NCEA Newsfeed – Thursday, May 23, 2013 – 23 days until World
Elder Abuse Awareness 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 and follow us on Twitter!
Is your state represented on the national WEAAD map? http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/Get_Involved/Awareness/WEAAD/TakeAStand.aspx
Enter any state to see the map of the U.S. Add your
event at http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/Get_Involved/Awareness/WEAAD/WEAADform.aspx
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
1. NATIONAL,
Hometown Source, May 23, 2013
Klobuchar, Cornyn introduce bipartisan legislation to protect seniors from
neglect and abuse by guardians
http://hometownsource.com/2013/05/23/klobuchar-cornyn-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-seniors-from-neglect-and-abuse-by-guardians/
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX) this week introduced
bipartisan legislation to help protect seniors from neglect and financial
exploitation. The Court-Appointed Guardian Accountability and Senior Protection
Act would help crack down on elder abuse by strengthening oversight and
accountability for guardians and conservators. The bill is similar to
legislation the senators introduced last year.
2. ALABAMA
(Montgomery), WTVY, May 21, 2013
AG Luther Strange Applauds The Protecting Alabama’s Elders Act.
http://www.wtvy.com/news/headlines/AG-Luther-Strange-applauds--The-Protecting-Alabamas-Elders-Act-208421771.html
Attorney General Luther Strange applauded final legislative passage of the
Protecting Alabama’s Elders Act. The bill extends and strengthens legal
protections from financial exploitation and physical or emotional abuse for all
people aged 60 and older.
3. ALABAMA
(Montgomery), San Francisco Gate, May 21, 2013
Alabama Legislature targets elder abuse
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Alabama-Legislature-targets-elder-abuse-4533470.php
The Alabama Legislature is making it easier to prosecute people who abuse,
neglect or financially exploit senior citizens. The House and Senate passed
different versions of the bill earlier in the Senate and then agreed on the
same version on Monday night shortly before the 2013 legislative session ended.
4. ARIZONA (Navajo
County), WMI Central, May 21, 2013
Elder Abuse Seminar scheduled for June 6
http://www.wmicentral.com/community_beat/briefs/elder-abuse-seminar-scheduled-for-june/article_469c4858-c190-11e2-b13f-001a4bcf887a.html
Navajo County Sheriff K.C. Clark and Navajo County Attorney Brad Carlyon are
sponsoring the Elder Abuse Seminar from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, June 6, at
the Winslow Chamber of Commerce, 523 W. Second St. in Winslow. There will be
speakers, booths and refreshments.
5. ARKANSAS
(Fayetteville), NWA Homepage, May 21, 2013
Springdale Woman Accused of Stealing Mother’s Health Funds
http://nwahomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=431222
A Springdale woman stands accused of stealing thousands of dollars from her mother's
healthcare funds. Fayetteville Police say they began investigating the suspect
in February after an Adult Protective Services investigator received a
complaint from a local nursing home that Crumpton may have been stealing money
from an account the mother set up exclusively to pay for her care.
6. CALIFORNIA (El
Cajon), 10News, May 21, 2013
Hearing set for woman accused of attempted murder, arson and elder abuse
http://www.10news.com/news/hearing-set-for-woman-accused-of-attempted-murder-arson-and-elder-abuse-05212013
A preliminary hearing is scheduled Tuesday for a woman accused of trying to
kill her 74-year-old mother by pushing her back into their burning Lakeside
home after setting fire to the residence on New Year's Day. The suspect is
charged with attempted murder, arson, elder abuse, dissuading a witness and
other counts. She's in custody on $1.5 million bail.
7. CALIFORNIA
(Truckee), KTVN, May 23, 2013
Man Arrested on Elder Abuse, Fraud Charges
http://www.ktvn.com/story/22407971/man-arrested-on-elder-abuse-fraud-charges
Truckee Police have arrested a 48-year-old man on multiple counts of check
fraud, forgery, theft, burglary and financial elder abuse charges. Officers say
they learned of the alleged crimes from family members, who say he had been
stealing money and other items from his family members for several months.
8. FLORIDA (Boca
Raton), Sun-Sentinel, May 23, 2013
Elder fraud: Seniors who are depressed, feeling isolated most at risk
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/health/fl-senior-fraud-profile-20130523,0,3396476.story
Gerontologists at a Detroit university have created, for the first time, a
potential victim profile that could alert professionals and families early on
to which seniors are most psychologically vulnerable to fraud. And a bipartisan
bill filed last week by U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, would create a
federal advisory office dedicated to protecting elders from fraud and ensuring
victims' complaints are handled efficiently and quickly.
9. GEORGIA
(Atlanta), The Republic, May 21, 2013
Atlanta bank employee accused of theft, financial exploitation of an elderly
person
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/d2f990c3c9a94076b39421450d602285/GA--Personal-Banker-Theft
Police say Wells Fargo personal banker is accused of stealing about $10,600
from an elderly customer's account. Atlanta police say the suspect befriended a
90-year-old bank customer and asked her to sign what she thought was a transfer
slip from her checking to savings account, but the form was actually a
withdrawal slip.
10. MICHIGAN (Lansing), Daily
Press, May 22, 2013
Elder abuse law gets some teeth
http://www.dailypress.net/page/content.detail/id/319390/Elder-abuse-law-gets-some-teeth.html?isap=1&nav=5046
Judges in Michigan can impose tougher sentences on criminals who embezzle money
from senior citizens and the mentally ill under a new state law. Gov. Rick
Snyder on Tuesday signed the Vulnerable Adult Embezzlement Statute which allows
consecutive sentences for multiple offense convictions.
11. OHIO (Chillicothe),
Chillicothew News, May 23, 2013
Man arrested for financial exploitation
http://www.chillicothenews.com/article/20130523/NEWS/130529408?refresh=true
Chillicothe Police arrested a 29-year-old man for alleged stealing, financial
exploitation of the elderly and impersonating a law enforcement officer. The
suspect allegedly persuaded the victim to give him at least $1,400.
12. SOUTH CAROLINA (York),
Herald Online, May 22, 2013
Police: Smyrna woman took elderly victim for more than $8,000
http://www.heraldonline.com/2013/05/22/4884229/police-smyrna-woman-took-elderly.html
A Smyrna woman is in jail facing more than 40 forgery and financial card theft
charges after police say she made fraudulent credit card transactions and stole
checks from an elderly woman she took care of for at least six months. The
victim, who is in her late 80s, first reported the forgery after discovering
that stole three of her checks had been stolen and her name had been forged,
funneling about $1,600 from her bank account, said York Police Detective Mike
Clark.
13. VERMONT (Montpelier),
Vermont Digger, May 22, 2013
Shumlin expected to sign watered-down abuse bill
http://vtdigger.org/2013/05/22/shumlin-expected-to-sign-watered-down-elder-abuse-bill/
Gov. Peter Shumlin vetoed one bill last year. It was an innocuous-sounding
piece of legislation that would have required the Agency of Human Services
(AHS) to send monthly updates to the Legislature on how it screens and responds
to reports of elder abuse. Lawmakers gave it another go this session — both the
House and Senate passed a similar bill — and this time around, Shumlin is
unlikely to strike it down. That’s because lawmakers stripped a number of the
more onerous reporting requirements in order to secure the administration’s
support.
14. INTERNATIONAL
(Peterborough, Canada), My Kawartha, May 21, 2013
Son of woman in alleged elder abuse video urges action
http://www.mykawartha.com/news/article/1620058--son-of-woman-in-alleged-elder-abuse-video-urges-action
A man who placed a hidden camera in his elderly mother’s room at a nursing home
managed to capture alleged elder abuse, and demands action be taken to protect
his mother and other vulnerable adults.
15. INTERNATIONAL
(Peterborough, Canada), NY Daily News, May 21, 2013
VIDEO: 4 nursing home workers caught on camera abusing elderly patient in
Canada
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/video-nursing-home-staff-abused-elderly-patient-article-1.1350070
A hidden camera captured four nursing home workers allegedly abusing an elderly
patient. Four employees, who have not yet been named, have been suspended with
pay while an internal investigation is underway.
16. INTERNATIONAL (Napier, New
Zealand), Stuff.co.nz, May 23, 2013
Elderly woman ‘abandoned’ on couch
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/8709351/Elderly-woman-abandoned-on-couch
An elderly woman is alleged to have been left on a couch for at least three
years, in one of the worst cases of elder abuse police have seen. Her daughter
has been charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life. The
50-year-old accused had been the sole caregiver for her mother for about five
years. Ambulance crews found the 80-year-old woman on a couch tied to footstool
when they were called to a Napier house in December 2011.
17. INTERNATIONAL (Wairapa,
New Zealand), Wairapa Times-Age, May 24, 2013
Spotlight on abuse of aged
http://www.times-age.co.nz/news/spotlight-on-abuse-of-aged/1880856/
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is now just over three weeks away and local
prevention co-ordinator Lorraine Katterns has confirmed there are major plans
in place in Wairarapa. Mrs Katterns said that, fortunately, unlike in some
other developed countries, residential care homes were not the crux of the
problem in New Zealand. However, she said psychological, emotional, verbal and
financial abuse by families towards an elderly relative in the home was all too
frequent.
ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES
1. MICHIGAN
(Flint), MLive, May 21, 2013
State Sen. Jim Ananich’s bill to strengthen laws on vulnerable adult abuse
approved by Senate
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2013/05/state_sen_jim_ananichs_bill_to.html
A bill aimed to better protect vulnerable adults was unanimously approved by
the state Senate Tuesday. State Sen. Jim Ananich, former state representative,
introduced the bill Feb. 5 that would make a one-word change in the state penal
code that experts say could allow prosecutors to obtain convictions easier.
RELATED ISSUES
1.
INTERNATIONAL (Sydney,
Australia), ABC, May 22, 2013
Slow progress to tackle legal barriers facing disabled
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-22/sa-tackling-legal-barriers-facing-disabled/4705164
For years, disabled people have complained of discrimination they face because
of court processes. Almost two years after the SA Government was told to
address the issue, it has released a discussion paper and started consulting
the disability sector.
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Funding Opportunities:
- 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
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Upcoming Elder Abuse Conferences/Training Events (in chronological order):
· Registration
is now open for the free webinar, “Improving Care by Strengthening the
Workforce: Why Immigration Reform Is Important to Home Care Consumers,”
which will take place on May 23, 2013. The webinar is hosted by The
National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care.
For more information: https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/new?cid=ltdf3j9ufygs
· 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 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 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://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