Newsfeed – Thursday, April 17, 2014
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! An archived collection of previous newsfeeds is available here: http://ncea.posthaven.com/
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
ARIZONA (Phoenix), Your West Valley, April 11, 2014
Arizona faces backlog of adult abuse cases
http://www.yourwestvalley.com/valleyandstate/article_f9e4e240-c1de-11e3-a085-001a4bcf887a.html
Adult abuse and neglect cases have increased by 27 percent in each of the past two fiscal years, and Adult Protective Services had 8,800 open cases at the end of February, the Arizona Capitol Times reported. Mary Lynn Kasunic, president and CEO of the Area Agency on Aging, which works with Adult Protective Services, said the most frequent type of investigations in Arizona and nationwide involve neglect, either self-neglect or by a family member.
ARIZONA (Sahuarita), Green Valley News and Sun, April 12, 2014
Owner of assisted living home, three others indicted
The owner of a Sahuarita assisted living home has been indicted along with the former co-owner, her son and another person on charges of fraud, exploitation of a vulnerable adult and identity theft. The indictment says that on or between Jan 17, 2012, and May 7, 2012, the four knowingly obtained a benefit by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, promises or material omissions in violation of state law, a Class 2 felony.
CALIFORNIA (El Cajon), Times of San Diego, April 12, 2014
Deputies Uncover East County Drug Lab While Investigating Elder Abuse
Deputies arrested a man in El Cajon Friday afternoon after they discovered a hidden drug laboratory while investigating an elder abuse complaint involving an 84-year-old woman. They found the unidentified elderly woman had no knowledge of the drug operation.
CALIFORNIA (Los Angeles), Gant Daily, April 14, 2014
Waiting – And – Waiting On The Nursing Home Inspector
http://www.gantdaily.com/2014/04/14/waiting-and-waiting-on-the-nursing-home-inspector/
In Los Angeles County, there were 3,044 open as of mid-March, 945 of which date back two years or more, according to an audit released last week by the Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller. Jonathan Fielding, who heads the county public health department, says all cases have been investigated but not all have been written up. Under questioning by Los Angeles County supervisors last month, Fielding said that the department does not have adequate funding or staffing to meet all federal and state requirements. The division has an annual budget of $26 million but needs $33.5 million, he said.
COLORADO, The Bell Policy Center, April 11, 2014
Success from the session: More Colorado seniors protected from abuse, deception, intimidation
Gov. John Hickenlooper this week signed a bill that will protect more at-risk elders in our state from abuse. The legislation, Senate Bill 14-098, which was suggested by several district attorneys, clarified language to make last year's landmark legislation more effective. A key part of this bill is to ensure the effective enforcement of the statutes protecting at-risk elders from losing their assets through deception, intimidation or undue influence.
CONNECTICUT (Bristol), The Bristol Press, April 14, 2014
Former lawyer sued for $800,000
http://bristolpress.com/articles/2014/04/15/news/doc534ca7f21c25d038711751.txt
The former local lawyer charged Friday with embezzling $1 million from a client is being sued for $800,000. The lawsuit alleges, the former lawyer “exerted undue influence” over the vulnerable woman to convince her to give him “gifts.” He changed the locks on Bossi’s home, took her checkbooks, screened her mail, changed the ignition on her car so only he had the key and told her she would have to go to a nursing home unless she allowed him to manage her money, the legal action says.
FLORIDA (Century), North Escambia, April 15, 2014
Century Couple Sentenced In Connection With Financial Exploitation Of Elderly Woman
A Century husband and wife have been sentenced on charges related the financial exploitation of an elderly woman. After the Johnson’s were denied a loan in December 2011 to purchase a 2011 Buick Lacrosse, Eric Johnson returned to Pen Air Federal Credit Union with his wife’s elderly client and used the elderly woman’s good credit to obtain a $28,583 loan as a co-signer, deputies said. The elderly woman, according to an arrest report, lacked the physical and mental capacity to consent to the loan.
OHIO (Crawford County), Bucyrus Telegraph Forum, April 11, 2014
Webinar addresses multiple aspects of elder abuse
Crawford County victims advocate Jim Scott and Bucyrus police Chief David Koepke hosted a webinar, Safety in the Golden Years, at City Hall’s council chambers Thursday. Carrie Mulford, a social science analyst with the National Institute of Justice, talked about accidental and suspicious bruising, and how to detect signs of physical abuse in an older person.
RHODE ISLAND, Providence Journal, April 14, 2014
A woman's sister has financial power of attorney for my elderly mother, and she is concerned that the sister is using my mother’s money for her own purposes. The author explains to the woman that she could be describing a case of financial exploitation, and provides information and where to report.
TEXAS (San Antonio), Fox 29, April 15, 2014
Claims of abuse at local nursing home
Several senior citizens, some of them U.S. military veterans, have filed a lawsuit against a local nursing home, claiming severe abuse and neglect. The family of one man, a colonel who has since passed away, claims he had fallen one day but didn't receive treatment for his pain until 14 hours later.
WISCONSIN, Wausau Daily Herald, April 14, 2014
Donation bolsters sexual assault training for Saint Clare's nurses
Operating out of Ministry Saint Clare’s Emergency Department, SANE nurses are registered nurses who have advanced education and clinical preparation to help meet the needs of victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, strangulation, elder abuse and child abuse and neglect. They are trained to provide medical treatment, collect and maintain the chain of evidence, provide emotional support and make arrangements for any follow-up support that might be needed.
INTERNATIONAL (Medicine Hat, Canada), Medicine Hat News, April 15, 2014
Elder abuse reports surpass 1,000 in 2013
http://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2014/04/15/elder-abuse-reports-surpass-1000-in-2013/
The number of seniors being abused in Medicine Hat is escalating, with 1033 reported cases in 2013 and have 22 cases being actively investigated this year by Community Response to Abuse and Neglect of Elders. “These 22 cases are situations that require active case management,” said Shantel Ottenbreit, seniors outreach worker for Senior Services and CRANE.
INTERNATIONAL (Ontario, Canada), The Star, April 15, 2014
Use of antipsychotics soaring at Ontario nursing homes
Ontario nursing homes are drugging helpless seniors at an alarming rate with powerful antipsychotic drugs, despite warnings that the medications can kill elderly patients suffering from dementia, the article states. A Star investigation has found that some long-term care homes, often struggling with staffing shortages, are routinely doling out these risky drugs to calm and “restrain” wandering, agitated and sometimes aggressive patients.
INTERNATIONAL (Toronto, Canada), Digital Journal, April 14, 2014
Toronto woman, 94, victim of elder fraud gets furniture back
Norma Marshall, whose housekeeper and her husband allegedly defrauded her of her furniture, other possessions and her life savings has recovered her furniture. Firoz Jogiat, a deliveryman for a pharmacist, had been making weekly deliveries to Marshall for 10 years. Until late March, Jogiat had never seen anyone other than Marshall at her apartment. When a man answered the door and said he was a family member, Jogiat became suspicious and called police.
ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES
ARIZONA (Pima County), Arizona Daily Star, April 15, 2014
Disabled couple forced to work for free/endure extreme temperatures, jury told
A developmentally disabled couple were forced to stay outside all day in 100-degree-plus weather, work without pay and sleep on the floor, jurors in the trial of their caregivers, who are charged with abusing them, were told Tuesday. An investigation concluded the Rasleys forced the victims to stay outside every day, drink from a garden hose and go to the bathroom outside.
IOWA (Mason city), KCRG ABC, April 7, 2014
Mason City Woman Accused Of Neglecting Dependent Adult
http://www.kcrg.com/home/top-9/Mason-City-Woman-Accused-Of-Neglecting-Dependent-Adult-254190381.html
A 54-year-old woman has been arrested, accused of neglecting or abandoning a dependent adult. The Mason City Globe Gazette says the woman was jailed Sunday on six felony counts and nine misdemeanor counts.
RELATED ISSUES
ARIZONA (Kingman), KPHO CBS 5 Arizona, April 15, 2014
AZ man with dementia missing for 2 weeks
http://www.kpho.com/story/25186121/az-man-with-dementia-missing-for-2-weeks
Authorities in northwest Arizona are trying to locate a 77-year-old man who hasn't been seen or heard from since April 1. Relatives of the man said he drove to a neighbor's house in Kingman on April 1. He told the neighbor he was upset about a purchase he made and then drove off in his green Ford Windstar van, which was the last time he was seen.
MINNESOTA (Mille Lacs County), Princeton Union-Eagle, April 16, 2014
Princeton vulnerable adult found alive, well after search
http://unioneagle.com/2014/04/princeton-vulnerable-adult-found-alive-well-after-search/
Searchers looking for a vulnerable woman who had walked away from the Princeton Developmental Achievement Center the morning of Tuesday, April 8, found her seven hours later in a shed in a remote part of the Princeton golf course. Princeton Police received the call at 11:35 a.m. April 8 that she had left the DAC. Sometime after that, the Police Department heard from the group home in Princeton where the woman resides, that she had called the home and stated some things that were “alarming to staff,” Backlund said.
WISCONSIN, Green Bay Press Gazette, April 12, 2014
Silver Alert bill that 'will save lives' signed into law
Senior citizens, advocates and government leaders hailed the “Silver Alert” bill signed into law in Wisconsin Friday as a potential life-saver for the state’s most vulnerable adults. The law, signed Friday by Gov. Scott Walker in Green Bay, will enable police throughout Wisconsin to use the Crime Alert Network to promptly free send statewide notices when a senior citizen or other vulnerable adult goes missing.
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Upcoming Elder Abuse Conferences/Training Events (in chronological order):
- 2nd Annual Michigan Elder Justice & At-Risk Adult Summit "The Big Idea" is May 1, 2014, at the Lansing Center in Lansing, MI, presented by the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Human Services. Speakers include; Dr. Scott Model (Victims with Developmental Disabilities), Robert Spada (Current Trends in Vulnerable Adult Abuse Investigation and Prosecution), David Tanay (The Attorney General's Role in vulnerable Adult Abuse Investigation), Catherine Emerson (Human Trafficking of Vulnerable Adults), and Dr. Kevin Foley (The Aging Brain: Cognition and Capacity). For more information click here: http://www.ciclt.net/sn/events/e_signup.aspx?ClientCode=paam&E_ID=500183&RegType=ATT
- The American Psychological Association and American Bar Association will hold a National Conference on Violence, May 1-3, in D.C. This 3-day APA/ABA continuing education national conference will address a broad range of issues related to the exposure of children, youth, and families to violence in and around the home, community, and society. For registration information go here: http://www.apa.org/about/offices/ogc/apa-aba/conference.aspx. For inquiries, email: APAABAViolenceConf@apa.org.
- The Florida Attorney General’s Office and The Florida Bar Elder Law Section’s Committee on Elder Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation are pleased to present “Confronting Elder Financial Exploitation”, May 12 – 14, 2014, in Altamonte Springs, Florida, at the Embassy Suites Orlando North. This 3-day class encourages participants to “think outside the box” in formulating successful investigations and legal remedies. Elder law attorneys, prosecutors, and investigators are partnering in their communities with other subject matter experts to successfully expose and prosecute those who abuse our elder citizens. This interactive class encourages an exchange of information and creative resolutions. For more information please click here: http://www.fcpti.com/fcpti.nsf/forms/0B2C44BA5D93CE2885257C0C004735CB or call (850) 414 -3360.
- The 7th Annual Forensic Investigations Conference will be held in the Kansas City Convention Center May 12-17, 2014. The conference will focus on a broad array of emerging forensic issues, including sexual assault, interpersonal violence, ballistics, strangulation, and child and elder abuse in both urban and rural environments. This year’s conference is designed to provide an interactive joint educational opportunity and promising practices when working with victims of violence. To find more information, see here: http://www.saintlukeshealthsystem.org/forensic
- 17th Annual Kern County Elder Abuse Prevention Conference Wednesday, May 21, 2014 8:15 am - 3:30 pm At Hodel’s Country Dining (Liberty Rm) 5917 Knudsen Drive Bakersfield, California. “When is a Bruise Not a Bruise: Forensic Wound Identification and Documentation of Possible Abuse and Neglect” Speaker Daniel J. Sheridan, PhD, RN, FAAN. For more information: http://www.co.kern.ca.us/aas/pdf/2014_Elder_Abuse_Conf.pdf
- The 3rd World Congress on Adult Guardianship will be convened on May 28-30th , 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
- The annual Gulf Coast Elder Abuse Conference, “Don’t Let the Light Go Out,” will be held on June 16, 2014 from 8:00 AM-4:45 PM in Slidell, Louisiana. The conference will include six hours of continuing education credits for nurses, and credit is pending for lawyers, social workers, professional counselors, bankers, facility administrators and physical therapists. A partial list of topics includes: Recognition of Injuries, the Elder Justice Act, Competence & Capacity, Domestic Violence Grown Old, The Role of Banking in Preventing and Responding to Elder Financial Exploitation and Elder Abuse and the LGBT Community. Presenters include: Donald D. Akers Jr., JD; Harold S. Bartholomew Jr., JD; Jenefer Duane; Dean Hawley, MD; Candace J. Heisler, JD; Suzy Ritholz, PhD; Daniel Sheridan, PhD and Jane Thomas, JD. For details, e-mail WEAAD@STSALT.ORG. A complete list of topics, further details and registration information are available here: http://www.stsalt.org/GulfCoastElderAbuseConference.html.
- The 2014 Consumer Voice Annual Conference will be held in Arlington, Virginia from November 15-19, 2014. There will be speakers in the field, long-term care policy updates from key experts, and tools and resources for advocacy. Registration and the conference agenda details will be coming soon. For questions, contact: info@theconsumervoice.org.
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Funding Opportunities:
- The National Institute of Justice is seeking proposals for research and evaluation related to the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of elderly individuals. Research that includes residents of residential care facilities also will be considered. Research proposed may be focused at the state, local, tribal, federal, juvenile justice policy and/or practice level. The closing date for the application is April 25, 2014. Click here for more information: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=251247
- The Office for Victims of Crime released a solicitation yesterday under which it will fund up to ten awards of $150,000 to $750,000 to support organizations that use technology creatively to provide outreach and direct assistance to victims, particularly those who have never been served or for whom services are not readily available, nationally and/or internationally (for Americans abroad). OVC plans to fund three categories of projects: National-Scope Victim Service Initiatives, National Scope Victim Service Initiatives Proposing To Serve Underserved Victims Identified by the Applicant, and Victim Service Initiatives for American Victims of Domestic Violence and/or Sexual Assault Abroad. Deadline: May 15, 2014. Link to the solicitation: http://ojp.gov/ovc/grants/pdftxt/FY14_V21_UsingTechnology.pdf. For questions, see contact information on page 2 of the solicitation.
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
Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology
101 The City Drive South
Orange, CA 92868
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