Policy To Prevent Elder Abuse (TAS. AUSTRALIA)

Policy to prevent elder abuse

DAMIEN BROWN

November 30, 2009

THE Greens have pledged to push for greater strategies to prevent the unseen epidemic of elder abuse.

An estimated 4000 Tasmanians suffering elder abuse each year.

Greens health and human service spokeswoman Cassy O'Connor today launched a $500,000 Elder Abuse Prevention Strategy.

Tasmania is one of the only states not to have implemented strategies to prevent physical, emotional or financial abuse of vulnerable elderly people.

The strategy proposes to develop a whole of government approach to combating the problem, establishes a new Office of Seniors' Support within the Department of Health and Human Services, initiates an extensive state-wide review to determine the extent of the problem and establishes the framework for legislative review and a community education and support program.

"Laws governing power of attorney, guardianship, family violence and whistleblowers will be examined to identify how they can be strengthened to prevent elder abuse and protect vulnerable Tasmanians," Ms O'Connor said.

"There is no justification for allowing the current situation and complete absence of policy to continue."

SOURCE:    The Mercury, Tasmania, Australia

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Aged Care Goes From Bad To Worse (VIC. AUSTRALIA)

Aged care goes from bad to worse

JULIA MEDEW

November 30, 2009

AGED care has deteriorated in Victoria over the past two years, with some nurses looking after 47 elderly people at a time at nursing homes, compared to 39 in 2007.

The Australian Nursing Federation has called on the Federal Government to introduce minimum nurse-to-resident resident ratios after two surveys of 541 nurses and personal carers in 2007 and this year found their workload had increased significantly.

The surveys, by Melbourne University, found that in 2007, ratios ranged between one to six and one to 39, at worst, at Victorian facilities. This year, the ratios ranged between one to nine and one to 47.

The surveys also revealed increased levels of aggression from nurses and carers towards residents and vice versa. For example, in 2007, 3.6 per cent of participants said they had witnessed a co-worker being aggressive towards a resident at least once in the previous six months, compared to 7.3 per cent this year.

Nurses and carers also reported increased aggression from residents this year, compared to two years ago. This included residents trying to hit them with something and shouting or swearing at them.

A report written on the surveys by Associate Professor Leisa Sargent, Professor Bill Harley and Dr Belinda Allen said the more residents each nurse and carer had to care for, the more likely they were to report lower levels of job satisfaction, an increased likelihood of quitting their job and feeling emotionally exhausted.

Ageing's Complaints Investigation Scheme on 1800 550 552.

Abridged

SOURCE:    The Age News
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Dupage Launches Programs to Combat Elder Abuse (IL. USA)

DuPage launches programs to combat elder abuse

November 28, 2009 

Sun-Times Media Wire

Police in DuPage County launched a partnership last week hoping to raise awareness about elder abuse--a "hidden crime" that has been on the rise in Illinois.

Last week, DuPage County Sheriff John Zaruba announced the "Silver Center," which partners the sheriff's department with county and state human service providers to conduct aggressive investigations into elder abuse.

Mental and physical abuse toward seniors has increased 58 percent in the state, according to a release from the DuPage County Sheriff's Office.

The goal of the Silver Center is to protect seniors, arrest offenders and educate community organizations about signs of abuse, the release said. In many cases, seniors don't report the abuse in an effort to protect their families, and Zaruba hopes his program will get the community more involved in reporting these crimes.

Abridged
SOURCE:      Chicago Sun-Times
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Government of Canada and National Seniors Council Listen to Seniors in Ottawa (CANADA)

At a national round table on seniors' issues today, the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, the Honourable Marjory LeBreton, Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister of State (Seniors), and members of the National Seniors Council (NSC) met with a number of national organizations, including seniors' groups, to examine the NSC's two current priorities: volunteering among seniors, and positive and active aging.

"Seniors' contributions are wide-ranging and significant. They are volunteers, mentors, leaders, and skilled and experienced workers," said Minister Finley. "The resilience and sustainability of our society depend on their continued participation."

The first two priorities of the Council, as identified by Minister LeBreton, involved (1) exploring ways to raise awareness and combat elder abuse, and (2) helping the Government find ways to support low-income seniors, particularly unattached women.

1. Elder abuse

In the fall of 2007, the National Seniors Council held five meetings with stakeholder groups in regions across the country to discuss elder abuse. The purpose of these meetings was for the Council to gain a solid appreciation of experts' and stakeholders' experiences in addressing elder abuse matters, in particular by identifying circumstances that provoke and lead to abuse of seniors. These meetings were held to enrich the pool of ideas on good practices for raising awareness as a means of prevention.

The National Seniors Council subsequently submitted a report on the issue to the federal government in November 2007.

The Government of Canada is helping combat all forms of elder abuse-physical, financial, psychological and sexual-as well as neglect, by taking action on a number of fronts:

- In Budget 2008, the federal government furthered its commitment to combatting elder abuse by announcing funding of $13 million over three years to help seniors and others recognize the signs and symptoms of elder abuse and to develop tools for front-line workers who have regular contact with seniors, alerting them to signs of abuse and helping them provide support.

- In 2009, the federal government launched an elder abuse awareness campaign. Since the start of the campaign, thousands of Canadians have contacted the Government of Canada to get more information.

- The New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) helps ensure that seniors are able to benefit from and contribute to the quality of life in their communities through social participation and active living. The program was expanded by $10 million per year, with a portion of the new funding to be used for elder abuse awareness.

- A one-time call for proposals for the Federal Elder Abuse Initiative through the New Horizons for Seniors Program was also launched on June 15, 2009. This call for proposals will fund up to 10 projects in total. The maximum funding is $200,000 per project over 24 months. National and Quebec professional associations are invited to visit www.seniors.gc.ca for further information.

- The Government of Canada has introduced new legislation to help protect all Canadians, including seniors, against identity theft.

Abridged
SOURCE:    EarthTimes.Org
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Inquiry Call Over Care Home Body (Wales)

25 November 2009

By Hywel Griffith

BBC Wales health correspondent

There are calls for an independent inquiry into the body that inspects care homes in Wales after a BBC investigation showed some are repeatedly failing to meet basic standards.

The Week In Week Out 'Who Cares in Wales' programme looks at whether vulnerable elderly people's rights are being protected by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW).

The owner of a care home in south Wales which was at the centre of the investigation failed in an attempt at the High Court to stop the programme from being broadcast.

The programme includes undercover filming at the home - which shows rules being breached repeatedly - with frail elderly people being lifted incorrectly, and the dignity of residents being compromised.

The Welsh Assembly Government says it is confident in the way the CSSIW carries out checks on care homes.

On Wednesday, it issued revised guidelines which it says will protect vulnerable adults.

But the chair of the assembly's public accounts committee is calling for an independent inquiry.

Abridged
SOURCE:   BBC News, UK
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Elder Abuse Awareness Program (MA. USA)

Georgetown senior activities

 November 26, 2009

The Georgetown Senior Center is at the First Congregational Church on Andover Street. For more information about programs, call the Council on Aging office at 978-352-5726.

Elder abuse program Dec. 8: 

The Elder Justice Network of the Greater North Shore will present an informational program on elder abuse Tuesday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m., at the First Congregational Church. The program will include information about the different forms that elder abuse can take including physical, financial exploitation, emotional and self-neglect. The program will also provide information regarding the warning signs of elder abuse as well as ways to help if elder abuse is suspected.

SOURCE:    NewburyPort News
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Mother and Daughter Found Guilty of Elder Abuse (CA. USA)

BY KIMBER SOLANA

NOVEMBER 25, 2009

A Carmel mother and daughter were found guilty Wednesday of elder abuse by Monterey County Superior Court Judge Terrance R. Duncan.

Lisa MacAdams, 53, and Christi Schoenbachler, 30, will be sentenced Jan. 15 and face a maximum penalty of four years and eight months in prison, officials said.

The victim is MacAdams’ mother – and Schoenbachler’s grandmother – and was abandoned at the Monterey Care Center after the pair took over all her finances, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office said.

In 2002, when the victim was 72, she moved with her daughter to Monterey County, officials said. She had money from the sale of her mobile home, about $90,000, along with furniture, artwork and jewelry valued up to $200,000.

By July 2004, the victim’s bank account had been drained, officials said. Her annuity had been cashed out and all her personal possessions had been sold off.

Schoenbachler and MacAdams were charged with felony violations of grand theft and financial elder abuse by a caretaker. They were also charged with two misdemeanor counts of inflicting unjustifiable mental suffering on an elder for twice abandoning the victim in a residential facility

SOURCE:    The Californian.Com

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Seniors Taking Aim At Elder Abuse (CANADA)

25 November 2009

 by staffwriter

As conscious youth we often have a desire to make our mark in society, but there are times when we do not know what we can do to make a difference. Consider an opportunity to help a group of people who came to Canada feeling an intense sense of isolation and displacement of identity in finding themselves in a new country, yet managed to develop a sense of community and culture for us to grow up in. This group of people is the elderly in South Asian communities. Today, there are many among the elderly that are victims of elder abuse and suffer in silence.

So where do we as youth come into the picture? Here is an opportunity for us youth to give back by working alongside seniors in raising awareness on the issues of elder abuse.

This month marks the launch of REH’MA Community Services latest project titled “Seniors Taking Aim at Elder Abuse”.  This project is in large part funded by the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) and REH’MA itself.

For more than a decade, REH’MA Community Services has been committed to the well-being of seniors, women, youth and newcomers to Canada. It encourages seniors to take a leading role in understanding the perceptions, beliefs and attitudes about elder abuse in Muslim Communities.

“Seniors have committed so much to building our communities – they are the movers of the past for where we are today”, said Amra Munawar the Project Director of REH’MA Community Services. “In this year long project, seniors will be providing leadership and sharing their knowledge and skills with others.”  

The aims of the project are to raise awareness of elder abuse in Muslim communities. Elder abuse is any abuse or neglect of a person aged 60 or older by a caregiver, spouse, family member, friend or a neighbour, where there is an expectation of trust that threatens his/her safety. This can include physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and/or financial exploitation.

This project is of a very unique nature. Seniors will be a vital part of a steering committee and will use their skills and experiences to oversee the project. Working alongside university students, scholars and professionals in related fields, they will design the project, conduct focus groups with seniors from Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, collect data, and submit reports.

The “Seniors Taking Aim at Elder Abuse” project is a new and very important endeavor for our communities. If you are interested in participating in this project, contact Fatima Sajan, Project Coordinator for REH’MA Community Services at fatima@rehma-cs.org.

SOURCE:    SAGENNEXT.COM
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Flint Man Charged With Elder Abuse (MI. USA)

November 25, 2009

By Lori Dougovito 

Another case of alleged elder abuse in Genesee County was heard in court on Wednesday.

David Ribarchik, 47, of Flint Township, has been charged with one count of first degree vulnerable adult abuse. It's a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

His mother is the purported victim.

Abridged
SOURCE:    ABC LOCAL.GO.COM
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Apology Over Removal to Care Home (UK)

24 November, 2009

A Norfolk pensioner who was separated from her husband after more than 60 years after he was taken to a care home has received a public apology.

Marjorie Butcher, 86, of Bunwell, near Diss, was "devastated" when her husband James was removed to a nursing home by Norfolk County Council.

She started a claim for false imprisonment against the council.

But the High Court in London heard she had agreed to withdraw the case after the council offered a full apology.

Judge Sir Christopher Holland heard that James was removed from their home on 21 July, 2006, despite protests to social workers and carers.

'Upsetting events'

Mrs Butcher started a legal action for alleged false imprisonment and breaches of the Human Rights Act.

However, Mrs Butcher withdrew the case after the local authority, which had denied her claims, offered a fulsome apology.

Abridged
SOURCE:     BBC.CO.UK
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Children Who Abandon Elderly Parents in Infirmaries Could Face Legal Action (Jamaica)

KINGSTON (JIS):

November 24, 2009

Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government, Hon. Robert Montague, has said that the Department is contemplating legal action, under the Maintenance Act, against Jamaicans, who abandon their elderly parents in state care.

"You have some children out there, lawyers, doctors, teachers, who have abandoned their elderly relatives and leave them to the state and we need to deal with that," Mr. Montague stated yesterday (November 23) as he addressed a contract signing ceremony held at the Department's Hagley Park Road office.

He noted that while the Maintenance Act is usually enforced against delinquent fathers, it is rarely imposed against children of the elderly.

According to the Local Government State Minister, some elderly persons are taken to the infirmaries by family members, who then take control of their possessions. He noted that this ought not to happen.

Abridged
SOURCE:    Jamaica Information Service
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United Way Provides Bridge Funding For Elder Abuse Prevention Program (ON. CANADA)

United Way provides bridge funding for elder abuse prevention program

November 24, 2009

BY NROCRC

The United Way has provided funding to keep the Nepean Rideau and Osgoode Community Resource Centre (NROCRC)’s elder abuse prevention and education program going.

“We came very close to having to shut this important program down next month,” says Howard Kravitz, NROCRC executive director. “The bridge funding from United Way allows us to go forward with the important services we currently provide, as well as breathing room to continue to explore stable long-term funding.”

Kravitz was informed that last Tuesday, Nov. 17 that the United Way Community Services Cabinet approved a sum of $10,811 to support the Elder Abuse Response and Referral Service (EARRS) at NROCRC.

The NROCRC sponsors the elder abuse prevention service for residents of Ottawa in collaboration with the Eastern Ottawa Resource Centre. EARRS provides assessment, case management, referral and linkage services to seniors dealing with physical abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. EARRS also provides information and referrals to friends, family members, service providers and anyone who is concerned about a senior.

Abridged
SOURCE:    YourNepean.Com

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Indian Government Urges States to Implement Old People's Maintenance Act (INDIA)

The Indian government is forcing all its states to bring into immediate effect an act that will benefit older people. All the states, apart from six, have implemented the act.

According to D. Napoleon, India's minister of state for social justice & empowerment, all the states and union territories excepting Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur and Sikkim have brought the Maintenance And Welfare of Parents And Senior Citizens Act, 2007 into force.

The remaining states have been urged to immediately notify and implement the Act.

The minister also informed that the Scheme for Integrated Programme for Older Persons that was revised in April 2008 will prioritize sensitizing programs for children in schools and colleges.

The government is also in the process of providing financial assistance to non governmental organizations to aid in the construction of old age homes and running and maintaining the same.

Mathew Cherian, CEO, HelpAge India says, "The government says that one old age home is to be maintained in every district. However, the funding is not enough to fulfill that criteria."

Cherian also feels old age homes are not the solution. "The government should strengthen its pubic health system and sensitize children to look after their parents. Otherwise in a vast country like India, it is impossible to accommodate all the old people in old age homes," Cherian says.

People over 65 years constitute 5.3% of the Indian population. This number is expected to grow to 170 million in the next 25 years. According to HelpAge India, 47.3% of elders are abused by their own children.

The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act was passed in 2007 to protect the rights of the elderly. The Act makes it a punishable offense to abandon parents who are unable to maintain themselves.

However, as Cherian says, the law only talks about punishment. There should be instead a system of incentives. "Looking after the old can be expensive. The government should provide some kind of incentive in the form of maybe tax breaks to children who look after their parents to encourage them."

He adds, "The law is against the very ethos of India. No parents will ever lodge a complaint against their children unless pushed to the extreme. So, it is not like atrocities do not hapen - but very few gets reported."

SOURCE:    All Headline News

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Alleged Elder Abuser Scheduled For A Plea Hearing (MN. USA)

Larson Hearing Is Slated For December

By Sarah Stultz 

 Albert Lea Tribune

November 23, 2009

Nineteen-year-old Ashton Larson, one of the two young women charged with alleged elder abuse at Good Samaritan Society of Albert Lea, is scheduled for a plea hearing Dec. 17 in Freeborn County District Court.

At this hearing, Larson will enter a plea for her charges, which include two counts of fifth-degree assault, five counts of criminal abuse of a vulnerable adult, two counts of disorderly conduct of a vulnerable adult and one count of mandatory failure to report.

The hearing will come a month after Freeborn County District Court Judge Steve Schwab issued a written order denying the motion made by Larson’s lawyer to dismiss the criminal complaint against his client for lack of probable cause.

In the order, he stated the case should be scheduled for trial by jury as early as possible.

Charges in the case came in December 2008 after an investigation into the allegations of abuse by local and Minnesota Department of Health officials; however, details of the allegations surfaced August 2008 after the release of the Department of Health’s report.

The report concluded four teenagers were involved in verbal, sexual and emotional abuse of 15 residents at the nursing home in Albert Lea from January through May 2008. The residents suffered from mental degradation conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Co-defendant Brianna Broitzman pleaded not guilty to similar charges in August. Her jury trial has been scheduled for April 2010.

Larson’s hearing will be at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 17.

The case once garnered national attention from media outlets such as NBC’s “Today,” The Associated Press and “Paul Harvey News and Comment.” The spotlight on the case likely will return at trial.

Abridged
SOURCE:     Albert Lea Tribune, MN. USA

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Abuse of The Elderly Soars (UK)

Abuse of the elderly soars

23rd November 2009

Exclusive By James Connell

ABUSE of vulnerable elderly and disabled people in Worcestershire has increased dramatically in the space of a year, according to a shocking new health report.

Figures show that there were 442 referrals of vulnerable adults to social care services in Worcestershire in 2009/09, a 72 per cent increase on the previous year when there were only 257 referrals which in turn increased from 97 referrals the year before that.

Sandra Rote, director of clinical development and executive nurse lead with NHS Worcestershire, said the rise should be seen positively as it showed that more people were reporting abuse so something could be done about it.

Abridged

SOURCE:    The Worcester News, UK

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Congress Targets Senior Abuse (USA)

Congress Targets Senior Abuse

By Rick Schmitt

KHN Staff Writer

NOV 23, 2009

When it comes to political, social or health causes, elder abuse has not had the star power of some other movements focusing on the rights of vulnerable people.

Last month, actress Nicole Kidman headlined a congressional hearing on violence against women, and stars of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" appeared at a Capitol Hill rally for child-abuse victims. An event sponsored by a coalition of elder abuse groups, meanwhile, featured ordinary senior citizens, recounting in sometimes aching detail how they or their loved ones had been physically and emotionally abused or financially exploited. 


Committee on Aging, is a co-sponsor of the Elder Justice Act. (The median age of her constituents back home is also one of the highest in the nation.)

Supporters say elder abuse should be addressed in healthcare overhaul legislation because it pushes up healthcare costs and because financial exploitation of the elderly leaves many destitute and reliant on public assistance.

"This is prevention, which is a healthcare issue," says Robert Blancato, who heads the Elder Justice Coalition, an umbrella group for more than 500 groups that support the legislation. They include AARP, the American Bar Assn., and industry groups representing nursing homes and long-term providers, among others.

Abridged
SOURCE:     Kaiser Health News
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Minister Breaks The Silence On Elder Abuse (New Zealand)

Press Release: New Zealand Government

HON JOHN CARTER

Minister for Senior Citizens   

23 November 2009

Media Statement

Minister breaks the silence on elder abuse

Senior Citizens’ Minister John Carter is taking the “It’s Not OK” message on the road, travelling to Wairoa today to raise awareness of elder abuse and neglect.

Speaking at the Breaking the Silence Hui, Mr Carter says the detection and prevention of elder abuse is one of his top priorities – and one all communities need to be involved in.

“It’s fantastic to see community groups here in Wairoa coming together to raise awareness about domestic violence and elder abuse.

“One of the most effective ways in which we can protect the rights and interests of older people is by raising awareness of elder abuse and neglect. Sadly, many of those experiencing abuse are suffering in silence – and this has got to change.”

Research shows up to 50,000 older New Zealanders may be suffering abuse, which is most likely to occur at the hands of a family member.

“We have to wake up to the different signs of elder abuse. Often, there are no cuts or bruises to see – but someone you love may be suffering abuse nonetheless.

“Using older people’s money without consent, treating older people like children, and hurling verbal abuse at them – these are all utterly unacceptable forms of ill-treatment.”

Mr Carter says Age Concern and the Campaign for Action on Family Violence have produced a booklet, Take the time … value older people, which sets out common forms of elder abuse and illustrates how family members, friends and carers can best protect, and enhance the dignity of, older New Zealanders.

“I hope as many Kiwis as possible read this booklet – because the longer we ignore elder abuse, the longer our older family members and friends will suffer in silence.”

SOURCE:   The Scoop, New Zealand

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Care Home Let Gran, 90, Wander Out and Freeze to Death (UK)

By Nick Owens

 22/11/2009

'No one noticed for three hours'

A woman of 90 died from hypothermia after she wandered away from her care home for 16 hours.

Former nurse Margaret Titchmarsh froze to death when she disappeared on a bitterly cold night in a thin summer dress.

An investigation has revealed how the shocking failings by carers at the Holme Dene home in Halifax, West Yorks, were ultimately responsible for grandmother Mrs Titchmarsh's death.

The basement door she wandered out of had no lock on it. And staff had no system in place to count residents, which meant it took three hours to notice Margaret had gone and raise the alarm. By then it was too late.

Yesterday Margaret's son Martin said his mother's death was another example of the disturbing lack of dignity shown to elderly people in care homes across the UK.

Martin, 60, an education adviser from Royston, Cambs, said: "When my mum went missing, no one had a clue where she was.

"The home had no system to count residents. They had a penny-pinching owner who wouldn't pay for anything.

"My mum had cared for people all her life. But at the end of her own life she was not cared for properly and was let down. She deserved better... we simply must show more dignity to the elderly."

Abridged

SOURCE:     The Mirror, UK

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ID Theft And Elder Abuse Suspect Convicted (GA. USA)

ID theft and elder abuse suspect convicted

Nov 20, 2009

By WTOC staff

A case of identity fraud and elder abuse wrapped up in court on Thursday.

Tamera Bascine Smith has been convicted of over 30 counts of identitiy fraud, computer thefts, and elder abuse for crimes committed while working at the Tara Nursing Home in Thunderbolt. Smith plead guilty to all the charges a few weeks ago.

Thursday, a superior court judge sentenced Smith to a six year sentence, five of which will be in prison.

Defendant Tamara Bascine Smith was employed as a Certified Nursing Assistant at the Tara Nursing Home in Thunderbolt from July 2007 to January 2008. Prior to that, Smith was employed at Westview Nursing Home in Port Wentworth.

Abridged
SOURCE:     WTOCTV

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Seven Arrested In $150 Million Real Estate Fraud Investigation (CA. USA)

Seven arrested in$150 million real estate fraud investigation

DESERT SUN WIRE SERVICE

 NOVEMBER 19, 2009

Seven people suspected of perpetrating a $150 million securities and mortgage fraud scheme that victimized hundreds of Riverside County residents are facing around 250 felony charges, prosecutors said today.

``They stole millions of millions of dollars from individuals who live in our community, banks and financial institutions,'' said District Attorney Rod Pacheco. ``They also damaged neighborhoods and substantially contributed to the economic collapse of our real estate market.''

The alleged mastermind of the scheme, James Benjamin Duncan, 38, is in custody, as are alleged co-conspirators Charlie Sung Muk Choi, 34, Thuan Nhan
Du, 33, Cindi Gayle Kelly, 33, Maurice McLeod, 37, and Helen Moreno Pedrino, 47.

They're being held on varying bail amounts at county jails in Riverside and Murrieta, according to Pacheco.

Another defendant, Hendrix Moreno Montecastro, 37, remains at large.

According to the criminal complaint, the crimes occurred between 2005 and 2007 and involved securities fraud, grand theft, identity theft and financial elder abuse.

There are 36 named victims, but Pacheco said they comprise a ``representative class,'' and the actual number of victims ranges into the hundreds.

At the heart of the scheme were two companies -- Pacific Wealth Management and Stonewood Investments, headed by Duncan, prosecutors allege.

The defendants relied largely on Internet advertisements, investment seminars and word-of-mouth reviews to reel in victims, the District Attorney's Office alleges.
According to Pacheco, the defendants promised a 19 percent annual return on real estate investments, but most of the money received was pocketed by the alleged scam artists or teased out to original investors in a Ponzi scheme.

Abridged
SOURCE:     MyDesert.Com

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Sentencing in Elder Abuse Case Reset (MI. USA)

Sentencing in elder abuse case reset

By Kelly Dame

November 20, 2009

The sentencing of a Midland man charged in connection with a case of elder abuse is being rescheduled, and will include additional witnesses and documents for a judge to consider.

Jonathan Philips Nelson, 54, entered no contest pleas to charges of embezzlement of $20,000 or more from a vulnerable adult, second-degree abuse of a vulnerable adult and a habitual fourth offender status. The charges were filed after Nelson’s 84-year-old mother suffered a fractured ankle in the spring which became a more complicated injury when she continued to walk. The injury, combined with other health problems, resulted in the amputation of her right foot.

Prosecutors accuse Nelson of ignoring his mother’s medical needs; his attorney, Scott Isles of Midland, states Nelson honored his mother’s wishes by waiting to take her to her family doctor rather than the emergency room. She died in September.

Nelson appeared Friday morning before Midland County Circuit Court Judge Jonathan E. Lauderbach at what was to be his sentencing hearing, and Isles requested an evidentiary sentencing hearing, including testimony of witnesses on behalf of Nelson, be held.

The evidentiary sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 7.


Abridged
SOURCE:    Our Midland News
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Melrose's EPOCH Abuse Case Continued Without a Finding (CA. USA)

By Daniel DeMaina

Nov 19, 2009

A former certified nurse aide at Melrose’s EPOCH Senior Healthcare nursing home, who in August pled not guilty to charges that she punched and pushed down an 83-year-old resident of the nursing home who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, changed her plea last month and asked for the case to be continued without a finding, which the judge granted, according to the state attorney general’s office.

On Oct. 1 in Malden District Court, the judge also ordered Marie Michel 54, of Medford, to serve one year of probation with the condition that she not work with the elderly or disabled and that she not contact the victim or the victim’s family, according to Jill Butterworth, spokeswoman for the state attorney general’s office.

Butterworth said that the state had been seeking a guilty plea with a one-year probation period that carries the same conditions imposed on Michel last month.

“As long as she abides by the terms of probation in the next year, this won’t be on her record,” she said, explaining the legal meaning of ‘continued without a finding’

Abridged
SOURCE:     The WickedLocal.Com

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Elder Abuse Continues To Climb In State (Dane County, USA)

Elder abuse continues to climb in state, Dane County

By Dean Mosiman

November 19, 2009

Once again, reports of elder abuse reached new highs in Dane County and the state, a state report says.

Increases are likely due to a growing senior population, better awareness and the bad economy, advocates and officials said.

"Every referral is troubling," said Fran Genter, administrator for the county's Adult Community Services Division. "We've always known we're only at the tip of the iceberg."

Still, the county and state aren't committing more resources to combat abuse.

"We're doing the best we can given the fiscal environment with the state and the feds," county Human Services Director Lynn Green said. "We haven't been able to increase resources in any area."

Two years ago, the State Journal's seven-day series, "Elder Abuse: A Silent Shame," found social service and justice systems barely able to handle reported cases, missing the majority of the abuse, and unready to handle aging baby boomers who will soon challenge the system.

Abridged
SOURCE:    Wisconsin State Journal

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