Newsfeed – Tuesday, April 8, 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
CALIFORNIA, The Modesto Bee, April 4, 2014
County Pulse: State bills call for tougher regulation of residential elder care facilities
http://www.modbee.com/2014/04/04/3276597/state-bills-call-for-tougher-regulation.html?sp=/99/1623/
Lawmakers in California are proposing reform bills to strengthen oversight of residential elder care facilities, an issue brought into sharper focus in Modesto last year. The state bills are going to policy hearings in the Assembly and Senate next week. They would require annual inspections, make it easier to shut down the worst facilities, increase fines, require staff training and provide for online access to enforcement records for the 7,500 facilities overseen by the California Department of Social Services, the author states.
CALIFORNIA (Los Angeles), Salon, April 7, 2014
Mickey Rooney’s bold last fight
http://www.salon.com/2014/04/07/mickey_rooneys_last_fight/
Mickey Rooney, who died Sunday at age 93, will be remembered by many as among the last of a long gone Hollywood era, the author states. Three years ago, at age 90, Rooney spoke before a Senate Special Committee on Aging on the abuse he said he suffered at the hands of his adult stepson Christopher Aber, and about the special vulnerability of older Americans to physical intimidation, financial exploitation and emotional mistreatment.
CALIFORNIA (Los Angeles), Fox Business, April 7, 2014
Mickey Rooney's legacy includes raising awareness of financial elder abuse
The legacy of Mickey Rooney, who died on April 6 in California at age 93, goes far beyond the silver screen. The prolific film star did a service for millions of elderly in this country by helping to publicize the scourge of financial elder abuse. "Rooney's words are as relevant and compelling today as they were in 2011," Elder Justice Coalitional National Coordinator Bob Blancato said in a statement today. "Advocates of elder justice are grateful for Rooney's courage and hope that progress can continue to be made at the national level to fight the epidemic of elder abuse in America.”
KENTUCKY (Louisville), WDRB, April 4, 2014
Woman accused of stealing $21K from grandmother
http://www.wdrb.com/story/25163163/woman-accused-of-stealing-21k-from-grandmother
A south Louisville woman has been arrested after police say she exploited her elderly grandmother for financial gain. The granddaughter is accused of stealing approximately $21,000 from her grandmother's accounts.
MINNESOTA (Hennepin County), CBS Minnesota, April 7, 2014
Councilwoman Sentenced For Stealing Money From Dying Dad
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2014/04/07/councilwoman-sentenced-for-stealing-money-from-dying-dad/
A Maple Grove city councilwoman who pleaded guilty to a charge accusing her of stealing thousands of dollars from her dying father has been sentenced to serve 60 days in the Hennepin County Workhouse. Leann Sargent, 63, specifically pleaded guilty to one felony count of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult on the morning of Feb. 5.
MINNESOTA (Minneapolis), In Forum, April 6, 2014
Minnesota rape shines light on assisted-living facility problems
http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/431415/
At the Edgewood Vista senior home in Hermantown, Minn., elderly residents were stunned, even incredulous, over the recent revelation that an 89-year-old fellow resident was drugged and raped in her bed last year by a young caregiver. But the rape, which prompted widespread outrage and calls for a state investigation, is just the latest incident to occur at homes operated by Edgewood Management Group, a North Dakota company that has been cited more than 50 times over the past four years for cases of abuse or neglect, the article states.
VERMONT (Franklin), Chron, April 5, 2014
Woman charged with exploiting vulnerable adult
http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Woman-charged-with-exploiting-vulnerable-adult-5378988.php
Vermont State Police say a Franklin woman is charged with financially exploiting a vulnerable adult after police say she withdrew large amounts of money from the victim's bank account without permission. She's accused of taking the bank card of a 68-year-old man whom she knew and withdrawing large portions of cash.
INTERNATIONAL (New Zealand), The New Zealand Herald, April 6, 2014
Grey Power calls for jail in neglect case
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11233005
A woman who left her mother in an appalling state of neglect should be sent to prison for a long time after committing one of the worst cases of elder abuse this country has seen, Grey Power says. Joanne Quinn, 51, was found guilty on Wednesday of failing to provide the necessaries of life to her elderly mother, who died in hospital six weeks after being found embedded on a couch in her Napier home, maggots covering the wounds on her legs.
INTERNATIONAL (United Kingdom), Seven Oaks Chronicle, April 6, 2014
Vulnerable OAP abused under care home inspectors' noses
Michael Fleming, 66, has admitted five charges of sexual activity with someone “unable to refuse due to a mental disorder” who was staying at Westbank Care Home in Borough Green. During this time, on June 26, inspectors from the Care Quality Commission embarked on a full inspection but came away satisfied that “people’s privacy, dignity and independence were respected”.
ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES
ILLINOIS (Belleville), BND, April 5, 2014
Did state know about abuse of disabled man found dead in Belleville?
http://www.bnd.com/2014/04/05/3147437/state-received-two-complaints.html?sp=/99/166/179/
State investigators twice received reports that a man was being neglected or abused before he was found dead, curled in a fetal position and weighing 60 pounds, inside a Belleville home in March. The 52-year-old man was blind, mentally and physically disabled. He lived with his brother and sister-in-law, since about 2006.
TENNESSEE (Murfreesboro), News Channel 5, April 4, 2014
State Report Confirms Group Home Neglected Disabled Man
http://www.newschannel5.com/story/25168244/state-report-confirms-group-home-neglected-man
The state of Tennessee confirmed Friday that a severely disabled man was neglected by his caregivers. The 34-year-old man was born with cerebral palsy and profound mental retardation and was supposed to be getting the round the clock care and medical attention he needed in order to survive. But according to the just finished report by state, investigators with the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities said Blake was the victim of neglect at the home run by Nashville-based Tennessee Family Solutions.
RELATED ISSUES
ARIZONA (Kingman), CBS 5 Arizona, April 7, 2014
AZ man with dementia missing for 1 week
http://www.kpho.com/story/25186121/az-man-with-dementia-missing-for-1-week
Authorities in northwest Arizona are trying to locate a 77-year-old man who hasn't been seen or heard from since March 31. The man, who suffers from dementia, was last seen leaving his home in the 1500 block of East Devlin Court in a dark green 2001 Ford Windstar van.
MASSACHUSETTS, Newswise, April 7, 2014
Community-Living Seniors with Dementia Are More Likely to Be Hospitalized Than Those Without Dementia; Little Difference Found Among Nursing Home Residents
Seniors living in the community who have dementia are more likely to be hospitalized and visit the emergency department than those who do not have dementia, according to a new study by researchers at RTI International. The research suggests that the high rate of hospitalization and emergency department use among community residents may be attributable to factors such as deficiencies in primary and other medical care available to these patients, and fewer programs designed to reduce these events among community residents with dementia.
MICHIGAN (Waltham), McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living, April 7, 2014
Theft from Michigan long-term care ombudsman jeopardizes HIPAA-protected information of 2,500 people
Thousands of people receiving long-term care in Michigan have had their personal information compromised due to a laptop and flash drive theft, the state's Department of Community Health (MDCH) has announced. The unencrypted flash drive contained personal information of more than 2,500 living and deceased individuals, and more than 1,500 records contained a Social Security or Medicaid identification number.
NEW JERSEY (Hunterdon County), New Jersey Real-Times News, April 4, 2014
Hoarders create dangerous environments, say officials, but don't see it that way
http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2014/04/hoarders_create_dangerous_envi.html
There are a few common threads among hoarders. Hunterdon Behavioral Health psychotherapist Cynthia Comparato said the disorder cuts across socioeconomic levels and is found around the world. When it comes to animal hoarders, however, about three-quarters are women, usually over the age of 60.
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Upcoming Elder Abuse Conferences/Training Events (in chronological order):
- 14th Annual International Family Justice Conference “The Root of All Crime” is April 2-4, 2014 in San Diego, CA. The conference will include training and interactive peer to peer discussions on issues related to the handling of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, elder abuse and stalking cases with special focus on law enforcement response, criminal prosecution, civil legal assistance, and advocacy. For more information click here: https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/default.aspx?EventID=1231094
· A Webinar on “Nursing Home Admissions Agreements: A Discussion of the Unfair Terms in the Agreements Presented to Elders on Entering a Nursing Home” will be held Wednesday, Apr 2, 2014 2pm EDT. This free webinar is part of a series of National Elder Rights Training Project webinars for the National Legal Resource Center. This webinar will focus on nursing home admissions agreements, identifying the terms that elders and their advocates should be most wary of and explaining the protections that some states afford against enforcement of some of these terms. Though presenters will cover a range of issues, we will focus on arbitration clauses, attempts to hold family members liable for a resident’s bills, purported waivers of a facility’s liability, and improper grounds for eviction. Register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/716487744
- The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), and various senior advocacy and criminal justice experts will be speaking on April 10, 2014, for a free, day-long, online event to learn how to spot the warning signs of elder abuse and financial fraud, and how to combat these heinous crimes. This event is available to the public, and seniors, seniors’ caregivers, law enforcement, social services, adult protective services, and people with elderly relatives are highly encouraged to attend. Those who wish to attend can register here: http://engage.vevent.com/index.jsp?eid=2155&seid=268
- 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 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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