NCEA Newsfeed – Tuesday, September 24, 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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ALASKA (Anchorage), 11 KTVA, September 24, 2013
Two men plead guilty to fraud
http://www.ktva.com/home/outbound-xml-feeds/Two-men-plead-guilty-to-fraud-225027322.html
A federal indictment said Ben-Israel befriended a daughter and mother in 2006, and they both became patients of Meridian Psychiatric Consulting in Group in Anchorage. Ben-Israel introduced the women to Philip Myers, worked as their caretaker, and eventually convinced them to get control of the trust fund that was meant to take care of the elderly mother. Last week, Ben-Israel and Myers pleaded guilty to federal charges of mail fraud and criminal forfeiture.
ALASKA (Anchorage), Los Angeles Times, September 23, 2013
Two plead guilty to stealing $2 million from elderly woman’s estate
A disbarred California attorney and a registered nurse pleaded guilty to federal charges that they befriended an aging woman to swindle more than $2 million from her estate, authorities said Monday. The 61-year-old and 53-year-old face maximum sentences of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for mail and wire fraud allegations, according to documents filed in the federal court's District of Alaska. Ben-Israel was also accused of filing a false tax return.
ARIZONA (Tucson), Tucson News Now, September 23, 2013
Police reports in elderly couple murder reveal different accounts by suspects
New details revealed about the gruesome murder of an elderly Tucson couple Erskin and Mary Fulgham were killed two months ago in their midtown home. One of their grandson’s along with his two friends are charged with the murders. On Monday, they appeared in court. Reports reveal the trio spent about 20 minutes at the home taking $150 from the grandmother's pocket and dumped the knives on their way to Wyoming in the Fulgham's car.
ARIZONA (Tucson), News 4 Tucson, September 24, 2013
Suspects in Fulgham murders accuse each other
http://www.kvoa.com/news/suspects-in-fulgham-murders-accuse-each-other/
The three suspects, one being the victims grandson, have all been charged with first degree murder in the deaths of the elderly couple. The Fulgham's bodies were found in July inside their home near Grant and Swan. The suspects were arrested in Nevada with the couple's stolen car. According to the case summary report obtained by News 4 Tucson, when asked about the murders each accused the other of carrying out the murders.
FLORIDA (Fort Myers), Lawyers and Settlements, September 23, 2013
Swindled seniors: former California judge to be sentenced, Florida lawsuit continues
A 79-year-old woman living in North Fort Myers, Florida was allegedly persuaded to take out a loan valued at $1.1 million in order to satisfy premiums. The widow suffered from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and her son carries on with a Financial Elder Abuse lawsuit on behalf of his now-deceased mother.
GEORGIA (Albany), News-Times, September 24, 2013
Mother, daughter sentenced for elderly woman’s death
http://newstimes.augusta.com/news/2013-09-24/mother-daughter-sentenced-for-elderly-womans-death
Deborah Yvonne Hill, 50, and Brittany Michelle Hurst, 21, were charged with murder and cruelty to a person over 65 in the death of 85-year-old Blanche Aline Carpenter in August 2011. Hill also faced charges of cruelty to children and failing to educate her children.
GEORGIA (Troy), WNYT, September 20, 2013
Albany nurse accused of elder abuse
http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S3167004.shtml?cat=300
A nurse is accused of breaking a patient’s wrist and striking her in the face. The Attorney General’s office also says she slapped the woman in the face with urine soaked underwear.
IDAHO (Whitney), KBOI2, September 24, 2013
Idaho woman admits abusing grandmother
http://www.kboi2.com/news/local/Idaho-woman-admits-abusing-grandmother-225032892.html
A 30-year-old Idaho Falls woman has been given a 90-day suspended jail sentence for taking money from her grandmother and depriving her of medication, food and other necessities.
ILLINOIS (Harrisburg), The Southern, September 23, 2013
Harrisburg woman charged with financial exploitation
A paid caregiver of a 70-year-old woman took more than $25,000 from her and used her credit cards for unauthorized purchases in May, the Saline County State’s Attorney office alleges in charges filed last week.
MARYLAND (Hampstead & Manchester), The Advocate, September 24, 2013
Elder fraud hits home for Hampstead family: part two
An 83-year-old retired minister, had been sending money to scam artists in Jamaica for at least a year before his son and the son’s wife were able to figure out what was going on. According to information provided by Frank Dorman, a spokesman for the Federal Trade Commission, which tracks these types of scams, more than 6,000 persons ages 50 or older reported being defrauded by Jamaican scammers between January and September of 2012 alone, with more than $14 million lost.
MICHIGAN (West Bloomfield), Farmington Hills Patch, September 23, 2013
Elder abuse movie panel features Farmington gerontologist
Farmington resident Dr. Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, will discuss protecting elders against abuse during a Sept. 30 panel discussion in West Bloomfield. Initial studies confirm that Lichtenberg's Financial Decision-Making Rating Scale helps determine older adults’ vulnerability to fraud and ability to manage their money.
MINNESOTA (Park Rapids), The Bemidiji Pioneer, September 21, 2013 (Opinion)
Financially vulnerable adults: Hubbard County authorities see more cases of exploitation
With the rise of elder abuse cases that are challenging to pursue, Social Services Director Daryl Bessler is looking at a reorganization of his department just to handle specific elderly or vulnerable adult cases. The department has always had child protection workers, Bessler said, but adult cases have risen significantly, and most of their expenses aren’t reimbursable.
SOUTH CAROLINA (North Charleston), WBTW News 13, September 20, 2013
SC assisted living home worker charged with sex crimes on elderly woman
Investigators claim 45- year old employee would sneak into the 80-year old female victim's room and sexually assault her in various ways that included lifting her shirt and biting her chest. Court papers say there is photographic evidence from bite wounds.
SOUTH CAROLINA (Rock Hill), Herald Online, September 21, 2013
Westminster towers cited for not reporting patient abuse
http://www.heraldonline.com/2013/09/21/5231693/westminster-towers-cited-for-not.html
The state Department of Health and Environmental Control this month cited Westminster Towers Continuing Care Retirement Community for not reporting a patient abuse allegation a year ago. DHEC regulates and provides oversight for all South Carolina nursing homes and retirement communities. Agency policies require nursing homes aware of a suspected abuse allegation to report it to DHEC within 10 days of the alleged incident.
NEW YORK (Rome), Rome News-Tribune, September 21, 2013
West Rome man jailed on warrants for elder abuse, fraud
A Burnett Ferry Road man was arrested on felony warrants after being accused of elder abuse and financial fraud. Warrants alleged he willfully deprived the victim of “electricity, food and medication to the extent her health and well-being were jeopardized” and gained access to her “financial resources by means of undue influence, coercion, harassment, deception and theft.”
OHIO (Cambridge-Guernsey County), The Daily Jeffersonian, September 20, 2013
Elderly found living in squalor by Guernsey county sheriff’s department
http://www.daily-jeff.com/local%20news/2013/09/20/elderly-found-living-in-squalor
The Cambridge-Guernsey County Health Department and Adult Protective Services were contacted to assist with the investigation due to the residents suffering from apparent mental health issues and the living conditions that reportedly prevented Guernsey County sheriff's deputies from entering the residence. The couple was reportedly removed from the home due to the squalid conditions.
INTERNATIONAL (Glasgow, United Kingdom), Mail Online, September 24, 2013
Dementia sufferer, 78, died in agony because care home didn’t keep the pain relief she needed on site for ‘cost’ reasons
A great-grandmother died in agony after staff at her care home failed to notice how much pain she was in. The 78-year-old woman who had dementia, was left screaming in pain and dying in the lounge of Eastbank Care Home in Glasgow without any pain relief.
ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES
ALABAMA (Daleville), 12 WSFA, September 23, 2013
Daleville women charged with abusing disabled husband, father
http://www.wsfa.com/story/23509534/daleville-women-charged-with-abusing-disabled-husband-father
A south Alabama mother and her daughter are under arrest and charged with holding the woman's disabled husband, her daughter's father, as a prisoner in his own home. The 52-year-old victim, who is not being identified by name, is said to have been locked in his room for up to a month. Investigators say he was physically unable to leave and was given the meager meal of a single can of ravioli per day.
CALIFORNIA, San Francisco Chronicle, September 19, 2013
Calif. must turn over caregiver-violation records
http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/Calif-must-turn-over-caregiver-violation-records-4828496.php
State health officials must release records of violations by caregivers at institutions for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled, a state appeals court has ruled in rejecting the state's claims of confidentiality. The decision Wednesday by the Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento requires the Department of Public Health to provide details of its enforcement actions to the Center for Investigative Reporting.
FLORIDA (Tampa), TBO, September 20, 2013
Tampa man poisoned his disabled girlfriend, detectives say
The boyfriend of a 58-year-old disabled woman who died in January was arrested Friday, accused of giving her a fatal dose of antidepressants. The sheriff’s office said an autopsy showed that the victim had toxic levels of the drugs Fluoxetine, often marketed as Prozac, and “Bupropion,” an anti-depressant, in her system.
TENNESSEE (Newport), WATE 6 ABC, September 20, 2013
State investigated case of bedridden Newport woman 2 years ago
http://www.wate.com/story/23489463/adult-protective
6 News has learned that Adult Protective Services was called nearly two years ago to investigate the case of the disabled woman who had to be cut out of her garbage-filled Newport home this week. Cocke County Sheriff Armando Fontes said the victim is now in a nursing home where all of her needs are being met.
RELATED ISSUES
CALIFORNIA (San Andreas), The Record, September 21, 2013
Lode man with dementia missing
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130921/A_NEWS/130929986
The Calaveras County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in finding a 79-year-old Mokelumne Hill man who suffers from dementia and has been missing since about 6 p.m. Thursday.
ILLINOIS, Digital Journal, September 20, 2013 (Opinion)
New report gives Illinois’ nursing homes a failing grade
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1479505
Staffing levels at Illinois' nursing homes do not measure up, as residents receive, on average, only 2.14 hours of direct care in nursing homes daily. In addition, the report found that Illinois' nursing home residents receive an average of less than one hour of care from a certified RN each day. Only around half of all nursing homes in Illinois have above-average levels of direct care and RN staff.
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Funding Opportunities:
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September 30, 2013
- The Pennsylvania Humanities Council is requesting proposals for its Civic Engagement Grants for projects that use the humanities to help resolve complex community challenges and concerns.
- For more information: http://www.pahumanities.org/programs/pdf/Civic_Engagement_RFP_Final_8-5-13.pdf
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October 1, 2013
- The Land O’Lakes Foundation is currently accepting applications for its 2013 Community Grants program for projects that focus on hunger, youth and education, civic improvements and arts and culture in rural communities. Grants are restricted to organizations that have been granted tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
- For more information: http://www.landolakesinc.com/company/corporateresponsibility/foundation/communitygrants/eligibility/default.Aspx
- 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 3rd Annual Sexuality, Intimacy & Aging Conference will be called “Helping to Navigate Challenges in Sexuality & Aging” and will be hosted at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania September 27-28, 2013. For more information: http://saconsortium.eventbrite.com/
· 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: www.sacmhac.net.
· 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/
● Joint Conference of the Kentucky Guardianship Association and the Kentucky Justice Center for Elders and Vulnerable Adults
Lexington Crowne Plaza Hotel, Thursday, October 3 and Friday, October 4, 2013 http://www.kyguardianship.org/fall-conference-2013.html
· 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. For more information: http://brookdale.org/aati-2013/aati-2013/ To register for the 2013 Adult Abuse Training Institute: Go to brookdale.org, click on the NYS Adult Abuse Training Institute link and download the registration form. Please fax the completed form to (212) 396-7852; or email the completed form to afaustin@hunter.cuny.edu.
· The 37th Annual Consumer Voice Conference will be held in Arlington, Virginia October 24-27, 2013. For additional information: http://www.theconsumervoice.org/events/annual-meetings
. The 21st Annual New Mexico Adult Abuse Conference will be held on October 24 and 25, 2013 in Albuquerque, NM . This year’s theme is “A Cornucopia of Learning, Knowledge and Services”. For information, contact Agapito J. Silva at Agapito.silva@state.nm.us or 505-841-4550.
· 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, hosted by the California District Attorneys Association, 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 28-30, 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 31st. 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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