NCEA | Newsfeed Collection

NCEA Newsfeed – Friday, March 8, 2013: Happy International Women’s Day!

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!  Follow us on Twitter!

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, AARP, March 5, 2013
A New Watchdog Is Guarding Your Money
http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-03-2013/skip-humphreys-mission-protection.html
Skip Humphrey of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is tasked with protecting 50 million older Americans from financial abuse and exploitation. During the recent financial crisis, Americans 55 and older lost about 40 percent of their net worth. The group is vulnerable to financial advisers who boast meaningless credentials to sell bogus or inappropriate investments. Older Americans can even be victimized by loving family members who are clueless about their responsibilities as court-appointed money-managing guardians.

2.         NATIONAL, Financial Advisor Magazine, March 6, 2013
Financial Advisor Input Sought On Fraud Against Elderly
http://www.fa-mag.com/news/financial-advisor-input-sought-on-fraud-against-elderly-13555.html
Financial abuse of the elderly is running rampant in the country and is growing as the population ages. Yet, there are few consistent national standards for what financial advisors, who deal with the money elderly people have worked a lifetime to save, should do when they suspect abuse. A man whose father was financially exploited now asks financial advisors to assist him in his efforts to develop consistent standards.

3.         ARIZONA (Phoenix), KVOA, March 7, 2013
AG’s task force on elder abuse catalogs successes of past 2 years
http://www.kvoa.com/news/ag-s-task-force-on-elder-abuse-catalogs-successes-of-past-2-years/
The Attorney General's office is touting the success its task force has had fighting elder abuse since its inception two years ago. The AG’s office is announcing the impact of the Taskforce Against Senior Abuse (TASA) in honor of Consumer Protection Week. TASA has received more than 2,300 calls to report potential abuse, neglect or fraud. One figure that was publicized was that 102 victims received restitution in a consumer fraud action against American Residential Services. 89% of the victims were senior citizens.

4.         CALIFORNIA (San Jacinto), My Valley News, March 7, 2013
Man suspected of elder abuse, attempted murder in San Jacinto jailed
http://www.myvalleynews.com/story/69770/
A 52-year-old man suspected of attacking a woman at a home in San Jacinto was jailed in lieu of $1 million bail today and facing possible charges of attempted murder, authorities said. A deputy who responded to the call for help at 2:15 a.m. reported seeing the victim being dragged from the porch, back into the home by the suspect. The suspect was arrested for attempted murder, elder abuse, false imprisonment and felony vandalism.

5.         CALIFORNIA (Vacaville), The Reporter, March 6, 2013
Vacaville man arrested in elder abuse case
http://www.thereporter.com/news/ci_22728227/vacaville-man-arrested-elder-abuse-case
Police arrested a Vacaville man Saturday who authorities say is suspected of abusing an elderly woman who managed to escape and seek help at a local church, officials reported Tuesday. who was on Post-Release Community Supervision following a prior conviction for elder abuse, was taken into custody by officers after they contacted the 74-year-old alleged victim. The victim told police that the suspect had stolen more than $700 from her bank account, and that she had been mentally and physically abused.

6.         CALIFORNIA (Vacaville), Crime Voice, March 7, 2013
Vacaville man arrested for elder abuse
http://crimevoice.com/vacaville-man-arrested-for-elder-abuse-23709/
A Vacaville man was arrested Saturday and charged with three counts of elder abuse related to both physical and psychological abuse and theft. He was also charged with assault, and with violating Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS). The PRCS was for a previous elder abuse conviction. All charges are felonies.

7.         ILLINOIS (Chicago), CBS Local, March 7, 2013
Grandmother Found Dead With Maggots In Hair Was Victim Of Elder Abuse: Prosecutors
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/03/07/grandmother-found-dead-with-maggots-in-hair-was-victim-of-elder-abuse-prosecutors/
A South Side woman has been charged with elderly neglect after her malnourished, bedridden grandmother was discovered dead with maggots in her hair, bed sores, skin ulcers and chemical burns caused by lying in her own urine.

8.         KENTUCKY (Richmond), Lex 18, March 7, 2013
Controversial Nursing Home Bill Upsets Abuse Victim’s Family
http://www.lex18.com/news/controversial-nursing-home-bill-upsets-abuse-victim-s-family
Families who have dealt with nursing home abuse say a piece of Kentucky legislation known as Senate Bill 9 is just more "red tape."

9.         KENTUCKY (Rockcastle County), Kentucky.com, March 6, 2013
Man with dementia faces prison after Rockcastle Co. plea in sister’s death
http://www.kentucky.com/2013/03/06/2545167/man-with-dementia-faces-prison.html
A 79-year-old former schoolteacher who has been diagnosed with dementia will be sentenced next month in the Rockcastle County traffic death of his 83-year-old sister. The suspect had depression and dementia when he rammed a van in which his two siblings were riding, causing his sister’s death, according to psychiatrists.

10.       OHIO (Cleveland), WKYC, March 6, 2013
Investigator: Nurse says she was fired for reporting alleged abuse
http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/287284/45/Investigator-Nurse-says-she-was-fired-for-reporting-alleged-abuse
Nurse Annie O'Malley says she was fired from the MetroHealth Prentiss Center nursing home for reporting what she believed to be abuse inside the facility.

11.       OKLAHOMA (Oklahoma City), News 9, March 7, 2013
Family in OKC Nursing Home Abuse Case Frustrated By Investigation
http://www.news9.com/story/21549544/family-in-nursing-home-abuse-case-frustrated-by-lack-of-investigation
For the family of a 96 year old woman, frustrations have continued to grow. They caught aides on camera abusing their beloved relative while she was living in the Quail Creek Nursing Home and Retirement Center. The family said they first reported the abuse in April 2012 but to this day have not seen any findings from an internal investigation that the nursing home was supposed to conduct, according to the Oklahoma Department of Health.

12.       WASHINGTON (Tacoma), Exit 33, March 4, 2013
Woman Charged with Elder Fraud
http://www.exit133.com/7455/woman-charged-with-elder-fraud
A 28-year-old woman has been charged with residential burglary, four counts of trafficking in stolen property, identity theft, and four counts of theft. The defendant allegedly stole money and jewelry from three elderly residents at a retirement home in Puyallup in July 2012.

13.       INTERNATIONAL (British Columbia, Canada), Times Colonist, March 6, 2013
B.C. unveils new strategy to battle elder abuse
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/b-c-unveils-new-strategy-to-battle-elder-abuse-1.86493
At the legislature, Seniors Minister Ralph Sultan announced a $1-million program that he said will help prevent physical, sexual, psychological, emotional and financial abuse of senior citizens. The money will allow the Seniors Abuse and Information Line to remain open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. It will also provide community groups with information kits on elder abuse and establish a multi-sector council to reduce abuse with an office in the Ministry of Health.

14.       INTERNATIONAL (Burnley, United Kingdom), Burnley Express, March 7, 2013
Nurse accused of elder abuse at a Rosegrove care home
http://www.burnleyexpress.net/news/local-news/nurse-accused-of-elder-abuse-at-a-rosegrove-care-home-1-5476720
A nurse who threw a wheelchair-bound pensioner out of a care home in just her nightdress as punishment for banging on a chair faces an anxious wait to see if she can continue to practice. A hearing was told that the suspect also shouted at a suspected stroke patient for not taking his pills and tried to ram them down his throat. The nurse is also accused of serious clinical errors, including making a patient wait five minutes for crucial first aid because she did not know whether there was a “do not resuscitate” order in place. She also failed to carry out checks on a diabetic patient who later had to be rushed to hospital with low blood sugar.

15.       INTERNATIONAL (Manchester, United Kingdom), Daily Mail, March 5, 2013
Grandmother with dementia, 92, targeted by care home thief who stole three precious rings including engagement band from her fingers
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2288344/Grandmother-dementia-92-targeted-care-home-thief-stole-precious-rings-including-engagement-band-fingers.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
A 92-year-old grandmother with dementia had three precious rings pulled from her fingers in a 'deplorable' theft at a care home. The woman was robbed of her diamond engagement ring and two other family heirlooms at the private home where she lives. Her husband, 90, discovered the shocking theft when he arrived to visit her at Heathlands Village in Prestwich, Greater Manchester. Police are investigating.

16.       INTERNATIONAL (Newcastle, United Kingdom), Chronicle Live, March 7, 2013
Wallsend care worker abused dementia sufferers at Lemington home
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/evening-chronicle-news/2013/03/07/wallsend-care-worker-abused-dementia-sufferers-at-lemington-home-72703-32940468/
A man has pled guilty to two charges of assault by beating after he was seen violently stuffing a napkin and his fingers into the mouth of one elderly male resident, and yanking the hair of another 89-year-old female resident.

ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES

1.         NATIONAL, Hartford Courant, March 4, 2013
Senator Urges Federal Probe Into Abuse, Neglect Of Developmentally Disabled
http://articles.courant.com/2013-03-04/news/hcp-dds-murphy-reaction-0305-20130304-1_1_murphy-developmental-disabilities-group-homes
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy is calling for a nationwide investigation into the "alarming number of deaths and cases of abuse" of developmentally disabled individuals at government-financed residential facilities. Murphy sent a letter to the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services Monday, requesting an immediate investigation, with an emphasis on preventable deaths at privately run group homes.

2.         GEORGIA (Covington), WSBTV, March 7, 2013
Police: Caregiver killed mentally disabled client
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/police-caregiver-killed-mentally-disabled-client/nWkD9/
A caregiver is charged in the beating death of her mentally disabled client. Deputies said 47-year-old Susan Walter died early Saturday morning in Covington. Police charged a caregiver with felony murder and failure to protect a disabled person.

3.         NEW YORK (Utica), Utica Observer-Dispatch, March 7, 2013
Bus aide accused of forcibly touching disabled woman
http://www.uticaod.com/news/x930810336/Bus-aide-accused-of-forcibly-touching-disabled-woman
A bus aide from a local bus company has been accused of inappropriately touching a developmentally disabled woman, Utica police said.

4.         PENNSYVLANIA (Philadelphia), Philly.com, March 7, 2013
Armed men raid East Greenwich group home for disabled
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20130307_Armed_men_raid_East_Greenwich_group_home_for_disabled.html
Three armed men broke into an East Greenwich Township residence for developmentally disabled people at 3 a.m. Thursday and stole two safes, East Greenwich Police said.

RELATED ISSUES

1.         CALIFORNIA (Bakersfield), Los Angeles Times, March 7, 2013
Refusing CPR to dying woman not a crime, police conclude
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2013/03/refusing-cpr-to-dying-woman-not-a-crime-police-conclude.html
No crime was committed at a senior living facility where a staff member refused to perform CPR on an elderly woman who later died, Bakersfield police concluded. The investigation would appear to close the books on the case, which has generated national attention. The Bakersfield Police Department said it will not be pursuing any criminal charges pertaining to the case.

2.         INTERNATIONAL (Tameside, United Kingdom), Manchester Evening News, March 6, 2013

Anger as dementia patient goes missing from hospital for second time
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/anger-dementia-patient-goes-missing-1722923
A wife is calling for increased security at a hospital after her husband twice went missing from the same ward. The woman’s husband, 76, who suffers from dementia, was found in his rain-soaked pajamas and coat after going missing from Tameside General for more than five hours

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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

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

·      The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is hosting an Elder Maltreatment Symposium on March 8, 2013 online and at their headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. Register and find more information here: http://www.usqualitymeasures.org/Community-Engagement/Symposium.aspx

·      Registration is now open for the 2013 Aging in America Conference, presented by the American Society on Aging. The conference will take place from March 12-16, 2013 in Chicago, IL. For more information: http://www.asaging.org/aia

·      The Ohio Coalition for Adult Protective Services will hold their annual conference on March 15, 2013 at The Columbus State Conference Center. The theme this year is “The Evolving Aspects of Elder Abuse.” For more information: http://www.formstack.com/forms/?1362455-HWZmxQRixk

·      The deadline to submit abstracts for the 2013 Annual Conference of The Gerontological Society of America is March 15, 2013.  
To learn more about submitting abstracts: http://www.geron.org/meeting2013/GSA2013CFA.pdf
To learn more about the upcoming conference November 20-24, 2013, titled “Optimal Aging Through Research,” please visit
http://www.geron.org/annual-meeting/future-meetings

·       The 13^th 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 6^th 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 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 18^th 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 2^nd 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

www.ncea.aoa.gov

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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