NCEA Newsfeed – Friday, June 20, 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.
ELDER ABUSE NEWSFEED
NATIONAL
ARKANSAS (Magnolia), MagnoliaReporter.com, June 18, 2014
Lawsuit claims daughter-in-law used fraud to obtain woman's house and land
A Magnolia woman is suing her daughter-in-law, claiming that fraud and undue influence was used to obtain her house and property. The lawsuit says that the victim finally gave into the “repeated requests, pressure, threats and promises given by the daughter-in-law” and executed the deed.
CALIFORNIA (San Diego), Gwinnett Daily Post, June 18, 2014
Car crash leads cops to Suwanee man accused of bilking elderly
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2014/jun/18/car-crash-leads-cops-to-suwanee-man-accused-of/
A run-of-the-mill traffic accident led local police to a man wanted for allegedly bilking an elderly Californian out of thousands of dollars. The accused managed to persuade an elderly victim to part with over $40,000 which was received by way of a bank transfer into his account in South Carolina.
FLORIDA (West Palm Beach), The Palm Beach Post, June 18, 2014
Commentary: Abuse, neglect and exploitation in vulnerable communities
Far too often, we learn about situations in which vulnerable and older adults are abused, neglected or exploited. While physical abuse is often more visible, other kinds of abuse — such as neglect and exploitation — can be more difficult to identify and address. Recent data suggest that at least 10 percent (or 5 million) of older Americans experience abuse each year, and many of them experience it in multiple forms.
GEORGIA (Albany), Albany Herald, June 18, 2014
Albany police hosts training for elderly protection
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2014/jun/18/albany-police-hosts-training-for-elderly/
The Georgia Department of Human Services launched a special training program Wednesday with the purpose of protecting elderly and disabled adults from crime. The training, presented by the Division of Aging Services, Forensic Unit of DHS, was designed to equip primary and secondary responders with the knowledge and skills to address the needs of at-risk victims or potential victims as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
GEORGIA (Morven), Fox31 News, June 19, 2014
Search warrant served at Morven personal care home
http://www.mysouthwestga.com/news/story.aspx?list=196423&id=1059900#.U6NGNvldXUI
The investigation began at Uplift Personal Care Home as a result of neglect that clients were not adequately being fed, as well as issues of physical abuse and financial exploitation. During the search, 10 residents of the care home were relocated to other facilities by adult protective services. Six people were arrested and face abuse, neglect and assault charges.
LOUISIANA (Leesville), Leesville Daily Leader, June 18, 2014
The Voices in My Head: Protect seniors against financial fraud
http://www.leesvilledailyleader.com/article/20140618/News/140619650#ixzz357rtiKwk
A 2011 study on elder financial abuse by MetLife found that “20 percent of Americans 65 and older have reported being taken advantage of financially in terms of inappropriate investments, unreasonable high fees for financial services and outright fraud.” Elder investors are targeted more often than other populations for a variety of reasons including concentrated wealth and the fact that they are less likely to report the fraud for fear they will be deemed mentally impaired.
NEW HAMPSHIRE (Concord), Concord Monitor, June 18, 2014
Hassan expected to sign bill that criminalizes elder financial abuse
Gov. Maggie Hassan is expected to sign legislation this morning that would criminalize financial abuse of elderly, disabled or otherwise impaired adults, a move meant to curb what proponents view as one of the fastest growing and least reported injustices in the state. Fraud is prohibited under state law, but not in all contexts involving older adults.
NEW YORK (Rome), Rome Sentinel, June 19, 2014
Lawmakers tout bill to help ensure seniors’ safety
Legislation that would strengthen the safety net for vulnerable citizens and help provide more protection against elder abuse and other crimes has been sponsored by the State senate and assembly. The bill would improve the delivery of services that are available to state residents aged 62 and older who require adult protective services.
NORTH CAROLINA (Triad), hpe.com, June 18, 2014
Event to shed light on abuse of elderly
http://www.hpe.com/news/x1625940496/Event-to-shed-light-on-abuse-of-elderly
Oftentimes, elderly people who are victims of abuse will not report it. “Elder abuse exists in every community in the United States”, said Jennifer Harriss, a regional long-term care ombudsman at Area Agency on Aging. Most seniors do not tell anybody if they have been abused, neglected or exploited because they are embarrassed.
OHIO (Lake County), The Morning Journal News, June 17, 2014
Northeast Ohio counties deal with challenge of elderly abuse and neglect
The number of residents in Ohio who are age 60 and older is growing, and with it, so are reports of elder abuse and neglect. According to Policy Matters Ohio, more than 15,000 incidents of elder abuse are reported each year, yet it is estimated the number is much larger than that, ranging from 75,000 to 214,000.
PENNSYLVANIA (Harrisburg), gantdaily.com, June 18, 2014
Department of Aging Urges Pennsylvanians to Be Aware of Elder Abuse
http://gantdaily.com/2014/06/18/department-of-aging-urges-pennsylvanians-to-be-aware-of-elder-abuse/
Secretary of Aging Brian Duke has urged Pennsylvanians to watch for the signs of elder abuse, and reminded them that they could confidentially report any suspicions of elder abuse using a statewide hotline. To raise awareness of this vital issue, Gov. Tom Corbett has proclaimed June as Elder Abuse Awareness Month in Pennsylvania.
TENNESSEE (Sullivan County), Times News, June 18, 2014
Elder abuse suspect arrives at court in dead grandmother's stolen car
A Sullivan County woman facing charges of elder abuse against her grandmother — who was hospitalized and later died — has been arrested again after reportedly arriving to court in the victim's stolen car. The suspect was charged with possession of stolen property in the Tuesday incident.
TEXAS (Dallas), Dallas News, June 19, 2014
Consumer protection agency releases guide to protect senior care residents from financial exploitation
It takes a joint effort by everyone to protect seniors from financial abuse. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a guide today to help assisted living and nursing facility staff better protect the people in their care by preventing and addressing financial abuse and scams.
WASHINGTON (Battle Ground), The Columbian, June 18, 2014
Lawsuit: State enabled ex-con to steal from B.G. woman, 81
http://www.columbian.com/news/2014/jun/18/lawsuit-state-enabled-ex-con-to-steal-from-bg-woma/
The guardian of a Battle Ground woman has sued the state for nearly $500,000, claiming that an Adult Protective Services caseworker enabled an ex-convict to financially exploit the woman. Over the course of several months, the suspect allegedly stole more than $117,000 from the 81-year-old woman, the lawsuit states.
INTERNATIONAL
CANADA (Toronto), thestar.com, June 19, 2014
Breaking the cycle of elder abuse: Goar
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/06/19/breaking_the_cycle_of_elder_abuse_goar.html
A doctor or nurse who sees an older person abuse symptoms — extensive bruising, weight loss, a tendency to cower from the touch — doesn’t have to do anything. It is usually because the evidence is inconclusive. Seniors can be fall-prone, some have difficulty swallowing or digesting food, and some have cognitive problems. To get this emotionally fraught issue out of the shadows, the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario has released a set of “best practices” to guide its members and other health professionals in preventing and dealing with elder abuse.
NEW ZEALAND (Gisborne), The Gisborne Herald, June 18, 2014
Financial betrayal just one focus for elder abuse awareness week
http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/opinion/editorial/?id=37445
The risks faced by older citizens will bring some attention this week to an ugly side of New Zealand society — the abuse of older people. All too often there are older people, with no relatives or close friends, who are especially vulnerable because of loneliness.
ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES
NATIONAL
NEBRASKA (Lincoln), JournalStar.com, June 19, 2014
Abuse nets Lincoln man 4-5 years' prison time
Nightmares still haunt the 25-year-old mentally disabled woman abused by the 53-year-old suspect last August, a Lancaster County prosecutor said at the sentencing Thursday. The abuser was sentenced to four to five years in prison for abuse of a vulnerable adult and faces first-degree sexual assault charges
TENNESSEE (Nashville), News2 WKRN-TV Nashville, June 17, 2014
Nashville caretaker indicted for abuse of disabled woman
http://www.wkrn.com/story/25800062/nashville-caretaker-indicted-for-abuse-of-disabled-woman
An Antioch woman has been indicted for abusing an impaired adult she cared for. The victim, 47, suffers from a developmental disability and suffered minor injuries and bruises during an incident in April.
INTERNATIONAL
CANADA (Toronto), TheRecord.com, June 17, 2014
Class actions launched against Ontario over 16 facilities for developmentally disabled
A Toronto law firm says class action claims alleging abuse have been launched on behalf of former residents of 16 provincially-operated institutions for people with developmental disabilities.
RELATED ISSUES
NATIONAL
NEW JERSEY (Jefferson), NJ.com, June 18, 2014
Woman with dementia stole vehicle, caused 3-car crash in Jefferson, cops say
A three-car crash on Route 15 Tuesday night was caused by a 78-year-old woman with dementia who stole a vehicle from an assisted living facility in Passaic County, police said. The woman had been reported missing that night.
GEORGIA (Atlanta), myFoxAtlanta.com, June 18, 2014
Mattie's Call issued for woman with dementia
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/25808799/matties-call-issued-for-woman-with-dementia
A 79-year-old woman with mild dementia has been reported missing and was last seen in the area around 17th Street in Atlantic Station. She was wearing a lime green T-shirt, black jacket and black pants.
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Upcoming Elder Abuse Conferences/Training Events (in chronological order):
• The 4th International Conference on Violence in the Health Sector will be held in Miami, Florida from October 22-24. Some of the aims of this conference are to understand the evolving manifestations and the human, professional and economic implications of violence in the health and social services sector, as well as to present, promote and exchange effective sustainable initiatives and strategies addressing personal safety, organizational and environmental security, and wellbeing for all workers and clients in the health and social services sector. To register or find more information go here: http://www.oudconsultancy.nl/MiamiSite2014/violence/invitation-fourt.html
• The National Adult Protective Services conference will take place in Portland, OR from October 29-31. The NAPSA conference is the only national conference focused on elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation. For more information go to: http://www.napsa-now.org/about-napsa/annual-conference/
• 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.
• The National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence (held by Futures Without Violence) will be March 19-21, 2015 in Washington, DC. They are accepting abstracts for presentations through June 27, 2014. They have accepted proposals related to elder abuse in prior years. For more information, see: www.futureswithoutviolence.org/nchdv
• The Aging in America Conference, the most comprehensive multidisciplinary conference on aging attended by professionals in the field of aging and allied fields from across the nation, will take place March 23-27, 2015 in Chicago, IL. The call for proposals for the 2015 conference is open from May 15 through June 30, 2014. For more information on the conference, visit: www.asaging.org/aia.
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Funding Opportunities:
• The Administration for Community Living has issued two requests for proposals for two elder abuse-related grants. Please click on the links below to learn more:
HHS-2014-ACL-AOA-AB-0069 National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) Due 7/1/14 – more information at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=254210
• The Hartford Silberman Center of Excellence in Aging and Diversity at Hunter College (the “Center”) announces the opportunity to apply for funding for one-year pilot research projects to begin in the fall 2014. The Center will provide funding of up to $15,000 to support community-based research that advances psychosocial knowledge in aging and enhances direct and indirect practice with older adults and their families. Center faculty will provide grantees with research mentorship and technical assistance. The program is designed to support emerging gerontological scholars in conducting community-engaged, interdisciplinary research that benefits diverse, under-represented older adults and their families.
- All proposals are due by midnight Monday, June 23, 2014 via email to Rebekah Glushefski at rglushef@hunter.cuny.edu.
- Please contact Rebekah Glushefski, rglushef@hunter.cuny.edu, Program Manager or Daniel Gardner, dgardn@hunter.cuny.edu, Director of the Center Research Core if you have any additional questions.
• Applications for the Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation, administered by the Drucker Institute at Claremont Graduate University, with support from the Coca-Cola Foundation. The $100,000 prize will honor a nonprofit organization that best demonstrates Mr. Drucker’s definition of innovation: “Change that creates a new dimension of performance.”
- Applications due July 1, 2014.
- Additional information is available at http://www.druckerinstitute.com/project/nonprofit-innovation-award/ or 909-607-9212.
• Ribbons of Hope-Invest in Women will award a $100,000 grant to a nonprofit organization that promotes education, health, economic independence, social well-being, or human rights for woman or girls.
- Applications due July 1, 2014.
- Contact grants@ribbonsofhope.net or find out more information at http://www.ribbonsofhope.net/grants/ .
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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