STUDY: Nearly One in Five Elderly Israelis Report Abuse

Researchers from Haifa University hope to develop ways to detect and halt maltreatment
By Hillary Zaken
March 6, 2012

Almost one in five elderly Israelis suffers from some form of abuse, a new study has found.
Among the elderly, around 16 percent suffer from physical and psychological abuse or financial exploitation, the University of Haifa study found. In the majority of cases the people responsible were family members serving as caregivers.
During the course of the study, released on March 2, researchers questioned more than 1,300 people over the age of 60 from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
The researchers speculate that the number of abused elderly is actually higher than the number reported in the study, which did not include people living in governmental and private geriatric institutions or in assisted living facilities.
This data is of particular concern, since the growth rate of Israel’s elderly population is among the highest in the Western world and is continuing to rise, according to statistics collected by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In 2009, 9.8% of the Israeli population was 65 years old and over, according to those statistics, with the number expected to reach 14% by 2030.
According to the researchers, abuse of the elderly has been recognized as a widespread problem only in the last decade. Despite growing awareness, screening tools to identify senior citizens at risk are still limited, and the study aims to help develop new ways to detect abuse.

 SOURCE:       Times of Israel
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Senator Proos Pleased With Creation of Abuse Hotline

 Proos Pleased With Creation of Abuse Hotline
March 06, 2012

ST. JOSEPH (WKZO)

State Senator John Proos of St. Joseph is among many in Lansing pleased by the creation of a new hotline to report child and elder abuse.  The toll-free line from the Michigan Department of Human Services went live this week, allowing people to call 24-hours a day, seven-days a week including holidays if they suspect abuse.
Proos calls the number an "excellent example of government embracing a new solution."  The number is 1-855-444-3911.

SOURCE:    WTVBAM
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Young Woman Accused of Stealing More Than $53,000 from Elderly Mesa Man (USA)

By Lara Cooper, Noozhawk Staff Writer
03.06.2012

Santa Barbara police arrested a young woman Tuesday on suspicion of stealing more than $53,000 from an elderly Mesa man who hired her as his caregiver.
Sarah Helen Benson, 21, was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on charges of felony embezzlement, forgery and financial elder abuse by a caregiver, according to police Sgt. Riley Harwood.
Benson had been caring for the 71-year-old man, who suffers from ataxia, a condition that renders sufferers unable to coordinate their muscle movements, but police said he is of sound mind.
The man and another caregiver who worked for Benson’s company, Sarah Benson In Home Care, reported the missing money on Feb. 3 to a Montecito Bank & Trust employee, who reported it to Santa Barbara police Detective John Ingram.
Harwood said the victim notified the bank employee of six unauthorized ATM transactions and four unauthorized checks written by Benson amounting to a loss of $7,971.63.
The bank employee also reported the incident to Santa Barbara County Adult Protective Services, and on Feb. 9, Ingram and Judy Sotelo of APS contacted the victim at his home.
Because of his condition, the man needed the help of caregiver for tasks such as writing checks. He told police that Benson had worked with him as a caregiver for a few years and earned his trust.
According to bank statements obtained by police, the victim suffered a total loss of $53,121.63 from October 2010 to January 2012 in the form of unauthorized ATM transaction and forged checks.
Benson’s bail was set at $50,000.

SOURCE:      NoozHawk

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Suspected Elder Abuse - Arrest Affidavit Released (USA)

Arrest Affidavit Released
ERIC SINGER
KRDO NewsChannel 13
March 6, 2012

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- An arrest affidavit is just released in a "He said, She said" horrific case of suspected elder abuse. 50 year old Dennis Foust was arrested for crimes against at-risk adults. On January 24th, 86-year-old Margareta Foust was found on the floor in the family's home in the 1900 block of Kodiak Drive. Officers say Margareta's bedding was saturated with urine and covered with feces. Officers stated, "When the soiled bedding was removed it was noted that the patient had sores on her entire right leg where she had been lying on the ground."
Her son Dennis told officers his mother wouldn't let him call 9-1-1 and "he decided that he needed to call today as his mother was complaining of pain to her entire right leg from the buttocks to her foot. Ms Foust described the pain as a burning sensation." Dennis Foust told officers, "His mother refused to let him call 911 because she didn't want to go back to a care center."
Officers say when they asked both how long Margareta had been on the floor, Dennis said five days, Margareta said seven.
Margareta also told officers, "Her son refused to provide any assistance to her while she was there on the ground. She said that he walked over or around her and called her names during the time that she was on the floor. She added that he threw Gatorade bottles at her for her to drink, but provided no other assistance."
Neighbors told us that Dennis had lived with his mother, Margareta, at the family home for more than 30 years. They were shocked about him being accused of the elder abuse of his mom. They described 50-year-old Dennis as a sweet man. They also said Margareta was a loving woman.
I talked with Silver Key Senior Services, which is an organization that helps the elderly. Lorri Orwig with Silver Key tells me her organization has been working with the Foust family. The last contact a case manager has had with the family was on Valentine's Day. That's roughly three weeks after Margareta was found on the floor.
Silver Key says if you ever have a question about your elderly neighbor's safety don't wait to call them. Silver Key's number is 719-884-2300. Adult Protective Services is 719-444-5755. If you believe a senior or anyone else is in a life-threatening situation, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Copyright 2012 KRDO.com.

SOURCE:      KRDO
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Ponzi Victims to Get About Half Money Bank Under Settlement with RBC (CANADA)

By Sidhartha Banerjee
Mar 06 2012

Earl Jones The Royal Bank of Canada has reached a $17-million settlement with victims of convicted financial fraudster Earl Jones.
MONTREAL — For scores of elderly victims who lost their savings in a multimillion-dollar Quebec pyramid scheme, the announcement of a settlement to recoup about half of their losses offers some relief.
Victims of financial fraudster Earl Jones have reached a $17-million out-of-court settlement in their class-action lawsuit against the Royal Bank of Canada, both sides announced Tuesday.
Reached after several months of discussions, the settlement was welcome news for the son of one victim.
“I can’t speak for the people that have been defrauded and I’m sure it might not be sufficient, but I think in time it will become more clear to these people,” said Kevin Curran, whose mother was bilked out of her savings by Jones.
“I can understand that (the wording of) RBC’s statement might not give them complete closure, but it’s a start.”
Much of the money initially lost by Jones’ clients was held at an RBC branch on Montreal’s West Island. Victims claimed the bank was negligent and should have been able to act on irregular behaviour from Jones — something the bank denies.
The bank said in a statement that the proposed settlement amount will not be final until the court approval process is complete, and said the settlement is not material to RBC earnings.

“Considering that the average age is 75 and most of them are senior citizens living on pensions with no money left, we had to act in their best interest,” Davis said.
The settlement will be presented to a judge next week and a claims process will follow. Victims should be getting a cheque in the mail within several months. Until then, the committee representing victims will remain active.
“We’ll be happy when everyone gets a cheque. That’s when we’ll really close up shop,” Davis said.
The Canadian Press

Abridged
SOURCE:     The Record
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The Scandal of Ulster's Nursing Homes (Nth. IRELAND)

The scandal of Ulster’s nursing homes
5 March 2012

A REPORT released today has laid bare the failings of some nursing homes across Northern Ireland.
Elderly people are left to wait too long for toilet visits, some residents are being heavily sedated without being properly assessed for need, while others have complained about their privacy and personal care.
The alarming findings contained in the document from the NI Human Rights Commission also reveal that staff at some nursing homes do not have enough time to speak to the residents, while another resident reported a gap of more than 15 hours between meals, as well as 15 reports of residents taken to hospital for dehydration.
The Commission has also recommended that there is proper guidance on the use of restraints, after reports that tables were used to barricade residents.
The report – In Defence of Dignity – finds that “practices in nursing homes are failing to deliver many aspects of care in a human rights compliant way”.
Chief human rights commissioner Professor Michael O’Flaherty said they found many devoted staff, who were frustrated that they did not have the time to provide proper care and attention.
“The protection of human rights cannot be left to chance or the goodwill of an individual carer,” he said.
“The Commission now calls on the Northern Ireland Executive to implement its international human rights obligations.
“We have made a number of recommendations ... if they are implemented they will go a long way to safeguarding the dignity of our older people in nursing homes.”
The Commission also said the current regulations surrounding nursing homes fail to integrate human rights standards.
In conclusion, the report states: “The Commission is heartened by the fact that many of the staff interviewed displayed devotion to their work and a belief in the inherent dignity of those they cared for.
“It is now of paramount importance that government, the ultimate duty-bearer, ensures that the necessary structures and resources are in place to enable the staff to carry out their work in compliance with the international human rights standards.”
Anne O’Reilly, chief executive of the charity Age NI, said she was “shocked, but not surprised” by the findings.
The report, she said, “points to the lack of dignity, rights, security and choice at the heart of the health and social care system in Northern Ireland, particularly in nursing home care”.
“Age NI is appalled that the basic rights of some older people continue to be compromised in the 21st century,” she said.
Claire Keatinge, the commissioner for older people in Northern Ireland, said she was “committed to ensuring that the voices of our older people are heard”.
“So I very much welcome the focus that the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has brought to the experience of older people living in nursing care,” she said.
She said those who live in nursing care “need to be better understood, their views and preferences respected, and their human rights upheld”.
A total of 25 residents from four homes were sampled from a variety of health trusts run by different organisations for the report.
A spokesman for the Independent Healthcare Providers group said it was dedicated to upholding the dignity and rights of residents in care homes and to ensuring the highest standards amongst members.
The group called for adequate funding.
“The Human Rights Commission’s investigation examined 188 complaints about care homes. Nine of these were deemed serious enough to refer on to the relevant statutory bodies for further consideration,” it said.
“We are unaware that any of these complaints refer to our members. There are 268 registered nursing homes, four of which were selected for this research.
“We note the high level of co-operation NIHRC received from the sector and the positive comments about the commitment and dedication of carers who look after our older people.
“We recognise that there are some unacceptable practices and behaviours highlighted in the report.
“Where these occur they should be corrected through better staff training, staffing levels and flexible application of procedures.
“Regrettably abuse of older people does occur and it can happen anywhere, including in their home.
“We support safeguarding measures to remove all abuse of older people.”
The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission was established in 1999 and is answerable to Westminster.
Their report into standards in nursing homes will be formally launched this morning in Belfast.
According to the Human Rights Commission, by 2047 there will be twice as many people aged 65 and over than there are today.
The investigation fieldwork was conducted through four case studies across Northern Ireland.
This included interviews with staff, residents, and family members or friends.
A close examination of the written policies and procedures of nursing homes and an analysis of a sample of home and GP records of residents were also completed.
In addition, the Commission invited members of the public to come forward with their experiences of nursing home care through a dedicated phone line or an online questionnaire.
As a result, the Commission recorded 163 calls for the investigation and 25 written submissions.

 SOURCE:     Newsletter.co.uk
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Whistleblower Hails Review of Care Home (UK)

 Whistleblower hails review of care home
5 March 2012
By LISA NIGHTINGALE
5 March 2012

A NURSE has welcomed a serious case review at a South Tyneside care home described by a crown court judge as plagued with “systematic failures”.
Phil Brown blew the whistle on the appalling state of care and hygiene at Bamburgh Court Care Centre almost eight-years ago.
He also helped the family of Martha Benham fight for justice after the 91-year-old died in 2004 after months of neglect by staff at the home, which was known as Bamburgh Court Care Centre and was run at the time by Ashbourne Homes.
It was taken over by private healthcare company Southern Cross in 2005 and became St Michael’s View.
Joyce Wordingham, 80, was found dead in her bed in February 2010, prompting a police investigation which looked into 15 other deaths at the home.
Last Friday the Gazette reported Daphne Joseph, 47, was handed a suspended nine-month prison sentence and 60 hours of unpaid work after admitting neglect in the pensioner’s death.
The probe into the home also led to the arrest of care assistant Sean Abbott. The 22-year-old was jailed for 12 months by Newcastle Crown Court on Friday after admitting assaulting two elderly residents.
After the sentences, council, police and health chiefs launched a serious case review into the events at the home in St Michael’s Avenue, Westoe.
And as well as welcoming the review, Mr Brown also called for a ban on under-25s being employed as carers for people with dementia.
He said: “It’s important a serious case review is carried out into what has happened. Questions need to be asked and answered.
“Questions need to be asked as to why this home was given a two-star rating and why checks weren’t carried out to ensure this company was delivering the level of care to residents it should have been.
“I am also looking for a local ruling to be put in place that carers under the age of 25 years old are not employed as care workers to look after people with dementia. I feel those under the age of 25 lack the life skills, emotion and cognitive maturity to care for those with such complex needs and demands, day in and day out.
“We need more mature people working on these wards, who should have access to a progression of ongoing training and development within this specialist area.”
St Michael’s View is now under new ownership and in the hands of Countrywide Care Homes after the collapse of Southern Cross.



SOURCE:       The Shields Gazette
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Study: Elder Abuse a Serious Problem for Chinese Seniors (USA)

Study: Elder Abuse a Serious Problem for Chinese Seniors
Sing Tao Daily, News Report,
Rong Xiaoqing
Dec 04, 2011

Elder abuse and neglect are growing problems with the rapid aging of the United States, but Chinese seniors in this country face special challenges, according to a new study presented at the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) annual convention, held in Boston, in November.

When asked about being mistreated, Chinese elders interviewed for the study identified psychological mistreatment as the most serious form of abuse, said Chang. Other forms included financial exploitation, physical mistreatment and abandonment.

E-Shien Chang, a Chinese American researcher at Rush University’s Institute for Healthy Aging, in Chicago, spent five years with her colleagues studying members of the Windy City’s Chinese community, who participated in the institute’s program to prevent elder abuse and neglect.

She and Dr. XinQi Dong, also of Rush, worked with the Chinese American Service Alliance, Chicago’s largest organization serving the Chinese community in the Midwest, to collect data.

Caregiver Neglect

Their final report included findings from interviews with 39 Chinese seniors ages 60 or older, who participated in focus groups. The study participants indicated said that "caregivers' neglect," such as deliberate refusal to provide an elder food or medication, was especially common.

Chang emphasized that the perceptions of abuse by Chinese seniors differ somewhat from other ethic groups because Chinese elders tend to rely on their children to care for them and avoid hired care providers.

In Chinese culture adult children are traditionally responsible for taking caring for their aging parents, so Chinese seniors may have higher expectations for their caregivers, Chang said.

But as their children grow up in the United States and have more exposure to the American culture than traditional Chinese culture, the older Chinese immigrants are more vulnerable to perceived or actual emotional abuse. For example, she said, Chinese seniors may have broad definitions of abuse, such as hearing their children shout, "Go to hell," a deeply disrespectful affront for them.

The study was published in the Journal of Aging and Health last spring. Chang and her coauthors found, “Chinese older adults have limited knowledge of help-seeking resources other than seeking assistance from local community service centers.” Also, many older Chinese immigrants are further isolated because they don’t speak English, which disconnects them from mainstream American society.

Elder Abuse Awakening Day
Chang and her colleagues also worked with the Chinese community to launch anti-abuse activities.

In June, they launched the first Elder Abuse Awakening Day in Chicago’s Chinatown. They invited professionals to the event to educate Chinese seniors about ways to prevent elder abuse. Also, the event included an essay contest for teenagers who learned about elder abuse and wrote about how to identify and prevent it.

The GSA meeting attracted 3,800 gerontology scholars from 30 countries. Featured topics among more than 1,500 sessions and research papers, 500 of which included minority content. Topics covered such wide-raging subjects as senior health care, Social Security and pension issues, older workers and the impact of senior arts and cultural programs.


Rong Xiaoqing participated at the conference of the MetLife Foundation Journalists in Aging Fellowships, a program of New America Media and the Gerontological Society of America. This article was translated from Chinese by Summer Chiang of New America Media.

SOURCE:     NewAmericaMedia
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Abuse of Mind-Altering Drugs Rising in Eldercare Facilities

 Abuse of Mind-Altering Drugs Rising in Eldercare Facilities
RedwoodAge.com/New America Media
News Feature
Pamela A. MacLean
Mar 05, 2012

Part 2 of a series. Read Part 1 here. The above Stop sign is from California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform’s campaign to stop the abuse of chemical restraints.

In a nursing home on the southern end of California's Central Valley, three elderly dementia patients died during 2007. Normally, that would not make the headlines. But these patients died after being given powerful antipsychotic drugs to control their behavior--despite warnings the drugs increase the risk of death in elders with dementia.

Mae Brinkley, 91, Joseph Shepter, 76, and Alexander Zaiko, 85, died at the Kern Valley Hospital, a 74-bed skilled nursing facility in rural Lake Isabella, about 30 miles northeast of Bakersfield. Their cases came to light after a long-term care ombudsman reported to the state Department of Public Health that a patient had been held down and forcibly injected with an antipsychotic medication.

Investigators later found the nursing facility had given 22 patients, some with Alzheimer's disease--the most common form of dementia--high doses of antipsychotic medications to control them for the convenience of staff, according to court papers and the Center for Medicare Advocacy.

Now facing criminal charges are Hoshan Pormir, MD, the patients’ physician, Gwen Hughes, director of nursing, and Debbi C. Hayes, a pharmacist. The charges include three counts of elder abuse resulting in death, five counts of nonfatal elder abuse and two counts of assault with deadly weapons--the psychotropic medications Zyprexa and Risperdal, according to the state's criminal complaint.

Chemical Straight Jackets a National Issue

The case, set for trial this spring, is California's first use of criminal elder abuse law in this context. But across the country the use of drugs as chemical straight jackets in nursing homes and hospitals is a growing problem.

"There are dozens of Kern Valley Hospitals that drug with impunity," said Tony Chicotel, an attorney with the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CAHNR). The organization’s December report titled, "In a Stupor," by alleged the "misuse of antipsychotic drugs is the leading form of elder abuse in nursing homes."

The rising concerns of the abuse of medications in nursing homes comes as the psychiatric profession reviews its definitions of mental illness. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illness guides mental health professionals in identifying nearly 300 different mental disorders. Its fifth edition, DSM-5, is due out next year.

As it stands now, the new guidelines could classify millions of elders as mentally ill for such conditions as bereavement and "mild cognitive disorder," a heightened level of forgetfulness that many psychiatrists see as a possible precursor to dementia.

The manual doesn't prescribe treatments; that's left to individual doctors. But there are only 2,000 board-certified geriatric psychiatrists in the United States, according to Dilip Jeste, MD, president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association and chief of geriatric psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego.

That means treatment of elders often falls to family doctors or the professional staff in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities, who may have little training in the special needs of older adults.
Of the nearly 305,000 elderly nursing home residents nationally, about 14 percent received antipsychotic drugs in only the first six months of 2007, at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars, according to Toby S. Edelman, senior policy attorney for the Center for Medicare Advocacy.

 The next story in this series will examine creative programs in other parts of the United States to develop alternatives to using antipsychotic medications to calm and control residents.


Abridged

SOURCE:      

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Missouri Senator Seeks to Expand Elder Abuse Law (USA)

Mar. 5, 2012
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP)

A Missouri senator wants the state to expand its law on elder abuse by adding language to protecting older citizens from financial exploitation.
Sen. Kevin Engler is proposing to make it a crime for those with authority over an elderly person to take advantage of the older person’s state of mind for financial gain. The legislation would apply to people who have guardianship, power of attorney or some other financial management role for seniors.
If someone steals money from an elderly person that was supposed to cover nursing home expenses, the courts would be allowed to order that the money be paid to the home.
Engler, a Republican from Farmington, says some senior citizens need more protection because of their age and health.
Elder abuse bill is SB689
Online:
Legislature: http://www.moga.mo.gov

SOURCE:     NewsLeader
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