NCEA Newsfeed 7-15-13

NCEA Newsfeed – Monday, July 15, 2013

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!

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, New York Times, July 13, 2013
Helping Older Americans Avoid Swindles
http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/13/helping-older-americans-avoid-swindles/
The financial exploitation of older Americans is of growing concern as the population ages. Anyone can be targeted for fraud, but older people are particularly vulnerable because they may be isolated or lonely, or suffer from cognitive impairments. Some frauds are particularly cruel, like those in which a caller claims the subject’s grandchild is in trouble and needs money immediately.

2.         NATIONAL, Washington Post, July 14, 2013
Stalkers use online sex ads as weapon
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/i-live-in-fear-of-anyone-coming-to-my-door/2013/07/14/26c11442-e359-11e2-aef3-339619eab080_story.html?hpid=z2
This article discusses sexual aggression that is perpetrated through the internet. A 64-year-old retired protocol officer for the Department of Defense fell victim to such an aggressor, and obtained a restraining order against him.

3.         CALIFORNIA (Altadena), Altadena Patch, July 15, 2013
Altadena Crime Blotter: Burglaries, Assault, Elder Abuse
http://altadena.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/altadena-crime-blotter-burglaries-assault-elder-abuse
Deputies arrested a 60-year-old female suspect in Altadena for physical Elder Abuse. The suspect/caregiver physically assaulted a 101 year old woman.

4.         FLORIDA (Nokomis), Herald Tribune, July 15, 2013
Nokomis man steals disabled veteran’s van, police say
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130715/ARTICLE/130719760
A Nokomis man was arrested after reportedly stealing a 65-year-old disabled veteran's van and later crashing it in a hit-and-run accident.

5.         MICHIGAN (Flint), M Live, July 15, 2013
Flint woman ordered to pay more than $20,000 after embezzling from dementia patient
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2013/07/flint_woman_ordered_to_pay_mor.html
A Flint woman was ordered to pay more than $20,000 in restitution after she pleaded guilty to embezzling money from a dementia patient. Veronica Pitts, 47, was sentenced Monday, July 15, by Genesee Circuit Judge Archie Hayman to serve five years probation and pay $20,547 in restitution. She pleaded guilty May 21 to one count of embezzling $1,000-$20,000 from a vulnerable adult after she obtained a conservatorship for a man who began showing signs of dementia around 2006.

6.         PENNSYLVANIA (Philadelphia), Washington Post, July 15, 2013
Scripps heir gets 9 years for swindling mother, disabled uncle of $3.6 million
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/scripps-heir-facing-federal-prison-term-for-swindling-mother-disabled-uncle-of-36-million/2013/07/15/31c1af10-ed62-11e2-bb32-725c8351a69e_story.html
A media company heir raised in what his lawyer called a wealthy but dysfunctional family must serve nine years in prison for stealing $3.6 million from his mother and disabled uncle. Federal prosecutors in Philadelphia said Michael Scripps spent the money on cars, jewelry and women, including strippers and porn stars.

7.         VIRGINIA (Herndon), Herndon Patch, July 12, 2013
Delegate Rust to Speak Out on Financial Exploitation of Seniors
http://herndon.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/delegate-rust-to-speak-out-on-financial-exploitation-of-seniors
Virginia Delegate Tom Rust, who represents Herndon, will hold an informative talk on financial elder abuse this coming Wednesday, July 17, at the Herndon Senior Center.

8.         VIRGINIA (Richmond), Legal Examiner, July 14, 2013
New Virginia Law Aims To Help Elderly Victims
http://www.legalexaminer.com/nursing-home-elder-abuse/new-virginia-law-aims-to-help-elderly-victims/
Every year there are more than 1,000 cases of financial exploitation of adults in the State of Virginia. A new Virginia law, which was implemented as of July 1, 2013, creates a criminal penalty for those who aim to take financial advantage of seniors. The law specifically states that it is a crime to financially exploit any mentally incapacitated adults.

9.         INTERNATIONAL (New South Wales, Australia), SBS.com, July 16, 2013
Elderly abuse claims concerning: Collins
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1789330/Elderly-abuse-claims-concerning-Collins
Minister for Ageing Jacinta Collins says injuries sustained by an elderly dementia patient in a NSW nursing home are distressing. Advocacy groups are calling the situation inside Australia aged care centres a national emergency, and warn elderly people are dying or in significant pain due to a lack of staff and training.

10.       INTERNATIONAL (Sydney, Australia), The Daily Telegraph, July 14, 2013
The Queensland Law Society is calling for tough new regulations for EPAs after many cases of financial abuse
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/the-queensland-law-society-is-calling-for-tough-new-regulations-for-epas-after-many-cases-of-financial-abuse/story-fnii5v71-1226678858666
The Queensland Law Society is calling for tough new regulations for Enduring Powers of Attorney, as at least one EPA a week is being revoked by courts and tribunals after being presented evidence of significant fraud.

11.       INTERNATIONAL (Hagåtña, Guam), Guam PDN, July 15, 2013
Respect: We must ensure that our abused elderly have the needed services, facility
http://www.guampdn.com/article/20130715/OPINION01/307150009/Respect-We-must-ensure-our-abused-elderly-needed-services-facility
Since last October, 203 senior citizens and adults with disabilities were referred to the Department of Public Health and Social Services' Bureau of Adult Protective Services because of abuse or neglect. Of those, 13 needed a temporary emergency receiving home until safe and permanent living arrangements where they could get the care they need could be arranged.

 

ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES

 1.         INTERNATIONAL (Ontario, Canada), Canada.com, July 15, 2013

Andre Marin: Let the ombudsman help Ontario’s most vulnerable
http://www.canada.com/health/Andre+Marin+ombudsman+help+Ontario+most+vulnerable/8662993/story.html
A new law in New Brunswick has left Ontario the only province with no Ombudsman scrutiny of long-term care homes. An ombudsman discusses the pros of funding an ombudsman program in the province, claiming that more eyes in facilities can help prevent and detect abuse.

RELATED ISSUES

1.         KANSAS (Wichita), KAKE, July 15, 2013
UPDATE: Missing Man From Wellington Located
http://www.kake.com/news/headlines/Search-Underway-For-Missing-Man-With-Dementia-215559561.html
A man with dementia who wandered away from a Wichita hospital was later found by police and is reportedly safe.

2.         MARYLAND (Frederick), Fox News, July 15, 2013
Report: Disabled man’s aide warned officers he’d resist bid to eject him from theater; he died
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/07/15/report-disabled-man-aide-warned-officers-hed-resist-bid-to-eject-him-from/
Police tried to forcibly remove a man with Down syndrome from a Maryland theater with tragic results, despite warnings from his caretaker that her client would "freak out" if they touched or spoke to him, according to her statement contained in an investigative file released Monday.

3.         TEXAS (Rosenberg), ABC Local, July 13, 2013
Rosenberg police find missing disabled man thanks to community support, tips
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=9171469
Armando Barrera Gutierrez, 51, disappeared around 10:30pm in the Reserve subdivision behind Brazos Town Center. According to police, he has severe mental disabilities, causing him to become disoriented, and was possibly heavily medicated. According to Rosenberg police, an early-morning outpouring of community support helped locate Gutierrez.

4.         VERMONT (Colchester), WCAX, July 15, 2013
Missing Colchester man found in ditch
http://www.wcax.com/story/22828217/missing-colchester-man-found
A missing Colchester senior citizen who had been missing for days was found alive in the woods Friday. Sixty-six year old James Marrs was found in a deep ravine behind the Claussen's Florist and Greenhouse off Main Street in Colchester. Police say Marrs had wandered off before.

 

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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):

·       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/

·       The Illinois Department on Aging’s 2013 Adult Protection and Advocacy Conference will be held on August 1-2, 2013, at the Chicago Oak Brook Hills Marriott Resort. On July 31st, Illinois’ 2nd Annual Financial Summit will be held in conjunction with the conference. For more information, and to register, go to http://cspl.uis.edu/ILLAPS/DOA/conferences/APAconf.html

·       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 33rd Annual Mental Health & Aging Conference, “Innovative Perspectives on Mental Health & Aging,” will be held on October 8, 2013 at The Double Tree in Sacramento, California.  For more information visit www.sacmhac.net.

·       The 20th Annual New York State Adult Abuse Training Institute will be held on October 9-10, 2013 at the Albany Marriott Hotel in Albany, New York. Further details to follow.   

·       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. Register here: http://www.cdaa.org/training/seminar-conference-registration?regevent_action=register&event_id=154

·       The 3rd World Congress on Adult Guardianship will be convened on May 28-May 30, 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  

 

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

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