft-20121115_1_group-home-count-of-financial-exploitation-atm-cards
A woman from southwest suburban Justice admitted Thursday that she stole almost $9,000 from the residents of the group home where she worked. She could face up to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to a count of financial exploitation of a disabled person.

4.         IOWA (Independence), WCF Courier, November 16, 2012
Trial set for caretaker who allegedly stole from disabled adults
http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/trial-set-for-caretaker-who-allegedly-stole-from-disabled-adults/article_037fb936-823f-5520-a2a6-2c28f548205c.html
A woman could face trial early next month for allegedly stealing money from disabled people she was hired to serve. Authorities charged her with ongoing criminal conduct; second-degree fraudulent practices; second-degree theft and two counts of dependent adult abuse. Each charge is a felony.

5.         VERMONT (White River Junction), Rutland Herald, November 17, 2012
Ludlow woman faces more charges in abuse case
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20121117/NEWS02/711179965
A Ludlow woman who has been accused, along with her husband, of systematically abusing their children and several vulnerable adults whom she allegedly lured from out of state to live with her at the couple’s trailer in Ludlow is now facing a total of 51 separate criminal charges.

RELATED ISSUES

1.         COLORADO (Aurora), Denver Post, November 17, 2012
Denver man suffering dementia found unharmed in Aurora
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_22017653/denver-man-suffering-dementia-found-unharmed-aurora
A 60-year-old man with severe dementia who disappeared Friday has been located safely in Aurora, police say.

2.         ILLINOIS (Crete), Southtown Star, November 19, 2012
Crete woman with dementia found unharmed
http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/news/16494049-418/crete-woman-with-dementia-found-unharmed.html
A 75-year-old Crete woman who suffers from dementia and who had been missing for more than a week was found unharmed Monday, according to Will County sheriff’s police. Before she went missing, she was overheard saying she wanted to be with fellow Croatians in Chicago.

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

·         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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