Newsfeed – Monday, September 30, 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
NATIONAL, Bankrate, September 24, 2013
Fraud reports trump privacy
http://www.bankrate.com/financing/retirement/fraud-reports-trump-privacy/
"Bank employees can spot financial abuse before others. We want to clarify: Reporting elder abuse is the right thing to do and doesn't violate privacy laws," said Richard Cordray, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, at a press conference Tuesday. A recent report from the Government Accountability Office found that in 2010, older Americans lost more than $2.9 billion to financial fraud, but apparently, financial institutions have sometimes ignored signs that people living in retirement might be victims of financial crimes because the banks feared that reporting their suspicions would violate the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.
NATIONAL, Cleveland.com, The Plain Dealer, September 24, 2013
Regulators tell banks that reporting elder abuse doesn’t violate privacy laws: plain dealing
http://www.cleveland.com/consumeraffairs/index.ssf/2013/09/regulators_tell_banks_to_speak.html
Financial abuse of the elderly is an epidemic, according to the recent Government Accountability Office, draining $2.9 billion from seniors’ accounts in 2010 alone, the article states. Banks and money advisors have often hesitated to report their suspicions to law enforcement for fear they will run afoul of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, but new guidance on the law gives assurance to these financial institutions.
NATIONAL, Compliance Week, September 24, 2013
Guidance clarifies use of suspicious activity reports for elder abuse
Seven federal regulators issued guidance on Tuesday to clarify that privacy provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act do still allow for financial institutions to report suspected elder financial abuse. The new guidance clarifies that it is generally acceptable under the law for financial institutions to report suspected elder financial abuse to local, state or federal agencies.
NATIONAL, Credit Union Times, September 24, 2013
Elder abuse reporting without violating privacy: guidance
http://www.cutimes.com/2013/09/24/elder-abuse-reporting-without-violating-privacy-gu?ref=rss
The NCUA and other federal agencies have teamed up to inform financial institutions that reporting suspected financial abuse of elder Americans does not generally violate privacy law. Joining the NCUA in issuing the guidance were the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, the Federal Trade Commission, Office of Comptroller of the Currency and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
NATIONAL, Detroit Free Press, September 26, 2013
Susan Tompor: banks join fight to stop scams against seniors
http://www.freep.com/article/20130926/COL07/309260004/1002/RSS02
Just one year ago, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that it could not find any federal requirements for banks to train tellers and others to spot or report elder financial exploitation, the author states. Federal regulators joined forces Tuesday to issue guidance to clarify that privacy rules for reporting suspected elder abuse to law enforcement officials or state adult protective services agencies. Richard Riese, senior vice president of the American Bankers Association’s of Center for Regulatory Compliance, said the guidance helps confirm privacy rule interpretations that banks have been relying on to report elder financial abuse.
NATIONAL, Financial Advisor, September 30, 2013
Regulators: don’t let privacy concern inhibit reporting of elder abuse
Regulators Tuesday pushed financial advisors, financial institutions and others to report suspected elder abuse to law enforcement officials without worrying about violating customer privacy. Taking the lead in the announcement, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said the guidance is also aimed at letting social service agencies know they can ask financial institutions for personal financial information about suspected elderly victims without being barred because of privacy.
NATIONAL, Insurancenewsnet, September 25, 2013
Regulators weigh in on elder financial
The federal agencies have now issued a five-page, inter-agency guidance document stating that GLB does provide exceptions to the opt-out requirements. One of the exceptions pertinent to financial institution is that they “may disclose nonpublic personal information to protect against or prevent actual or potential fraud, unauthorized transactions, claims or other liability.”
NATIONAL, Market Watch, September 24, 2013
Feds: Banks can alert cops on elder fraud
http://blogs.marketwatch.com/encore/2013/09/24/feds-banks-can-alert-cops-on-elder-fraud/
Various forms of financial fraud cost the elderly an estimated $3 billion a year, but because the victims are often frail or socially isolated, the fraud often goes unreported, the article states. In an “interagency guidance” announced today, several federal agencies told banks that they can and should report suspicious account activity and other signs of financial exploitation of their older customers to law-enforcement and adult-protective-services agencies.
NATIONAL, Reverse Mortgage Daily, September 24, 2013
Federal agencies crack down on elder financial fraud, sidestep privacy concerns
In an effort toward protecting older Americans, a group of federal agencies announced today they are making it easier for financial institutions to sidestep an existing law and report instances of suspected abuse among their elderly clients. The law establishes how and when a financial institution is allowed to disclose nonpublic personal information to third parties not affiliated with the institution.
NATIONAL, Reuters, September 24, 2013
U.S. regulators call on banks to help spot abuse of older people
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/24/us-financial-regulation-older-idUSBRE98N0V920130924
"Employees of financial institutions may be able to spot irregular transactions, account activity or behavior that signals financial abuse," the regulatory agencies said in a statement. The consumer bureau in particular has focused on cracking down on scams aimed at elderly people.
NATIONAL, Today Money, NBC News, September 25, 2013
Financial abuse of elderly not trumped by privacy laws: feds
http://www.today.com/money/financial-abuse-elderly-not-trumped-privacy-laws-feds-8C11250053
Eight federal regulatory agencies have issued a joint document that clarifies privacy rights and responsibilities for employees of financial institutions. They provided this guidance because so many companies have expressed concern that the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, aka the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999, puts privacy ahead of fraud prevention.
NATIONAL, The Street, September 25, 2013
Senior abuse runs rampant
http://www.thestreet.com/story/12049383/1/senior-abuse-runs-rampant.html
Financial institutions can now sidestep stringent privacy laws in order to report possible financial abuse of older adults. A federal interagency initiative has issued new guidance to financial institutions in order to clarify the privacy provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) as it relates to the reporting of suspected financial exploitation of seniors.
NATIONAL, The Wall Street Journal, September 24, 2013
Bank regulators encourage reporting of senior financial abuses
U.S. regulators are telling banks they have a responsibility to report instances of suspected senior-citizen exploitation and won’t violate privacy laws by coming forward. Regulators issued guidance Tuesday telling firms that reporting such violations to the government doesn’t violate federal restrictions on sharing personal information.
ALASKA (Anchorage), Alaska Dispatch, September 24, 2013
Duo pleads guilty to duping elderly Alaskan out of entire nest egg
An ex-Alaskan nurse and his friend, a disbarred California attorney, have pleaded guilty to federal fraud and tax charges related to stealing millions of dollars from an elderly woman in Anchorage. Myers convinced the women to sign documents investing huge chunks of the elderly woman’s trust in accounts Myers and Ben-Israel controlled, according to the plea agreements. They took more than $2 million between May 2007 and August 2009, the court papers say.
CALIFORNIA (Costa Mesa), Big News Network, September 26 2013
Calif. man charged with elder abuse in mother’s death
A Costa Mesa, Calif., man has been charged with elder abuse in the death of his mother, who he allegedly kept tied to a bed and a portable toilet, police said. In July 2012, detectives found his 80-year-old mother lying in a pool of urine in a bathroom in her home, suffering from dehydration and open sores. She was taken to Orange Coast Memorial Hospital, where she died a day later of sepsis, or whole-body inflammation.
CALIFORNIA (San Diego), NBC San Diego, September 26, 2013
Elderly victims of fraud scam get money back
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Fraud-Scam-Elderly-Victims-Get-Money-Back-225427622.html
Michael and Melissa Woodward were selling phony insurance plans to victims, many of which were elderly. Deputy District Attorney, Michael Zachry says Woodward took money from 279 people in San Diego County and even more across the state. Now, the District Attorney's office is trying to return some of that stolen money to victims of the fraud scam through restitution checks.
FLORIDA (Marion County), OCALA, September 25, 2013
Judge denies prosecution's request for special inspections in adult-care case
http://www.ocala.com/article/20130925/ARTICLES/130929806/-1/news?p=1&tc=pg
A woman accused of operating an unlicensed adult living facility had the conditions of her bond tweaked on Wednesday. The 47-year-old-woman will not be subject to more inspections at her rental homes, despite prosecutors' request for such inspections
GEORGIA (Albany), The Augusta Chronicle, September 24, 2013
Mother, daughter sentenced in fatal neglect of woman, 85
A Martinez mother and daughter accused in the 2011 death of an elderly woman in their care pleaded guilty Monday. Superior Court Judge J. Carlisle Overstreet sentenced Deborah Hill, 50, to 15 years in prison, followed by 20 years on probation, and Brittany Hurst, 21, was sentenced to 10 years on probation.
GEORGIA (Chatham County), WBTW News 13, September 27, 2013
Country star Billy Currington pleads no contest to elder abuse after boating incident
http://www.wbtw.com/story/23550805/c
Country music star and Rincon, GA native Billy Currington has been indicted on charges of 'Terroristic threats' and abuse of an elderly person. Under the plea agreement Currington will serve 5 years probation and he must stay away from the Boat Captain. He also has to take anger management classes and pay a $1,000 fine.
GEORGIA (Atlanta), The Georgia Bulletin, September 26, 2013
Church personnel mandated to report elder, disabled abuse
http://georgiabulletin.org/news/2013/09/church-personnel-mandated-to-report-elder-disabled-abuse/
Church volunteers and employees are encouraged to familiarize themselves with a new state law requiring current mandatory reporters of child abuse to also report suspected abuse of disabled adults and the elderly. House Bill 78 became law on July 1, 2013 and now includes those with disabilities and the elderly in mandatory reporting of abuse, or neglect.
ILLINOIS (Harrisburg), The Southern, September 23, 2013
Harrisburg woman charged with financial exploitation
A paid care giver 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. 45-year-old Harrisburg woman is charged with financial exploitation of an elderly person, theft and three counts of aggravated identity theft, all felonies.
IOWA (Storm Lake), Sioux City Journal, September 30, 2013
Storm Lake, Iowa, woman charged with neglect
Police on Monday said a Storm Lake, Iowa, woman neglected to take her mother in for necessary dialysis and stole her money. Storm Lake police say the victim had liver disease in April because she did not get dialysis.
KENTUCKY (Louisville), WAVE 3, September 25, 2013
Caretaker of dementia patient charged with abuse
http://www.wave3.com/story/23525994/caretaker-of-dementia-patient-charged-with-abuse
A live-in caretaker for a 74-year-old woman suffering from dementia and blindness was arrested for abusing her. An arrest report states the 25-year-old woman is accused of becoming “enraged at (the) victim” for “spilling laundry detergent on the floor”, and reportedly punched the victim in her face and body multiple times.
MASSACHUSETTS (Woburn), Woburn Patch, September 27, 2013
Elder abuse filed after man found living in ‘Deplorable Conditions’
On Wednesday, September 25, police responded to a report of an elderly man possibly having a stroke. Police reached the victim in a bedroom, where he was lying on a mattress that was said to be “filthy”, and reported the inside and outside of the house was in deplorable conditions. After numerous attempts to have the man go to the hospital voluntarily, it was determined that a Section 12 order needed to be filed for his well-being and the man was transported to Winchester Hospital.
MONTANA (Deer Lodge), Ravalli Republic, September 30, 3013
Elder abuse: Deer Lodge woman pleads guilty to swindling father
A Deer Lodge woman has pleaded guilty to felony elder abuse and exploitation and theft of public assistance after swindling her father. The woman faces a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $500,000.
NEW JERSEY (Bridgewater), NJ True Jersey, September 25, 2013
Bridgewater financial adviser who stole from elderly investors to be sentenced today
A township financial adviser who admitted he stole thousands of dollars from his elderly clients and others is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday morning at 10:45 a.m. in U.S. District Court in Trenton. In June, Ralph A. Saviano, 72, pleaded guilty to charges that he stole $138,000 from two elderly investors and others in order to fund "his lavish lifestyle with money he claimed to be investing in conservative securities and his business," U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said at the time.
NEW JERSEY (Hackensack), Daily Record, September 29, 2013
Billionaire’s daughter in N.J. court in dispute over inheritance
http://www.dailyrecord.com/viewart/20130928/NJNEWS/309280008/
Samantha Perelman claims her uncle systematically squeezed her out of her grandfather Robert Cohen’s will as he suffered from the debilitating effects of a disease before dying in 2012. The case figures to turn on whether Perelman’s attorneys can demonstrate to state Superior Court Judge Estela De La Cruz that James Cohen used undue influence to get his father to change his will several times to reduce Perelman’s share.
NORTH DAKOTA (Fargo), Crookston Times, September 27, 2013
Prosecutors, police join forces to combat elder abuse
http://www.crookstontimes.com/article/20130927/NEWS/130929643/1001/NEWS
A 90-year-old resident of Edgewood Vista told police she received $100 during a birthday party this year. She kept it in a pouch. The woman said that when she later reached into the pouch to retrieve $2 to put in the collection plate at church, the money was gone. A 33-year-old worker at Edgewood Vista, where the alleged thefts occurred, was questioned by police and admitted stealing from a number of residents, court documents state.
OHIO, Sandusky Register, September 27, 2013
Elderly exploitation case ongoing
http://www.sanduskyregister.com/article/4700231
The alleged 81-year-old victim, accused the store owner late last year of failing to make payments on a $30,000 loan she provided. She also accused the suspect of racking up tens of thousands of dollars in debt on Shaeffer’s credit cards and accounts.
TENNESSEE (Beech Grove), The Tullahoma News, September 28, 2013
2-year sentence ordered for elder abuse of sister
http://www.tullahomanews.com/?p=18560
Coffee County Circuit Court Judge Venessa Jackson ordered a Beech Grove woman to serve two years in prison for the “false imprisonment” of her mentally ill sister in December 2011. Tracy Lynn Carman-Thacker, 47, of Ferrell’s Loop Road, was convicted in July of willful abuse, neglect and exploitation of an elder (elder abuse) and false imprisonment of her 62-year-old sister.
VERMONT (Brattleboro), Sentinel Source, September 28, 2013
Jury finds LaClaire not guilty of murder, but guilty of financial exploitation
After five hours of deliberation Friday, a jury found Jodi LaClaire not guilty of second-degree murder, but guilty of multiple counts of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult. Since Sept. 11, jurors have heard testimony from 29 witnesses, including two medical experts on hypoglycemia who disagreed whether that condition, also known as low blood sugar, killed the victim.
INTERNATIONAL (England), Chronicle Live, September 29, 2013
Shock figures show alleged abuse of vulnerable adults in North
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/shock-figures-show-alleged-abuse-6109998
The information from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) has shown that parts of the region have some of the highest rates of alleged abuse in England, and above average levels of referrals for older people suffering harm. High rates of financial and sexual abuse for women aged 65 plus were also revealed and levels of abuse reported in public in Newcastle is more than three times the England average.
ABUSE OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES
NEW JERSEY (Milford), North Jersey, September 25, 2013 (Opinion)
Arrest of disabled New Milford man sheds light on police dilemma
28-year-old New Milford man, who is developmentally disabled, was cuffed, charged with robbery and sent to county jail without any call to his legal guardians, the article states. Although the man does not dispute that he was shoplifting and struck the manager who confronted him, the parents question the criminal process for addressing situations involving adults with disabilities.
UTAH (Cache County), The Salt Lake Tribune, September 26, 2013
Mom allegedly used shock collar on disabled children
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56921198-78/amp-child-collar-adopted.html.csp
Prosecutors have charged a Cache County woman with using a dog shock collar to punish two of her adopted special-needs children. One of 9 adopted children, a 17-year-old girl with special needs, disclosed to student aids at her school that her mom uses "a behavior band" on her and her 20-year-old brother, who is also a disabled adult.
INTERNATIONAL (Millthorpe, Australia), SBS, September 24, 2013
NSW class action over 'house of horrors'
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/09/24/nsw-class-action-over-house-horrors
More than 40 handicapped boarding house residents are taking the NSW government to court, claiming they were assaulted, drugged and imprisoned while living in a "house of horrors", the article states. The adults, who have intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, launched the class action in the Federal Court on Tuesday against Adrian Powell, who ran the Grand Western Lodge boarding house, his employer and the NSW government.
RELATED ISSUES
FLORIDA (Tampa), WTSP 10 News, September 26, 2013
Man struck and killed by train in Tampa
http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/article/337140/8/Man-struck-and-killed-by-train-in-Tampa
A man walking down the middle of the tracks approaching Highway 201 was struck by the train and died Wednesday. Detectives are unsure if this was a suicide or an accident because Hamilton suffers from dementia.
IDAHO (Lakewood), The Denver Channel, September 25, 2013
67-year-old Idaho man with dementia, Edward Reed, found in Englewood after wandering from Lakewood
A 67 year old man from Idaho went missing after wandering away from a Lakewood home during a visit. Residents say they found him five hours later wandering in their area, about eight miles away from home.
INTERNATIONAL (Cheshire, United Kingdom), Mail Online, September 26, 2013
Pensioner, 79, with early stages of dementia facing jail for beating his wife, 82, to death with a walking stick in row over heating
An elderly dementia sufferer has admitted beating his 82-year-old wife to death with a walking stick in row over the central heating. Today Bailey pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility at Chester Crown Court, with both defense and prosecution psychiatrists agreeing that Bailey was 'suffering from dementia at the time'.
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Funding Opportunities:
- 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
- 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 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
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