NCEA Newsfeed 3-21-13

NCEA Newsfeed – Thursday, March 21, 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!

 

Learn what the Administration on Aging is planning for the Year of Elder Abuse Prevention!

http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/AoA_Programs/Elder_Rights/YEAP/index.aspx

  

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 , Fox Business, March 20, 2013
How to Prevent Financial Abuse of Elderly Parents
http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/03/20/how-to-prevent-financial-abuse-elderly-parents/
Elder financial abuse is an expensive drain on the U.S. economy. A study of media reports from April to June 2010 "estimated that financial exploitation cost older adults at least $2.9 billion" that year, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office, or GAO. According to the report: "The money that older adults lose in these cases is rarely recovered, and this loss can undermine both the health of older adults and their ability to support and care for themselves."

 

2.         CALIFORNIA (Alameda County), NBC Bay Area, March 21, 2013
East Bay Judge Charged with Elder Abuse Resigns
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/East-Bay-Judge-Charged-with-Elder-Abuse-Resigns-199430941.html
An Alameda County judge charged with stealing thousands of dollars from his Berkeley neighbor, selling her art, and using her garage to store his Thunderbird has resigned and agreed to never be a judge again. He resigned in exchange for the Commission on Judicial Performance halting its investigation into him, according to the Oakland Tribune. The newspaper reported that he had remained on the bench - and continued to receive a paycheck - while his criminal case proceeded, though he had not appeared in court since his arrest.

 

3.         CALIFORNIA (El Cerrito), El Cerrito, March 21, 2013
Hospital Reports Possible Elder Abuse to ECPD
http://elcerrito.patch.com/articles/hospital-reports-possible-elder-abuse-to-ecpd
At 3:45pm, Alta Bates hospital in Berkeley notified the El Cerrito police department that an elderly resident arrived at the hospital with numerous bruises over her body. Officers interviewed the woman at the hospital. The investigation is ongoing.

 

4.         CALIFORNIA (Saratoga), Saratoga Patch, March 21, 2013
Saratoga Man Charged With Elder Fraud to Have Hearing at End of Month
http://saratoga.patch.com/articles/saratoga-man-charged-with-fraud-to-have-a-hearing-at-end-of-month
A 71-year-old Saratoga resident is being prosecuted for “elder abuse, burglary and embezzlement.” A felony complaint was filed against the suspect on Oct. 17, 2012, in which he was charged with 16 felony counts.

 

5.         CALIFORNIA (Selma), Hanford Sentinel, March 20, 2013
Selma woman arrested on elder abuse charges
http://www.hanfordsentinel.com/selma_enterprise/news/selma-woman-arrested-on-elder-abuse-charge/article_a1eb3de2-90f1-11e2-b83a-0019bb2963f4.html
A Selma woman has been arrested on an elder abuse charge in connection with the care of her mother, according to the Selma Police Department. Firefighters notified police that they were bothered by the 79-year-old alleged victim’s living arrangements, as one bathroom had no working tub or toilet, and the other was not wheelchair accessible. The woman seemed to be confined to her bed.

 

6.         FLORIDA (Fort Lauderdale), New York Daily News, March 20, 2013
Pair found guilty of bilking elderly Florida millionaire with dementia out of $10 million estate
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/pair-convicted-bilking-demented-woman-94-10m-article-1.1293982#commentpostform
Cynthia Franke and Tyrone Javellana, of Hollywood, were convicted Tuesday of financial exploitation of an elderly person, a first-degree felony that could result in up to 30 years in prison. The couple were fully aware of the 94-year-old woman’s advanced dementia when they convinced her to sign over her $10 million estate and disinherit her family.

 

7.         FLORIDA (Fort Lauderdale), WTXL, March 20, 2013
Fla. Couple convicted of exploiting woman with dementia
http://www.wtxl.com/news/fla-couple-convicted-of-exploiting-woman-with-dementia/article_a1382184-916a-11e2-a73b-0019bb30f31a.html
A South Florida couple has been convicted of exploiting a 94-year-old woman with dementia who prosecutors say disinherited her family and handed over her $10 million estate. Both Cynthia Franke and her husband, Tyrone Javellana, each face up to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of one count of financial exploitation of an elderly person, which is a first-degree felony. Javellana now faces an additional charge of exploiting the woman’s now-deceased sister.

 

8.         FLORIDA (Fort Lauderdale), Miami Herald, March 19, 2013
Hollywood couple convicted of exploiting an elderly woman with dementia
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/19/3295327/hollywood-couple-convicted-of.html
A Hollywood stockbroker and a financial planner were convicted Tuesday of conning a 94-year-old woman with dementia into disinheriting her family and handing over her $10 million estate.

 

9.         MASSACHUSETTS (Newton), Wicked Local, March 8, 2013
Andrew Migell ordered to pay $500K for ‘ruthless’ campaign to defraud mother
http://www.wickedlocal.com/newton/news/x1433793934/Andrew-Migell-ordered-to-pay-500K-for-ruthless-campaign-to-defraud-mother#axzz2ODYGBGPk
The Middlesex Probate and Family Court has ordered a local man and his wife pay more than $500,000 to the estate of the man’s mother for what the judge described as a “tragic” story of a couple setting out on a “ruthless” campaign to deprive the ailing and elderly widow of her entire estate.

 

10.       WISCONSIN (Stoughton), Connect Stoughton, March 20, 2013
Stoughton man faces felony elder abuse charge
http://www.connectstoughton.com/articles/2013/03/20/stoughton-man-faces-felony-elder-abuse-charge
A 49-year-old Stoughton man faces a felony charge of aggravated battery against an elderly woman following a disturbance February 14. According to a criminal complaint filed in Dane County, police were alerted to the alleged abuse of a 71-year-old woman by the Stoughton Area Senior Center. The victim, who suffers from a neurological disorder and is recovering from a stroke, alleged that the suspect had thrown a coffee cup at her the previous night, the complaint states. A Stoughton police officer observed two bruises on the woman’s shoulder.

 

ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES

 

1.         CALIFORNIA (Mission Hills), KTLA, March 21, 2013
Shocking Video: Caregivers Accused of Abusing Man with Autism
http://ktla.com/2013/03/21/shocking-video-caregivers-accused-of-abusing-adult-with-autism/#axzz2ODhHuDrR
A mother says she is devastated, after hidden cameras captured caregivers physically abusing her adult disabled son. Caregivers were recorded by hidden cameras kicking and punching her son Cameron, stomping on his face, spitting on him, whipping him with a chain and threatening him, possibly even shooting him with a pellet gun.

 

2.         NEW YORK (Buffalo), WIVB, March 20, 2013
Identity thief exploits disabled woman
http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/local/identity-thief-exploits-disabled-woman
A local woman says she is the victim of fraud from a family member. Kristina Tribbey had her identity stolen and she suspects a relative, who was once considered a trusted friend. "She [the relative] had written down my Social Security number, my birth date, my full name, and she had copied down my bank card number," Tribbey said. The identity thief then used Tribbey's Social Security savings account to charge $1,200 worth of cell phone purchases through an internet marketing firm called Simplexity, leaving the family facing possible eviction and loss of their rental furniture due to the drain of the family's account.

 

3.         INTERNATIONAL (Belfast, Ireland), Irish Times, March 21, 2013
British government apologises over shooting of disabled man
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/british-government-apologises-over-shooting-of-disabled-man-1.1331260
The British government has apologised after the shooting of a disabled farm worker who ran away from soldiers almost 40 years ago in Northern Ireland. John Pat Cunningham (27) had a mental age of less than 10 and a great fear of men in uniforms. He was unarmed when shot dead by soldiers from the Life Guard Regiment near his home in Benburb, Co Armagh.

 

4.         INTERNATIONAL (Victoria, United Kingdom), Metro, March 20, 2013
Severely disabled prisoners ‘locked up all day and hadn’t showered for months’
http://metro.co.uk/2013/03/20/severely-disabled-prisoners-locked-up-all-day-and-hadnt-showered-for-months-3550686/
Two severely disabled prisoners were found crammed into a Victorian cell designed for one person for nearly 24 hours a day, inspectors discovered. Staff were unaware they could not use the shower on their landing as it was not adapted properly.

 

 

RELATED ISSUES

 

1.         MASSACHUSETTS (Rye), Seacoast Online, March 19, 2013
Missing man with dementia found
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20130319-NEWS-303190389
A man who relatives said has dementia and early-onset Alzheimer's was found safe in Salisbury, Mass., Monday after walking off from a local motel nearly 24 hours earlier.

 

2.         UTAH (Davis County), News Max Health, March 21, 2013
Should Wandering Dementia Patients Wear Ankle Monitors?
http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/ankle-monitors-Alzheimers-dementia/2013/03/21/id/495638
A northern Utah sheriff's office is floating a unique and unproven idea for keeping seniors with Alzheimer's disease and dementia safe: Give them ankle monitors normally used on criminals on house arrest or parole. Davis County Deputy Sheriff Kevin Fielding says the monitors would allow deputies to quickly find a person who has wandered off. That would save lives and save taxpayer funds by avoiding time-consuming searches.

 

 

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Funding Opportunities:

  • April 30/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
  • May 1, 2013
    • The American Bar Association has announced a further round of grants to be made in 2013 that will promote and support innovation in the delivery of civil legal aid.  These grants will go to the state Access to Justice Commissions.  The grants will fund projects in seven critical areas of innovation: expanding limited scope representation and other models for affordable services; improving language access and eliminating implicit cultural bias; employing public libraries as point of access for legal aid; enhancing fundraising outside the legal community; creating partnerships with health care and social services providers, government agencies and other new partners; preserving access for low-income people as courts implement e-filing; and increasing web-based delivery of pro bono services for self-represented litigants.  Eligible entities are state Access to Justice Commissions, which are formal entities that bring together the highest level of the state's courts, organized bar, and other stakeholders to support the expansion of access to civil justice for low income and disadvantaged people.  Applications for Grants to Promote the Creation of new Access to Justice Commissions are due by February 15, 2013; applications for Innovation Grants are due on May 1, 2013.
    • Information: www.ATJsupport.org under “grants.” For additional information contact Bob Echols, State Support Consultant, ABA Resource Center for Access to Justice Initiatives, Robert.Echols@comcast.net
  • May 20, 2013
    • The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is pleased to announce that it is seeking applications for research and evaluation relating to abuse, neglect, and exploitation of elderly individuals and residents of residential care facilities. This research furthers the Department’s mission by sponsoring research to provide objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of crime and justice, particularly at the State and local levels.
    • For more information: https://ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/sl001043.pdf

 

 

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

 

·       The SAFEta Webinar Series will cover three topics this year: Patients with developmental and/or physical disabilities, older patients, and patients who are in the military. The series begins on April 11, 2013. For more information: http://safeta.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=85

·       The 13th Annual International Family Justice Center Conference will be held in Ft. Worth, Texas from April 16-18, 2013 at the Worthington Renaissance Forth Worth Hotel. For more information: http://www.familyjusticecenter.org/training-main/annual-conference.html  

·       Elder Abuse and its Prevention – A Workshop will be hosted by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies April 17-18, 2013 at the Keck Center on Washington, D.C. For more information: http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Global/ViolenceForum/2013-APR-17.aspx

·       Registration is now open for Teaming Up Against Elder Financial Exploitation, a course offered in the Orlando area, April 17 – 19, 2013. This course is presented by The Florida Attorney General’s Office (FCPTI) and The Florida Bar Elder Law Section’s Committee on Elder Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation. For more information: http://www.fcpti.com/fcpti.nsf/forms/CF4576CAD96E849C85257A830057911A

·       The Academy on Violence and Abuse (AVA) 2013 Scientific Conference will be called “Addressing Violence and Abuse in the Changing Healthcare Environment,” and will take place on April 18-20 in Minneapolis, MN at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Suites. For more information: http://avahealth.nonprofitoffice.com/vertical/sites/%7B75FA0828-D713-4580-A29D-257F315BB94F%7D/uploads/avabrochure_P20.pdf  

·       The Greater Augusta Coalition Against Adult Abuse in partnership with the VA Coalition for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and Blue Ridge Community College is sponsoring a free, day long training for Commonwealth Attorneys, Law Enforcement, Social Workers, and related professionals on “Obtaining Convictions and Restitution for Adult Abuse” on Monday, April 29, 2013. For more information, contact Anne See at (540) 433-1830 or asee@brls.org. Click here to register: http://fs21.formsite.com/ascott/form10/index.html?1358267517475

·       The 6th Annual Forensic Investigations Conference to be held from May 15-17, 2013 at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Seminars will focus on a broad array of emerging forensic practices, in sexual assault, interpersonal violence, child and elder abuse in both an urban and rural environment. For more information https://www.saintlukeshealthsystem.org/event/forensic-conference-1

·       The National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP) Annual Training Conference 2013 will take place at the Westin San Diego in San Diego, California and will feature a keynote on Elder Abuse. The conference will take place from May 29-31, 2013. For more info: http://www.nanasp.org/upcomingconferences.html

 ·       The Virginia Coalition for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (VCPEA) will hold its 19th annual conference in Virginia Beach at the Virginia Beach Resort and Conference Center on May 29-31, 2013. Conference information was been posted on the VCPEA website at http://www.vcpea.org

 ·       The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Criminal Justice Institute presents an Elder Justice Symposium for attorneys, law enforcement personnel, health care and mental health care professionals, social service providers and victim advocates. The symposium will be on June 27, 2013, at the Almansor Court Banquet Center in Alhambra, California. For more information: http://da.lacounty.gov/cji/ea062713.htm

·       The Alzheimer’s Association annual conference, titled “Dementia Care @AAIC: Translating Research to Practice” will be held in Boston, Massachusetts from July 13-18, 2013. Learn more here: http://www.alz.org/aaic/

·       Changing Aging, The Florida Conference on Aging will be held on August 12-14, 2013 and will be themed, “Aging: New Game – New Rules”
For more information: http://www.fcoa.org/conference.html

·       The 18th International Conference & Summit on Violence, Abuse & Trauma will be held in San Diego, California on September 8-11, 2013. For more information: http://www.ivatcenters.org/  

·       The 24th Annual NAPSA Conference to be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota October 2-3, 2013, followed by The 4th Annual NAPSA Summit on Elder Financial Exploitation on October 4, 2013. For more information: http://www.napsa-now.org/get-connected/annual-conference/

·       The 2nd Annual National Elder Abuse Symposium will be held at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Anaheim, California on December 3-6, 2013. Stay tuned for more information.

 

 

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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