Newsfeed – Wednesday, November 6, 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 (Castro Valley), SF Gate, November 3, 2013
Resident of Castro Valley center found in San Jose
The 64-year-old mentally ill man who walked out of the now-shuttered Valley Springs Manor in Castro Valley a week ago has been found in the San Jose area, authorities said Saturday. A joint investigation involving the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, the FBI's Health Care Fraud Division, the California Department of Justice and the elder abuse unit of the Alameda County district attorney's office is underway. The state Department of Social Services, which revoked the center's license, is also reviewing what went wrong, the article states.
CALIFORNIA (Castro Valley), Contra Costa Times NEWS, November 1, 2013
Reports show state worker left Castro Valley care facility in hands of a cook and two others
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_24439158/911-tapes-reports-reveal-dire-situation-at-castro
Newly released 911 calls and state inspection reports reveal alarming health conditions and confusion as a small crew of inexperienced and unpaid workers struggled to take care of residents after the state ordered the home's closure and most of the workforce walked off. Not only was there not enough bread, eggs and other perishable food, but workers told her they were not giving out medicine because they couldn't find it, the article states.
CALIFORNIA (Orange), Orange County Register, November 6, 2013
Heroes honored for fighting elder abuse
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/elder-534324-abuse-center.html
Three UC Irvine affiliated organizations joined together Oct. 29 to honor more than 100 social workers, law enforcement officers, district attorney officials, and ombudsmen for their efforts to stop and prevent elder abuse in Orange County.
CALIFORNIA (Santa Barbara), Prudential, November 2, 2013
Scam artist faces lengthy prison sentence
The woman convicted of defrauding the victims of two devastating wildfires — the 2008 Tea Fire and subsequent Jesusita Fire in 2009 — could spend more than 35 years in state prison for the multitude of crimes related to the fraud. The 64-year-old woman was charged with more than 25 felonies, including diverting construction funds, grand theft, theft by false pretenses and theft from an elder or dependent adult, in connection to the fraud aimed at wildfire victims.
CALIFORNIA (Visalia), The Fresno Bee, November 1, 2013
Visalia nephew charged in elder abuse case
http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/11/01/3585288/visalia-nephew-charged-in-elder.html
A Visalia man was charged Friday with two counts of felony elder abuse after police say he handcuffed his 75-year-old uncle to a chair in a shed. The charges stem from a 911 call made Wednesday from a woman who saw an emaciated elderly man handcuffed to a chair in a shed, screaming for help.
FLORIDA (New Port Richey), Tampa Bay Times, November 5, 2013
New Port Richey woman charged with exploiting her dementia-plagued father
A woman was arrested Monday after deputies say she swindled her father, an Alzheimer's patient, out of $10,000. The 53-year-old tried for the first time in May to get her father's money when she went to Achieva Credit Union and applied for a credit card on her father's account but was declined, a Pasco Sheriff's report states.
ILLINOIS, Daily Herald, November 3, 2013
Siblings worry dad’s “friend” is now legal tenant
https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20131103/entlife/711039943/
A concerned son wrote in to Daily Herald for help saying that after his mom’s death, a woman “befriended” his 81-year-old dad and has since helped herself to more than $100,000 of his parents savings. He stated that his dad felt sorry for the woman and her daughter and has willingly bought them a car and paid for many things.
MINNESOTA, Perham Focus, November 1, 2013 (Opinion)
Their view: new bill aims to put a stop to scams targeting seniors
http://www.perhamfocus.com/content/their-view-new-bill-aims-put-stop-scams-targeting-seniors
In Minnesota, there are an estimated 30,000 documented senior fraud cases each year, but sadly, most of these crimes go unreported – only 1 in 44 seniors actually report that they are victims of a fraud scheme, and victims often face confusion on where to turn for help. A proposed bill would help increase coordination between the agencies charged with protecting consumers and law enforcement, requiring the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to monitor the market and identify fraud schemes targeting seniors, the article states.
NEBRASKA (York), The Republic, November 6, 3013
York woman convicted after making deal in abuse case involving vulnerable adult
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/57aaec0268a741b8b20871b24f7f4094/NE--Adult-Abuse
A 29-year-old York woman has made a plea deal and been convicted in an abuse case involving a vulnerable adult. Deputy York County Attorney Benjamin Dennis says that when the caregiver went grocery shopping for her employer, she bought items for herself but charged them to the woman's food stamp card.
OKLAHOMA (Tulsa), Tulsa World, November 1, 2013
Caregiver charged with exploiting ‘vulnerable adult’
A Tulsa woman was charged Friday with three counts of exploiting a vulnerable adult on allegations that she stole more than $26,000 from an elderly woman while working as a caregiver. Her arrest report states that the alleged victim told police that $18,700 was drawn out of her bank account without her permission over a period of months.
OREGON, The Oregonian, November 6, 2013
Elder financial abuse reports increasing; usually the work of relatives or friends
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2013/11/elder_financial_abuse_rising_a.html
Family, acquaintances and unrelated caregivers are most likely to exploit an older or disabled person’s finances, a new state study of the increasingly reported problem has found. The Oregon Office of Adult Abuse Prevention and Investigations found abuse remains difficult to prove, with only 30 percent of alleged abuses reported by seniors and disabled people substantiated. The rest were either unsubstantiated or inconclusive.
OREGON, OPB, November 5, 2013
Statesman journal: Abuse of elderly is on the rise
http://www.opb.org/news/article/abuse-of-elderly-is-on-the-rise/
Oregon Rep. Gilliam’s legislative assistant, Betsy Schultz, said that currently in Oregon, there are various definitions of “elder abuse,” and they can change in meaning and application, depending on the situation and context. This creates confusion among law enforcement and other reporters of abuse as they try to sort out if a crime has been committed.
PENNSYLVANIA (Allentown), The Morning Call, November 4, 2013
DA withdraws homicide charge in man’s killing by elderly father
Authorities said Monday they are withdrawing a homicide charge in the case of an 87-year-old Allentown man suffering from dementia who shot and killed his son last year. In a news release issued Monday, Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said that doctors have opined there was no chance that the man would ever regain his competency.
TEXAS, News-journal, November 5, 2013
Gregg County JP’s family alleges nursing home abuse
The daughter of a Gregg County justice of the peace, who was shot in March, has filed a complaint against his nursing home alleging the facility’s negligence led to her father’s recent hospitalization. On Sept. 25, Clairmont was cited for failing “to make sure that the resident with pressure sores receives appropriate treatment and services” and failing “to establish and maintain an infection control program,” according to citations documented on the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services website.
WASHINGTON (Seattle), Q13FOX, October 31, 2013
Elderly woman weighed 58 pounds after neglect, prosecutor says
http://q13fox.com/2013/10/31/son-charged-after-neglect-leads-to-mothers-death/#axzz2jiT5xxxv
A 57 year old man has been charged with criminal mistreatment, for being reckless and holding out on the basic necessities that would have saved his 89-year-old mother’s life. According to charging papers, Kunimoto hadn’t taken his mother to the doctor in over two years. She was diagnosed with dementia and needed 24-hour care.
INTERNATIONAL (Bangalore, India), The Times of India, November 5, 2013
Old, abused and harassed – the story of Bangalore’s elderly
Close on the heels of an UN-backed study where India stands at a dismal 73rd in the list of 91 countries on the wellbeing of the elderly, a shocking survey by a city-based organization says 47% of Bangalore's elders experience abuse. Elder abuse in India, the latest report released by non-profit organization HelpAge India, reveals that one in every four elderly people faces abuse across India.
INTERNATIONAL (United Kingdom), Mirror, November 5, 2013
Hillcroft care home trial: dementia sufferers were ‘pelted with bean bags’
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/hillcroft-care-home-trial-dementia-2679449
Cruel carers mocked, bullied and assaulted elderly residents in a nursing home for laughs, a court has heard. Victims with dementia were tormented because they would have no memory of the abuse, with one man having his foot stamped on deliberately and another tipped out of his wheelchair, the article states.
INTERNATIONAL (United Kingdom), Mail Online, November 5, 2013
Dementia home carers ‘mocked, bullied and assaulted patients for their own amusement and laughed when they got upset’
Carers at a nursing home pelted vulnerable dementia patients with beanbags for ‘laughs’ in a sustained campaign of abuse, a court heard yesterday. They targeted eight residents with severe dementia because they would have no memory of the assaults, a jury was told. The four carers slapped and dragged the screaming patients from their beds and threw the beanbags at their heads during the assaults which went on for 17 months, it was claimed.
INTERNATIONAL (United Kingdom), This is Gloucestershire, November 2, 2013
Concern over vulnerable adults in Gloucestershire grows
Concern about the safety of vulnerable adults in the county is growing, according to new statistics. Gloucestershire Safeguarding Adult's Board received 61 per cent more reports from worried residents in 2012/13 compared to the previous year. Most concerns related to allegations of physical injury, neglect or financial crime, with 64 per cent of reports about incidents occurring in their own home or a care home.
RELATED ISSUES
NATIONAL, Huffington Post, November 5, 2013
Making communities LGBT aging friendly
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-feather-phd/lgbt-friendly-communities_b_4170360.html
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older people face daunting challenges as they grow old, such as being less likely to have someone to take care of them when they are older. They are also less likely to feel welcome in the places where many older people socialize. The research from this article shows the harmful effects of such social isolation can include depression, delayed care-seeking, poor nutrition, and premature mortality.
CALIFORNIA (Cupertino), Los Gatos Patch, November 4, 2013
Man suffering dementia missing since Monday afternoon
The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office is looking for help finding a 60-year-old man suffering from dementia missing from his Cupertino home, sheriff's officials said. He was last seen wearing a white and blue Hawaiian polo shirt, blue jeans and gray shoes and may be wearing a gray sweatshirt.
NEVADA (Las Vegas), News 3, November 11, 2013
Behavioral health worker sentenced for Medicaid fraud
A Las Vegas woman was sentenced today in a Medicaid fraud case involving the submitting of false Medicaid claims. Sherice Joann Williams, 39, was sentenced for one felony offense of submitting false claims Medicaid fraud. District Court Judge Lee Gates sentenced Williams to 12 to 48 months in prison and payment of $9,783 in restitution, penalties, and costs.
VIRGINIA (Albemarle County), The Daily Progress, November 6, 2013
Woman’s disappearance in Albemarle sheds light on dementia
A 75-year-old woman who had dementia disappeared from the Albemarle County home of her daughter and son-in-law early Friday evening, was found dead Sunday afternoon in a wooded area behind a home at the end of Tennis Drive in the Four Seasons neighborhood following a two-and-a-half day search. A cause of death has not been determined.
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Funding Opportunities:
- November 7, 2013
- Pre-applications for grants from the Impact Fund for nonprofit legal firms, private attorneys, or small law firms that advance social justice in the areas of civil and human rights, environmental justice, or poverty law. Grants of up to $25,000 each will support public-interest litigation that will potentially benefit a large number of people, lead to significant law reform, or raise public consciousness.
- For more information contact: Impact Fund, 125 University Avenue, Suite 102, Berkeley, Calif. 94710; (510) 845-3473; http://impactfund.org/?page_id=698
- November 8, 2013
- Grinnell College Young Innovator for Social Justice Prize will honor up to three individuals under the age of 40 who have demonstrated leadership in their fields, and who show creativity, commitment, and extraordinary accomplishment in advancing positive social change. Each winner will receive $100,000, half of which will go to an organization committed to the winner’s area of social justice.
- Additional information is available on the foundation’s Web site. Contact: Grinnell College, P.O. Box 805, Grinnell, Iowa 50112; prize@grinnell.edu; http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/studentaffairs/chaplain/socialjusticeprize
- November 13, 2013
- Applications for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows program. Midcareer health professionals and behavioral and social scientists with an interest in health and health-care policy are given the opportunity to participate in the policy process at the federal level and use that leadership experience to improve health, health care, and health policy. Up to six awards of up to $165,000 each will be made.
- For more information contact: National Academies, Institute of Medicine, 500 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001; (202) 334-1506; info@healthpolicyfellows.org ; http://www.healthpolicyfellows.org .
- November 14, 2013
- Pre-applications for grants from the Impact Fund for nonprofit legal firms, private attorneys, or small law firms that advance social justice in the areas of civil and human rights, environmental justice, or poverty law. Grants of up to $25,000 each will support public-interest litigation that will potentially benefit a large number of people, lead to significant law reform, or raise public consciousness.
- Contact Impact Fund, 125 University Avenue, Suite 102, Berkeley, Calif. 94710; (510) 845-3473; http://www.impactfund.org/index.php?cat_id=71 to find out more.
- December 6, 2013
- Applications for grants from the Cardinal Health Foundation to support nonprofit health-care institutions to improve patient safety. Grants between $7,500 and $35,000 each will be awarded to approximately 25 organizations in the United States and Canada.
- Find out more by contacting Cardinal Health Foundation, Community Relations, 7000 Cardinal Place, Dublin, Ohio 43017; (614) 757-5000; http://www.cardinalhealth.com/us/en/CommunityRelations/Apply/E3
- December 17, 2013
- Letters of intent to apply for grants from the VNA Foundation. Grants will support nonprofit organizations for home and community-based health care and health services that focus on the needs of disadvantaged people in the metropolitan Chicago area. The foundation awards program, operating, and capital grants in support of home health-care services, community and school-based services, primary care and chronic disease management, and health promotion.
- For more information contact VNA Foundation, 20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 3118, Chicago, Ill. 60606; (312) 214-1521; http://vnafoundation.net/guidelinesprocedures
- December 22, 2013
- Nominations for the Roth Award from the Mary Byron Project for programs that demonstrate promise in ending the generational cycle of domestic violence. A cash award of $10,000 will be given to a program that focuses on disadvantaged people. Such a program provides services to those who are identified as such based on characteristics that include age, race, ethnicity, gender, faith, disabilities, low socio-economic status, non-English speaking, sexual preference, and victims from suburban areas who traditionally do not know how to avail themselves of services or who are too ashamed to find them.
- Find more information by contacting Kathy Paulin, Mary Byron Project, 10401 Linn Station Road, Louisville, Ky. 40223; (502) 992-3444; kathypaulin@marybyronproject.org ; http://marybyronproject.org/index.php/our-work/the-roth-award
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Upcoming Elder Abuse Conferences/Training Events (in chronological order):
. 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 New York City JASA Elder Abuse Training Institute has new training classes for Fall 2013. For more details and registration information click here: http://jasa.org/sites/default/files/NextAct_Catalog_Final_8.9.13.pdf Contact Martha Pollack for further questions: 718-286-1540 or mpollack@jasa.org
· The ABA’s (American Bankers Association) Annual Money Laundering Enforcement Conference in Washington DC will be held on November 18, 2013. There will be a panel on “The Financial Institution’s Role in Preventing Elder Financial Exploitation” presenting twice. For more information: http://www.aba.com/Training/Conferences/Pages/MLE_Schedule.aspx
· 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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