New Book Exposes Elder Abuse in America

New York (PRWEB ) November 14, 2007 --

Deception, corruption, exploitation and manipulation collide in Paradise Costs: A Victim's Daughter Fights Back Against Elder Abuse, the heart-wrenching story of an infirm, 80-year-old man with Alzheimer's who was taken from his family, stripped of his assets and exploited despite the pleas of his next of kin. What makes this story even more compelling? It's not fiction.

Mario Masiello, a hearing-impaired, honorably discharged, World War II veteran retired from the New York City Transit Authority and relocated to the quaint town of Walterboro, South Carolina to realize his life-long dream of utopian living. Twenty years later, his blissful life was ravaged by the death of his wife and by several illnesses including diabetes, Alzheimer's and depression. Paradise Costs tells the chilling true story of the last years of his life when he was "grandpa-napped" from his family by neighbors and "friends." "I never thought this type of betrayal and brutality could happen in my family," says Irene A. Masiello, Paradise Costs author and Mario's daughter. "My experience has made me realize how little people know about the deadly American pandemic that is elder abuse."

In this gripping personal narrative the author gives a voice to countless victims who suffer and die in silence while the staggering issues paint a gruesome picture. Driven by more grim statistics from national elder advocacy groups stating there may be an additional 25 million cases of elder exploitation, Irene shares her family's story. In a bold stance, she drives home the pervasiveness of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation by offering her father's suspicious forensic report to readers to exemplify a terrifying reality. Even more important, she offers a viable solution to the problem that allows every American to be pro-active in helping to eradicate this social ill.

In an effort to create a reality-writing campaign, prefabricated "tear-out" letters and petitions to government officials are contained in Paradise Costs, and are available as free downloads at the book's website, http://www.paradisecosts.com/. Readers can follow simple directions on how to e-mail legislators right from the site.

Masiello is urging national reform addressing elder issues and continued support to implement, amend and enforce the EJA. A portion of her proceeds from her book will be donated to a non-profit organization supporting that cause.

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Please support the author and our great cause of highlighting elder abuse. More importantly, we should be united in our efforts to make our politicians take notice of our call for changes to laws affecting our valued seniors.
Do not wait till you or your loved ones need the protection of the law, for your well-being in your senior years.