Disclaimer

**** DISCLAIMER

Any Charges Reported on this blog are Merely Accusations and the Defendants are Presumed Innocent Unless and Until Proven Guilty, through the courts.

January 31, 2010

The Rights Of A Nursing Home Resident (USA)

The Rights of a Nursing Home Resident

A recent series of articles in the Wall Street Journal have painted a disturbing picture of nursing homes nationwide systematically medicating residents with anti-psychotic drugs in an attempt to control their conduct and behavior. The Wall Street Journal has reported that the use of new anti-psychotic drugs to control behavior of dementia patients has surged, despite FDA warnings about the use of said drugs. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has also reported that approximately thirty percent of nursing home residents are taking anti-psychotic drugs.
Although reports of this nature are not new, they reinforce the need for attorneys, families and friends to know, understand and effectively advocate nursing home residents' rights.




The 1987 Nursing Home Reform Act ("NHRA"), part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987("OBRA"), established quality standards for nursing homes nationwide and defined the state survey and certification process to enforce the standards (42 CFR 283.0). These regulations represent minimum standards for long term care facilities. They were promulgated to improve the quality of care of their residents. The general goals of OBRA are to:
(a) promote and enhance the quality of life of the resident;
(b) provide services and activities to attain or maintain the highest practicable, physical, mental and psycho social well being of each resident in accordance with a written plan of care;
(c) provide that resident and advocate participation is a criteria for assessing the facilities compliance with administrator requirements; and
(d) assure access to the State's Long Term Care Ombudsman (a 3rd party resident advocate) to the facilities residents, and assure that the Ombudsman has access to records, residents and care providers.
The goals are implemented by NHRA establishing the Resident's Bill of Rights:
  • The right to freedom from abuse, mistreatment, and neglect;
  • The right to freedom from physical restraints;
  • The right to privacy;
  • The right to accommodation of medical, physical, psychological, and social needs;
  • The right to participate in resident and family groups;
  • The right to be treated with dignity;
  • The right to exercise self-determination;
  • The right to communicate freely;
  • The right to participate in the review of one's care plan, and to be fully
  • informed in advance about any changes in care, treatment, or change of status in the facility; and
The right to voice grievances without the discrimination or reprisal.


 Abridged
SOURCE:    eZineArticles
_________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Elder Abuse Still Happens (USA)

January 28, 2010

The following is part of a series of informational articles aimed at increasing public awareness about the services provided by the Kamloops Victim Services Unit.
A recent national survey revealed four per cent of individuals over the age of 65 have suffered some form of abuse or neglect.  
Abuse refers to an action by a person in a position of trust that causes harm to another.
Neglect is any inaction, whether intended or not, by someone in a position of trust which causes harm to an older person.
Abuse and neglect can happen to seniors of any age, gender, ability or culture.  
It can take place in the home, in residential-care facilities or in public places.  
Abusers may be family members, care providers or others involved in seniors’ lives.  
Abuse can include being verbally abused, humiliated or threatened; forced to sign over cheques or not allowed to access their own money; pushed or handled roughly; and inappropriate sexual advances.
Elder abuse is often hidden because those being abused may be too embarrassed to report it or they may not be certain if what they are experiencing is really abuse.  
They may fear retaliation from the abuser or they may simply not know with whom to discuss their concerns.
No one deserves this kind of treatment; if left unchecked, it will only get worse.  
The unit offers a variety of information and services, at no cost, to any victim or witness of crime or trauma.  
All unit members have received specialized, comprehensive training in victims’ issues, the criminal-justice system and crisis-intervention techniques.
The unit is located at the main police detachment at 560 Battle St.   
Victim Services operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and may be accessed by calling 250-828-3223.



SOURCE:    BC LOCALNEWS
_________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

January 29, 2010

Care Worker Arrested In Alleged Thefts From Elders (CA. USA)

Care worker arrested in alleged thefts from elders
The Associated Press
01/26/2010

A Sacramento-area care worker is facing charges after investigators say she stole thousands of dollars worth of cash and jewelry from senior citizens she was caring for.
Placer County authorities say Sasi Raj was taken into custody at the Eskaton Lodge in Granite Bay Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of elder abuse and burglary.
Sheriff's Sgt. Brian Whigam says after her arrest at the senior care facility, Raj confessed to stealing from more than 50 different seniors. The 46-year-old Raj blamed a gambling problem for the alleged thefts.
Whigam says detectives have recovered more than 400 different pieces of jewelry, including rings and necklaces, from Raj's car and home.
Whigham says Raj also confessed to stealing between $5,000 and $10,000 in cash.
It was not known if she had retained an attorney.



SOURCE:    The Mercury News
_________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Elder Abuse And Neglect Statistic Shocking (NZ)

28 January 2010
Press Release: Home Instead Senior Care
Elder Abuse And Neglect Statistics Shocking


More than 70 percent of Elder Abuse and Neglect cases are committed by family members.
For many, the thought of intentionally taking advantage of an aged relation, especially a parent who has cared for them as a child, is difficult to imagine. The reality, however, is somewhat grimmer with statistics released recently by Age Concern showing incidents of Elder Abuse and Neglect are still very much present throughout New Zealand.
With over 961 seniors reporting abuse via Elder Abuse and Neglect Prevention (EANP) Services in the year up to September 2009, the overall issue is one that Home Instead Senior Care is keen to highlight within the community. Home Instead Senior Care is a provider of non-medical home help and services for older people.
“Increasing awareness of this issue is one of a number of tools we can use to support our elderly with the issue of Elder Abuse and Neglect,” says Neil Farnworth, general manager of Home Instead Senior Care (NZ).


Anyone concerned about an elderly relative or neighbour’s safety should contact their nearest Elder Abuse and Neglect Prevention Service operated by Age Concern or they can contact the Police directly if the situation is an emergency or out of regular business hours.
Home Instead Senior Care team members are available to speak to community groups about Elder Abuse and Neglect in areas where Home Instead offices are located.

Abridged
SOURCE:      Scoop.Co.NZ
________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

January 27, 2010

Man Wanted In Elderly Mistreatment Case (ORE. USA)

January 26, 2010
PORTLAND, Ore. – 

A man accused of leaving his elderly mother in a bath tub for more than 18 hours and also bilking her out of thousands of dollars is being sought by Multnomah County deputies.

The county's Warrant Strike Team is trying to track down 48-year-old Douglas Marcks.

Marcks was supposed to be his elderly mother's live-in caretaker at her southeast Portland apartment, according to Deputy Jon Zwick. After paramedics found the woman unconscious in 2007, detectives said they discovered Marcks wasn't fulfilling his duties.

"Her living conditions were horrid. Her bed was full of feces. She was covered in feces," Zwick said. "It was obvious there was a serious lack of someone talking care of her. The smell was wretched."
Trevor Erlacher, who lived next door to Marcks for about two years, said he's disturbed by the details of the case against his former neighbor.
"It's not that surprising when I think about it. They kept this place in terrible shape," Erlacher said. "He was a terrible neighbor."
In addition to the living conditions, investigators said, there were other problems at the apartment.
"He would physically lock her in her room for unknown amounts of time," Zwick said. "(He would) take her pension money and spend it on whatever he saw for himself."
Detectives said Marcks' mother received about $1,000 per month in Social Security and also receive a pension check of $7,000 each year.
Marcks spent his mother's final pension check within a couple of weeks, deputies said. She passed away in 2008.
"When asked what happened, he said he had taken a trip to New York to buy a program he had seen on an infomercial," Zwick said.
Anyone with information on Marcks' whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff's office.


SOURCE:     KPTV.COM
______________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Former Employees Talk About Problems At Senior Care Facility (DE. USA)

Former employees talk about problems at senior care facility
by Joe Mauceri
26 January 2010
Yesterday we told you about several cases of elder abuse at Glencare assisted living in Wilmington. A DSS investigation revealed violations ranging from sexual abuse and rape to poor distribution of medication.
Our investigation was sparked by an e-mail from a former Glencare employee. WWAY's Joe Mauceri sat down with that woman and another former employee who say conditions have not improved since last year's DSS investigation. Corey Rotella says residents at Glencare have "inhumane living conditions." Rotella says she tried to alert DSS, government leaders and other media about the deplorable conditions before she was fired.
"The longer I worked there the more I saw that things weren't making sense," Rotella said.
Glencare of Wilmington hired Rotella as a housekeeper last June. After a month or two she was promoted to nurses aide in the Special Care Unit. Rotella says the unit, which houses demented and other special needs residents, was always short on supplies.

Since being fired, Rotella has started a petition to reform the laws and regulations for adult care homes in North Carolina. Click here to check it out


Abridged
SOURCE:      WWAYTV3

_____________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Four Residents In Elder Abuse Case Sue Nursing Home (Minneapolis, USA)



By Sarah Stultz
Albert Lea Tribune
January 26, 2010


Four of the alleged victims in the highly publicized elder abuse case at Good Samaritan Society of Albert Lea and their families have sued the operator of the nursing home and four of the former certified nursing assistants.
The civil lawsuit, filed Monday in Freeborn County District Court, comes on the heels of criminal trials slated for this summer.
At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, lawyers with two Minneapolis law firms said the four plaintiffs in the civil lawsuit are alive and are acting in the case via power of attorney granted to relatives. The power-of-attorney relatives filing the suit are Kathy Iverson, LeeAnn Hojberg, Paul Knutson and Morris Blom. The Tribune has withheld the names of the alleged victims.
Former nursing assistants Brianna Broitzman, Ashton Larson, Alicia Heilmann and Kaylee Nash are defendants in the case, along with the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, which runs nursing homes in many Upper Midwest cities including the Good Samaritan Society of Albert Lea, where the acts of physical, sexual and emotional abuse of residents with dementia are alleged to have occurred.
(*Please go to Source for specifics of the law suit)

Abridged
SOURCE:    Albert Lea Tribune

_________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

January 26, 2010

Reports Show Problems At Wilmington Senior Care Center (DE. USA)

by Joe Mauceri
25 January 2010
We've uncovered case after case of what's commonly called "elder abuse" at a local nursing home. The complaints range from sexual abuse and rape to poor distribution of medication and sub-standard living conditions.
We got an email from a woman who worked at Glencare of Wilmington alerting us and local government leaders of what she calls "inhumane living conditions and treatment of residents." We spoke with her and another former employee. Then we searched Glencare's file at the Department of Social Services to separate fact from fiction. We were shocked at what we found. DSS got six complaints about Glencare last January alone. While the specific complaints aren't documented, here's what DSS found after an investigation:

First residents in the Special Care Unit, which houses dementia patients and others with special needs, were not getting adequate supervision. In one case the report shows that one resident was lying at the end of his bed with no pants on while another resident with no pants on was standing behind, sexually assaulting him. 


Abridged
SOURCE:    WWAYTV3

________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Death of Nancy Kerrigan's Father Raises Issues of Elder Abuse (Chicago, usa)

January 25,
By Deborah O'Malley

The father of former Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan is dead and Kerrigan’s brother is charged in the battery and assault that may have contributed to his death.
Daniel Kerrigan, 70, died this weekend and his 45-year-old son Mark is now arrested and charged with assault and battery of a person over 60, resulting in bodily harm, according to the Associated Press.
WBZ-TV reports that court documents indicate Mark and his father argued over the use of a telephone in the father’s home Saturday night. There was a struggle and Mark tells police his father fell to the floor during the fight.
The story presents a good, though unfortunate, opportunity to look at the issue of elder abuse.
For several years now, agencies in Chicago and Illinois have been working to stem an inevitable increase in elder abuse as the population ages, whether that abuse involve physical violence or neglect.
Fortunately, incidents of parricide are still rare. Police receive more reports of neglect, which in extreme cases, can lead to death.
Locally, there are many resources available for senior citizens who feel they are being abused.


Abridged
SOURCE:    The Examiner
________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

January 25, 2010

Should Victims of California Financial Elder Abuse Be Forced into Bankruptcy (CA. USA)

Should victims of California Financial Elder Abuse be forced into Bankruptcy to save their homes from Foreclosure?
By admin
January 22, 2010


PREDATORY LENDING MEETS ELDER ABUSE: ARE LENDERS PERMITTED TO FORECLOSE ON PREDATORY OPTION ARM LOANS AND OTHER COMPLICATED FINANCIAL PRODICTS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA?
The following article discusses general legal information on the topic of elder abuse and foreclosure defense. This article contains general legal information and not specific legal advice. In addition, the article, cases, and analysis may not be complete and comprehensive or up-to-date. Steve Vondran, Esq. is licensed to practice law in California and Arizona. He practices law in the area of Real Estate, Bankruptcy, and Foreclosure Defense. He can be reached at steve@vondranlaw.com.
INTRODUCTION TO ELDER ABUSE AND PREDATORY LENDING
The elderly population (over 65 years of age) is one of the fastest growing segments of society. Medical science is helping people live longer, more productive lives. However, it is fairly common knowledge that as each of us grow older, whether we like it or not, we lose some of our mental and physical capacities.
In the context of mortgage loans, it may mean that elderly persons become less able to comprehend sophisticated financial products such as Option Arm Loans (pay options ARM / “pick-a-pay loans) and Reverse Mortgages and other adjustable rate mortgage and interest-only loan products that differ from the traditional 30 year fixed rate mortgage most California homeowners grew up on.
The California Attorney General’s Office has issued a guide for “financial elder abuse.” 

SOURCE:     The Law Offices of Steven C. Vondran
___________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Health Alarm Raised About Two State-Operated Veterans Homes (Pennsylvania, USA)

Health alarm raised about two state-operated veterans homes


By Walter F. Roche Jr.
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

January 25, 2010
After Pennsylvania health inspectors visited the 514-bed Hollidaysburg Veterans Home in February, they were clearly alarmed.
Inspectors saw patients screaming, biting and kicking as four attendants held them down for bathing or treatment. Often, the inspectors found, patients received improper doses of powerful psychotropic drugs to avert bedlam. And when a staff member reported concerns about physical abuse of a resident, inspectors determined no one investigated.
"The administrator and director of nursing were not fulfilling their essential job duties to ensure the safety and proper health care services for residents," the inspectors concluded in a 37-page report.
Experts the Tribune-Review interviewed say the use of drugs is not the first-line treatment for dementia patients with behavioral problems. What's more, state law mandates that hospital administrators investigate reports of suspected abuse.

At Hollidaysburg, inspectors found the home out of compliance on three occasions in 2009. As a result, the home's license was placed on a provisional or probationary status from February to June.
The violations of state and federal rules included failure to notify physicians and family members about changes in patients' conditions; unsanitary incontinence care; and overuse of side rails, which caused patients to become trapped and suffer injuries.
Medication worries
In one inspection, health surveyors detailed an alarming situation in the 77-bed dementia unit.
According to the report, a nurse's aide "indicated the psychiatrist told her that he was very concerned with the staff working on the East II unit, as the unit had more incidents and requests for medicine in the last year than previously. There was no evidence the facility investigated the additional concerns in this statement."




Abridged
SOURCE:    The Pittsburgh Live
_______________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Know The Rules On Charitable Bequests (USA)

By Enid Ablowitz, For the Camera

 01/24/2010


The new non-fiction best-selling story of Brooke Astor's last year makes for interesting reading, particularly in light of her octogenarian son's recent conviction and prison sentence.




Mrs. Astor lived to be 105 and suffered great indignities at the end of her life based on decisions made for her. She was frequently referred to as America's version of royalty and was known, particularly in New York, as a beloved patron and doyenne of society.
Her persona lies in stark contrast to the spectacle and the media frenzy around her later years, largely because of the actions of her son. The formal crime? Grand theft. The back story? Elder abuse.
In a nutshell, according to the book and other media sources, in addition to taking personal property and selling favorite and valuable art, then charging grossly excessive commissions without consultation or authorization, her son isolated her by firing all those around her and orchestrated a series of changes to her will.


The multiple new codicils over a period of years altered her intent and redistributed bequests she had made in earlier wills from gifts to her favorite charities to additional bequests to him.



Charitable giving and elders
In the "golden years," there is a great deal of focus on the final distribution of wealth. Some elders begin to make significant gifts in their lifetimes: to family and to their favorite causes.
There is a heightened focus on the final will and testament. Of particular concern is the apportionment between heirs and charitable recipients and the specific amounts within each category.
Here are some thoughts that might help you avoid the Astor effect:


Clarity and communication: Be sure your heirs know and understand your plan, especially if charitable bequests are being made.
Execution of the plan: If there is any question of discord among heirs or if your primary heir would question your other bequests, name a disinterested third party as executor.
Charitable intent: Should you make a charitable bequest through your will, include language about why you are doing so to reveal your values and your commitment. It will help your family understand your motivations.
Competency and undue influence: As you age, if you recognize that you may be overwhelmed by details or making decisions, or if you are confused, protect yourself from undue influence to change your will.
If you weren't the one to initiate action, don't sign. If you do want to make a change, discuss it with your most trusted adviser(s.)


Abridged
SOURCE:   The Daily Camera


__________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

CARP Launches Kelowna Chapter (Canada)

CARP launches Kelowna chapter
by Elisha Dacey
Jan 24, 2010
                                   
An organization that is more than 340,000 members strong has re-launched an Okanagan chapter.

The Okanagan Chapter of the
Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) held their first AGM Wednesday night to elect their first board of directors and begin operations.

"I know there was a chapter here some years ago," says spokesperson Nigel Brown, "but they folded."

Brown says CARP, a national organization that advocates on behalf of older Canadians and the various issues they face, currently has 2,500 members in the Okanagan and they'd like to double that while encouraging people to join the local chapter.

The local chapter will pursue local advocacy efforts on behalf of seniors, while supporting provincial and national efforts to get government action on issues like health care, pensions, elder abuse and ageism, says Brown. 

But while the group does have a strong advocacy side, Brown says the Okanagan Chapter of CARP will also provide a sense of community.

"The Okanagan has twice the national average of seniors, and so they need twice the advocacy," says Brown. They plan to offer information sessions and educational opportunities to members who are interested.

Brown is quick to add CARP isn't just for seniors, it's for anyone 45-plus.

"There are a lot of younger people taking care of their elderly parents," says Brown. "And those people will eventually be elders themselves."

Brown says the steering committee for the chapter includes people from all walks of life, including non-profit groups, a retired diplomat and sales managers.

Brown says the Okanagan chapter's website will be up shortly. In the meantime, people wishing to join the local chapter can do so through the CARP national site and add chapter No. 30 when prompted to do so on the site.

Membership is $35 a year.



SOURCE:     CastaNet
_________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

January 24, 2010

Over Medication In Nursing Home

Overmedication in the Nursing Home

By Paula Span
The New Old Age Blog
 The New York Times

January 11, 2010


The number jumped out at me as I was reading a newly published study on mental health treatment in nursing homes: 71 percent.

Within three months of admission, a team of University of South Florida researchers determined, 71 percent of Medicaid residents in Florida nursing homes were receiving a psychoactive medication — an antidepressant or anti-psychotic, say, or dementia drugs — even though most were not taking such drugs in the months before they moved in and didn’t have psychiatric diagnoses. Fifteen percent of residents were taking four or more such medications. But only 12 percent were getting nondrug treatments like behavioral therapy.

Unlike me, Victor Molinari, a professor of aging at the University of South Florida and lead author of the study, wasn’t startled by those statistics. “They confirmed what I suspected,” he told me in an interview. “And people who work in nursing homes wouldn’t be surprised.” 

To have a great majority of residents on these powerful drugs isn’t, on the face of it, an indictment of the way they’re cared for. Mental health problems are rampant in nursing homes and a primary reason elderly people move in; some observers have taken to comparing nursing homes to psych wards. So some proportion of residents should be receiving treatment, possibly including medication, for anxiety, depression, bipolar disease, schizophrenia or the behavior problems that stem from dementia.

But 71 percent? 


SOURCE:    Global Aging.Org
________________________________


This is the situation in many countries. Not many politicians or Researchers are game enough to reveal the reality in their own country.
It is really up to Elder Advocates, and concerned family members to highlight such situation and call for new measures to ensure that this horrible situation is corrected.


................. AC
______________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Elder Rights In Costa Rica

Elder Rights 
Costa Rica: Candidate for Congress Victim of Abuse for Being an Older Adult (January 11, 2010) 
(Article in Spanish) 
Jose Joaquin Vargas was going to his usual medical checkup when he entered the bus and showed his senior citizen identification. The bus driver seemed bothered by Mr. Vargas and called him a "lazy old man." At age 72, Vargas is one of the candidates for Congress in Costa Rica, and is tired of being treated as an inferior person just because he's old. "With the support of my fellow senior citizens we will have a voice in the Assembly and a chance to defend our rights as Costa Rican citizens," he proclaimed in a recent speech. His campaign's priority is raising awareness about the rights of older persons. 




SOURCE:    Global Aging.Org
___________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Mom, Daughter Charged With Stealing From Senior Citizens (Detroit, USA)

January 22, 2010

Charges have been brought against a woman and her daughter for allegedly posing as health care or aid workers to gain access to senior citizen's homes and robbing them.


Devon Larae Page, 41, and her daughter Kenyatta Page, 20, both of Detroit, are believed to have worn hospital scrubs and stethoscopes and even performed physical examinations in an effort to distract elderly citizens while removing household valuables including cash, credit cards and blank checks. The pair is alleged to have run the scam on at least eight seniors since 2006, taking more than $22,000.
"These are modern day grifters," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said at a press conference today. "There is no one lower than a person who would prey upon our senior citizens."

Sometimes the mother and daughter allegedly posed as volunteers from Meals on Wheels or as Social Security and Focus: HOPE workers, according to Detroit Police. Investigators said it appears neither woman has any professional medical background.
Worthy said in one case, the pair gave a seminar in a senior care facility on the use of Michigan electronic welfare benefit transfer "bridge cards," then returned later to victimize at least one of the residents. She said the pair would make return visits to steal again, but never kept a relationship with any senior for more than three months before moving on.
Devon Page was charged today in the city's 36th District Court with 22 criminal counts stemming from the alleged theft of cash and illegal use of credit cards, ATM cards and blank checks. She was ordered held on $500,000 bond. A preliminary examination will be held Feb. 2.
Kenyatta Page was charged last week with one count of passing bad checks, and also is wanted by authorities for an alleged larceny in Redford Township, according to prosecutors. She is set for a preliminary examination Thursday on the uttering and publishing charge.
Worthy said she suspects the pair victimized many more seniors and asked anyone else who may have had contact with the pair to call assistant prosecutors in her Elder Abuse Unit at (313) 224-5758.


SOURCE:     The Detroit News
________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

January 21, 2010

Former Spitfire Pilot's Ordeal Receives National Attention (UK)

devon.editorial@archant.co.uk
19 January 2010

THE CAMPAIGNING daughter of a former spitfire pilot has received support from people across the country in her fight to ensure he continues to receive NHS care funding.

Sally Mejor, of Foxholes Hill, received a letter two weeks ago which said her father, John Mejor, who lives in Linksway Nursing Home, Douglas Avenue, may no longer receive full financial subsidy for his nursing needs.

Mr Mejor, who suffers from a form of dementia, qualified for the NHS' Continuing Care package 18 months ago.

The story, since appearing exclusively in last week's Journal, has been covered in the media nationwide, including on BBC Radio 4, Five Live and West Country Tonight.

Sally's ordeal, as a result, has touched the hearts of scores of people. Her main concern over the threatened withdrawal of funding is his condition of health has not changed in the 18 month period.

After last week's Journal article, East Devon MP Hugo Swire reiterated his vow to ensure Mr Mejor continues to receive funding - making the pledge in the House of Commons.

Mr Swire said: "Dementia is a distressing and serious condition that not only affects the patient but also their family and carers.

"Dementia was to be made a 'national priority' but this has simply not turned out to be the case. A particularly shocking example is that of my constituent Mr Mejor.


Abridged
SOURCE:     The Exmouth Journal

________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Elder Abuse Laws A Priority For Senior Advocates (USA)



January 20, 2010


KALAMAZOO


Laws to stiffen punishment for exploiting vulnerable adults are working their way through the state Legislature.

Elder-abuse legislation, transit-system improvements and health-care reform, meanwhile, are among local, state and national issues targeted by Kalamazoo County Advocates for Senior Issues for attention in 2010.

State Reps. Jase Bolger, R-Marshall, Larry DeShazor, R-Portage, and Robert Jones, D-Kalamazoo, updated KCASI on issues currently before the Legislature at the organization’s first monthly meeting of the year Monday. All three said they voted for eight elder-abuse bills that have passed the House and are now in the Senate.

About a dozen other elder-abuse-prevention bills, products of an Elder Abuse Task Force, remain in committee in the House.

Bills that have cleared the House include increased penalties for financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult; criminalization of the fraudulent receipt of a signature of a vulnerable adult; acceptance of videotape testimony of a vulnerable adult in court; a requirement that magistrates accept third-party complaints on behalf of a vulnerable adult; and a requirement that nursing-home employees report abuse to both the facility administrator and state Department of Community Health.


Abridged
SOURCE:    MLIVE.COM
________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

January 20, 2010

Southern Cross Healthcare Abuse Cover Up (UK)

By Editor

Southern Cross Healthcare are hiding behind a Public Relations firm in their blatant attempts to cover up for their abuse of Kathleen Stenson and her son William at their nursing home in West Felton,Oswestry in England.
Top earning nursing home bosses at Southern Cross Healthcare, Ray Miles, Chairman, Jamie Buchan, Executive Director, Richard Midmer and Kamma Foukes have hired the PR firm. The manager of the home, Kim Wright, is not to speak to the press and to leave things to their hired spin doctors at the PR company.


If previous salaries are anything to go by, and according to the Sunday Times of 4th Nov 2007, we know that former CEO Philip Scott was paid 600,000 pounds sterling in one year with shares of 12 million pounds sterling, then it can be said that the above executives are probably also earning similarly garguantuan salaries! It’s time these people were held to public account.
This healthcare giant uses the money they rake off from patients or through share dealings in this dehumanised elderly ”care” industry to hire a PR company to spin and lie for them as their minions deny and repudiate the human rights of Kathleen Stenson and her son William.
 This PR firm Media House of 280 Vincent Street, Glasgow specialise in ”crisis management” and have other offices in Edinburgh, London and New York and they have been retained by Southern Cross Healthcare to deflect attention from the manager of the home Kim Wright, who continues to infringe and abuse the human rights of Kathleen Stenson and her son.


It is expensive to maintain their plush offices and we know this slick PR company doesn’t come cheap and Southern Cross Healthcare have paid out money in a corrupt attempt to evade responsibility for their abuse of Kathleen Stenson and her son.


The necessary torch light of a free press must be shone on this corruption at the very highest levels in Southern cross Healthcare.
Calls from the press have been diverted to this PR company as the so called ”public servants”, Kim Wright and Jill Franklin and other management of the “care” home refuse to be held to account for their misconduct and abuse of Kathleen Stenson’s human rights.



Abridged
SOURCE:   The Medical Rag
___________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

LBPD Say Scammers Impersonated Police; Additional Suspect At Large (CA. USA)

2010-01-19
By  Editor


As the result of a two-month investigation, Long Beach Police Fraud investigators, with the assistance of the Night Auto Theft Unit, arrested a known con artist at his home in Los Angeles. They have also identified a second suspect, and are looking for the public’s help in identifying two additional suspects.
On January 12, detectives arrested 48-year-old Reginald
Ford of Los Angeles. He has been charged with impersonating a police officer, kidnapping for robbery, grand theft, and residential burglary. Additionally, an arrest warrant has been issued for 54-year-old George Gordon of Los Angeles. Upon his arrest, he will be charged with one felony count of grand theft. Both suspects, along with an unknown African-American male and female, are believed to have planned a well thought-out scheme, which preyed on elderly residents in Long Beach and possibly other cities.




Police are warning the public to never agree to any financial transactions unless they consult a trusted professional, family member or friend, especially if they just met the other party, and to never allow strangers to enter their vehicle or offer them a ride.
Anyone who may have information on the identity or whereabouts of the outstanding suspects, or believe they may have been a victim of the scam should contact Long Beach Police Forgery/Fraud Detective Jesse Macias or Investigator Sokona Chap at (562) 570-7330.


Abridged
SOURCE:     Everything Long Beach

_________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Charity Welcomes Moves To Protect Vulnerable Adults (UK)

By Emma Foster, Community Newswire
19 Jan 2010
A charity has welcomed new legislation that aims to improve protection for vulnerable adults, announced by the Government today.
Action on Elder Abuse said it was pleased with today's announcement, which aims to ensure vulnerable adults who are being abused or at risk of being abused, are better protected by local agencies such as councils, the police and the NHS.
Under the new legislation, announced by Care Services Minister Phil Hope earlier today, every local area must have a Safeguarding Adults Board, a body made up of social services authority, the police, the NHS and working with all other groups involved in protecting vulnerable adults.
The board will make sure that vulnerable adults who are being abused will have quick and easy access to the people who can help them.
The legislation has been introduced in reponse to a Government consultation, launched in October 2008, on how effective current adult protection guidance had been in actually protecting adults at risk of abuse.
More than 92% of respondents from a range of statutory agencies and charities said that the only way to guarantee protection was to introduce legislation that put Adult Safeguarding Boards on a statutory footing, and that placed a duty on agencies to collaborate and to share information.


Abridged
SOURCE:     The Community NewsWire
_______________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Elder Abuse Legislation Moves Forward (USA)

By Tom Smith
Senior Staff Writer

 January 19, 2010.
Rep. Tammy Irons said efforts are under way that could help improve elder abuse reporting as well as make stiffer laws for those who take advantage of Alabama's senior population.
Irons, D-Florence, has introduced legislation that would establish the Interagency Council For the Prevention of Elder Abuse, which also is known as the Elder Abuse Prevention Act.
"The goal is to make people aware of the problem of elder abuse," said Irons, chairwoman of the Elder Justice Committee.
The five-member committee was established in June to study issues that face the state's aging population.

Irons said that in 2008 there were 6,000 reported cases of elder abuse in the state. She said there are thousand of cases that go unreported.
"That's the goal of this legislation - to bring awareness to the problem and to try and correct it," she said.


Abridged
SOURCE:   The Times Daily

________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

DISCLAIMER

Any Charges Reported on this blog are Merely Accusations and the Defendants are Presumed Innocent Unless and Until Proven Guilty.

Search This Blog