NCEA Newsfeed – Wednesday, July 23, 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
CALIFORNIA (San Diego), San Diego Source, July 18, 2014
Impostor scams, elder fraud on the rise in San Diego
The Senate Special Committee on Aging last week conducted its seventh hearing on financial fraud. An estimated $2.9 billion a year is lost to these crimes -- most victims are 80 to 90 years old, live alone and require some level of help with health care or home maintenance.
CALIFORNIA (San Francisco), The Examiner, July 18, 2014
Police make arrest in Chinatown robberies that targeted the elderly
A man was arrested Sunday, the day after an 83-year-old woman was robbed in her own residence in a similar fashion to incidents that date back to April. The suspect was believed to be targeting elderly Asian victims in multiple robberies and burglaries in Chinatown and Japantown.
CONNECTICUT (Fairfield), Fairfield-Sun.com, July 19, 2014
Forum focused on preventing fraud and abuse
http://www.fairfield-sun.com/24249/forum-focused-on-preventing-fraud-and-abuse/
State Representatives Hwang and Kupchick hosted a collaborative informational forum in June to educate Fairfield seniors on senior fraud and abuse prevention.
FLORIDA (Daytona Beach), ajc.com, July 18, 2014
Police: Nursing home blocks investigation into possible sexual assault against patient (Video and Article)
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/police-daytona-beach-nursing-home-blocks-investiga/ngjN9/
The Daytona Beach Police Chief said he is furious over recent actions by the facility that have blocked an investigation into the possible sex assault case of a 75-year old woman with dementia who contracted an STD.
FLORIDA (Pensacola), Pensacola News Journal, July 17, 2014
Two employees charged with neglect, abuse
http://www.pnj.com/story/news/crime/2014/07/17/assisted-living-abuse-charges/12808747/
Two Escambia County assisted living facility employees have been arrested and charged with abuse and neglect, according to a news release.
GEORGIA (Conyers), Rockdale Citizen, July 22, 2014
Conyers man charged in neglect of elderly mother
http://www.rockdalecitizen.com/news/2014/jul/22/conyers-man-charged-in-neglect-of-elderly-mother/
Adult Protective Services reported to the Rockdale County Sheriff’s office that a 70-year old woman with dementia was found living in unsanitary conditions and had not been taken to the hospital by her son in more than a year.
ILLINOIS (Alton), The Telegraph, July 17, 2014
Our view: Elder abuse
http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/editorial-home_top-opinion/31222978/Our-view:-Elder-abuse
About 40 percent of the U.S. population today is 65 and older. Some estimates say as many as 5 % of senior citizens are victimized each year. In Illinois, that would be 100,000 people, 70% being women.
ILLINOIS (Chicago), Southtown Star, July 20, 2014
Laurie Samuels: Don’t let retirement make you vulnerable to senior scams
According to the FBI, scam artists target seniors because they are likely to have greater financial resources and accessibility to benefits, own their homes, and/or have excellent credit.
KENTUCKY (Junction City), WKYT, July 18, 2014
Grandson charged after meth lab found in grandmother's Boyle County home (Video and Article)
Police found a meth lab in the home of an 81-year-old woman and arrested her grandson who they say was cooking the drug. A home health worker, worried about the condition of the elderly woman, called adult protective services to do a welfare check.
KENTUCKY (Richmond), KYForward.com, July 18, 2014
Small organization makes ‘big impact’: Group receives award for elder abuse prevention
A Richmond community group, the County Council for Elder Maltreatment Prevention, raised more than $5,000 for awareness activities, fed more than 100 seniors, promoted elder abuse prevention with a local billboard, and provided holiday cheer to senior citizen centers and homebound seniors.
NEW JERSEY (Trenton), nj.com, July 22, 2014
Opinion: Recognize, prevent and report elder abuse
http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/07/opinion_recognize_prevent_and_report_elder_abuse.html
According to a 2012 report by the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities, 4,490 incidents of abuse have been reported in New Jersey, compared to the more than 16,500 incidents on average recorded in other states. Be aware of the warning signs of abuse.
PENNSYLVANIA (Johnstown), The Tribune-Democrat, July 21, 2014
Congress may remove safeguards protecting seniors from fraud (Editorial)
Congress is about to vote on terminating a successful Department of Justice (DOJ) task force known as Operation Choke Point that protects our seniors from comparable financial fraud conducted on a national scale by a number of banks complicit with fraudsters.
RHODE ISLAND (East Greenwich), East Greenwich Patch, July 17, 2014
Mastronardi to Serve 30 Months Home Confinement for Embezzling from Elderly Woman
A former lawyer who stole nearly $130,000 from an 80-year-old elderly woman she had power of attorney and guardianship over will pay full restitution and serve time after pleading no contest to charges.
TENNESSEE (Memphis), KPLCtv.COM, July 18, 2014
Police: Woman dies after her children ignored rotting legs (Update to previous story – Video and Article)
http://www.kplctv.com/story/26038481/daughter-ignores-mother
Memphis police say a brother and sister knowingly neglected their own 77-year-old mother, who later died from the severe neglect she experienced. Both children are charged with willful physical abuse or gross negligence.
TEXAS (San Antonio), mySA, July 20, 2014
Scammers use fear to target grandparents
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Scammers-use-fear-to-target-grandparents-5634575.php
Phone scams involving a person claiming to be a grandchild in trouble and needing money wired aren't uncommon. It's also not uncommon for them to work.
INTERNATIONAL NEWSFEED
CANADA (Toronto), CNW Newswire, July 18, 2014
Harper government invests in project to raise awareness about elder abuse in Toronto
The Bernard Betel Centre will organize town hall meetings to promote the social inclusion of seniors through art projects that will focus on elder abuse awareness.
IRELAND (Galway), The Irish Times, July 17, 2014
Whistleblowers suspended after raising concerns about nursing home
Two whistleblowers employed at a nursing home have been suspended after raising concerns over the treatment of residents, despite the passage of new whistle-blowing legislation aimed at protecting employees who make complaints in the public interest.
INDIA (New Delhi), The Indian Express, July 22, 2014
Only 29.2% elderly have control over finances: Agewell Foundation
Results from an Agewell Foundation survey of 8000 elderly Indians report that 1606 respondents could not manage their money matters mostly because their family members/relatives don’t let them control their money. Every third elderly person suffers from some sort of misbehaviour or mistreatment at others’ hands in Delhi & NCR.
UNITED KINGDOM (London), The Telegraph, July 22, 2014
Collapse in number of people barred from working with elderly
Thousands of criminals a year are being left free to work as carers for elderly and disabled people after the Coalition relaxed rules on safeguarding, new figures suggest.
UNITED KINGDOM (Manchester), Manchester Evening News, July 21, 2014
Care worker arrested as probe launched into allegations of patient abuse at nursing home
A care worker was arrested on suspicion of common assault and has been suspended from his role at the Manorhey Care Centre in Urmston, Trafford due to allegations that he slapped a 65-year-old male resident.
ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES
MASSACHUSETTS (Canton), The Washington Post, July 22, 2014
It’s illegal to torture prisoners and animals, but not disabled people
The president of the Washington Metro Disabled Students Collective advocates against the use of shock treatment and other inhumane techniques on persons with developmental disabilities that have behavioral or violent tendencies. The Rotenberg Educational Center, in Canton, Mass., has been using such treatments since 1990.
INTERNATIONAL
UNITED KINGDOM (Balby), The Star, July 22, 2014
Apologies over delay in justice for disabled abuse victims
Complaints of abuse were first made in 2007 about abuse at The Solar Centre, but it was not until last year that two members of staff at the unit in Balby were jailed.
RELATED ISSUES
FLORIDA (Tampa), Tampa Bay Times, July 17, 2014
Man with dementia reported missing in Tampa
http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/man-with-dementia-reported-missing-in-tampa/2188998
Police are looking for a 73-year-old man with dementia and Alzheimer's who went missing from his family's home on Dixon Avenue Thursday afternoon.
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Upcoming Elder Abuse Conferences/Training Events (in chronological order):
• The National Center for Victims of Crime and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation invites you to attend Taking Action: Assisting Victims of Financial Fraud on August 6, 2014 in Birmingham, Alabama. Taking Action: Assisting Victims of Financial Fraud will explore accessible, vital step-by-step strategies for addressing the major types of financial crime, including identity theft, investment fraud, mortgage and lending fraud, and mass marketing scams. The seminar runs from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM at: First Presbyterian Church, 2100 4th Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203. REGISTER at www.victimsofcrime.org/training or here: https://victimsofcrime.nonprofitcms.org/c/conferences/20/pages/home
• The Illinois Department on Aging’s Annual Adult Protection and Advocacy Conference will be held on August 21 – 22, 2014 at Oak Brook Hills Resort in Oak Brook, Illinois. The conference will begin with Illinois’ 3rd Annual Financial Summit on August 20th. For more information and to register, please visit: http://cspl.uis.edu/illaps/doa/conferences/APA2014conf_000.html We hope to see you at the Adult Protection and Advocacy Conference.
• The 4th International Conference on Violence in the Health Sector will be held in Miami, Florida from October 22-24, 2014. 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, 2014. 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 15-18, 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 .
• Aging in America Conference, March 23-27, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois, is now accepting applications from previous exhibitors to exhibit at the conference. Other exhibitors will be notified in June. For more information on exhibiting, please contact Linda Jones at 415-974-9638. For more information on the conference, visit the Aging in America website at www.asaging.org/aia .
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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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