93 Year-Old Man Froze to Death Inside Home (

BAY CITY, Mich. (AP)

January 26, 2009

A 93-year-old man froze to death inside his home just days after the municipal power company restricted his use of electricity because of unpaid bills, officials said.
Marvin E. Schur died “a slow, painful death,” said Kanu Virani, Oakland County’s deputy chief medical examiner, who performed the autopsy.
Neighbors discovered Schur’s body on Jan. 17. They said the indoor temperature was below 32 degrees at the time, The Bay City Times reported Monday.
“Hypothermia shuts the whole system down, slowly,” Virani said. “It’s not easy to die from hypothermia without first realizing your fingers and toes feel like they’re burning.”

Schur owed the municipal utility company over $1,000 in unpaid electric bills, Bay City Manager Robert Belleman told The Associated Press on Monday.
A city utility worker had installed a “limiter” device to restrict the use of electricity at Schur’s Bay City home on Jan. 13, Belleman said. The device limits power reaching a home and blows out like a fuse if consumption rises past a set level. Power is not restored until the device is reset.
The limiter device was tripped sometime between when it was installed and when Schur’s body was discovered, Belleman said. He didn’t know if anyone made personal contact with Schur to explain how the device works.

Abridged

SOURCE:   The Oakland Press

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Elder Abuse Cases in Flint Township Shock Neighbors (MI. USA)

Elder abuse cases in Flint Township shock neighbors, have officials fearing it's part of a much larger problem

By Bryn Mickle

The Flint Journal

January 26, 2009

FLINT TOWNSHIP, Michigan

For more than 40 years, Pauline Niec has made it her business to know her neighbors in the quiet subdivision off Beecher and Dye roads.

She takes walks along the curved roads and waves to neighbors outside nice-looking ranch homes with large front yards.

But something terrible has been going on behind some closed doors on Sun Terrace Drive.

Inside two homes just four doors apart, officials say those entrusted to look out for two elderly women were instead horribly neglecting them -- one to the point of death.

Niec said she knew both families involved.

On warm evenings, she sometimes walked through the neighborhood with Christopher Mukdsi and talked about his mother.

"He said she had cancer," said Niec, adding the walks tapered off a couple of years ago.

But when she opened her newspaper last Saturday, Niec discovered that Christopher's mother, Katherine, had died last summer of alleged neglect so horrific that Genesee County Sheriff Robert J. Pickell likened her home to a "death camp."

The woman had apparently been confined to the living room couch for eight months and was so malnourished that she weighed just 63 pounds when she died.

Christopher Mukdsi, 50, was charged with murder last week after an eight-week police investigation uncovered disturbing allegations, including claims that she had not been bathed in a year and been told to urinate in coffee cups and defecate in pizza boxes.

Two months after Mukdsi's death on June 3, 2008, officials rescued her 95-year-old neighbor from a home that officials say had been turned into a filth pit of piled trash by her nephew.

Just a couple years earlier, Niec said she and the woman had taken walks together.
But the walks stopped and Niec no longer saw the woman out on her porch.

Niec thought about knocking on the door but never did.

"I should have but I didn't," said Niec.

Annie Speed, who lives next door to Mukdsi's home, said unkempt lawns and trash sometimes piled outside were the only indicators to suggest anything amiss.

"You don't bother people when family is involved," she said. "You don't want to get into anybody's business."

Officials fear that what happened on Sun Terrace Drive is part of a much larger problem.

Where to call for Help

If you suspect abuse of an elderly or vulnerable person, contact the Genesee County Elder Abuse and Exploitation Prevention program at (810) 762-4022

Abridged

SOURCE:   The Flint Journal

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This case really shocked me.  The descriptions (in other media reports) of the neglect of the mother of Mukdsi by her own son, made difficult reading.  How could a son do that to his own mother?  

This case reveals the physical sufferings of the victim before her death; and we are all horrified. We must not forget the other cases where the emotional and psychological sufferings of victims cannot be easily seen or measured.

We should be more vigilant about our elderly neighbors. Often we are dissuaded from doing so, as we believe it is not our business. It may be a difficult case to call at times.

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Elder Care: A Call to Expand Welfare Programs to Avoid Isolation of Elderly (Japan)

By Tamaki Saito

After mandatory retirement, the elderly are enrolling in graduate schools, joining sports clubs, actively socializing with members of the opposite sex, and frequently exhibiting a vim that puts young people to shame. Come to think of it, older people who send email messages on their mobile phones on the train are no longer a rare sight. There has also been an increase in the number of famous older people who continue to engage in vigorous activities without showing signs of their age: the 97-year-old doctor Shigeaki Hinohara, who is still practicing medicine: Kaneto Shindo, 96, the director who has just released a new movie: Jakucho Setouchi, 86, who has pecked out a mobile phone novel: and 76-year-old Shintaro Ishihara, who has written a long novel steeped in sex and violence while serving as Tokyo Governor.

Needless to say, however, there are two sides to youthfulness. Youthfulness can imply immaturity, which in turn can imply a lack of control over impulses. I have noticed that more and more old people are flipping out over trivial matters, making a persistent fuss over problems at counters, blaming their personal misfortunes on their parents, and becoming entrapped in cults while seeking spiritual solace. My observations are not based on mere superficial impressions.

The 2008 White Paper on Crime, which was released in November, includes a special section on "elderly criminals" for the first time in a long while. Notwithstanding sensational media coverage, crimes by youths have not been on the rise. On the other hand, the number of older criminals has steadily increased, although this problem is hardly ever addressed by the media.

Of those taken into custody for infractions of the criminal law in 2007, 48,605 could be categorized as elderly, or aged 65 and older. This is the largest number of older criminals to be detained since the government began collecting such statistics in 1986. In 1998, there were only 13,739 elderly people taken into custody for criminal law violations, so there has been a 3.5-fold increase in older criminals since then. Their population has risen at a pace that far surpasses the 1.3-fold increase in the elderly population as a whole during the past decade.

There has been a rise in the number of murder, robbery, bodily harm, assault, theft, and fraud cases, but 65 percent of the infractions have been for theft, of which the majority of cases involve shoplifting. The surge in shoplifting seems to be the best reflection of these times. Older men who were detained for shoplifting were often repeat offenders and frequently homeless or without fixed abodes. Nearly 70 percent cited poverty as their reason for shoplifting, and many said that they were hungry. Meanwhile, females frequently turned to shoplifting because they "desired the item that they stole" or wanted "to save money," even when they did not have difficulty meeting their living expenses due to pensions and assistance from relatives.

As causes of the spike in elderly crime, the White Paper on Crime points to the increase in the number of elderly living alone due to unstable living situations, and to the rise in the number of older people who fail to take advantage of welfare programs in spite of their unstable finances. These trends are manifestations of greater social isolation and financial uncertainty.

The surge in incidents involving bodily harm and violence inflicted by the elderly is attributed to "stubbornness and pride stirred up by anger and rage." The elderly are also committing more murders, and most of their victims are close family members and relatives. "Fatigue from providing care" is a motive frequently cited by older people who commit murder. "Isolation" also appears to have played an important role in the rise in these types of crimes.

In his book "Boso Rojin!" (The Elderly Run Wild!), the author Tomomi Fujiwara asserts that many older people have been alienated by the manners and media that distinguish the communication environment of modern society. The "new" elderly who are quick to flip out and run wild are sounding a warning regarding the dangers of the restraints on freedom and the difficulty of living in this social system, says Fujiwara.

The isolation of the elderly seems to be quite pronounced even when compared to the increased social withdrawal of young people in recent years. This is because at the present time most young people have their families to fall back on. The reason that the homelessness rate for young people in Japan is among the lowest for advanced industrialized countries is that young people who have dropped out are still embraced by their families. But almost all of the elderly who live alone do not have families they can turn to.

The image of the "elderly growing old and withered" is the stuff of fiction. To grow old in comfort is a privilege limited to those who have the support of acquaintances and communities that make this possible. The ideal of the elderly person described in Confucius' Analects who comes to "know his fate, accept what he hears, and follow his heart" as he grows older is not something that is achieved naturally through aging, but rather depends on the division of labor that is sustained by communities.

Isolation brings about stubbornness and a lack of stability, and exposes the various immaturities inherent in human beings. This is true of both young people and older people. But the isolation that affects older people is usually more unforgiving.

Tetsutaro Kawakami wrote in "Watashi no Shi to Shinjitsu" (My Poems and Truth) that "people become more polished with age." But aging also sharpens isolation. What is needed today is not only an expansion of welfare programs for the elderly but also measures to ensure that the families and acquaintances who support the elderly receive proper assistance. (By Tamaki Saito, psychiatrist)

(Mainichi Japan) January 26, 2009

 SOURCE:   Mainichi Japan

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Elder Abuse: Family Carers Need Support

Half of family caregivers of people with dementia report some abusive behavior toward the person they are caring for and one-third report “significant” levels of abuse.

Researchers believe this is unsurprising, as most people with dementia are being cared for by dedicated family or friends, often with little support.

“Many people think about elder abuse in terms of “lashing out” and other similar acts, but abuse as defined by government guidelines (UK) can be as simple as shouting or swearing at the person being cared for,” noted Dr. Claudia Cooper from the University College London and lead author of the study.

The UK government is currently studying a revision of their policy for safeguarding vulnerable adults.

This focuses entirely on preventing abuse by paid caregivers, but in light of their clinical experience the authors wanted to find out how common abusive behavior occurs. They comment that a policy on abuse will be ineffective unless it is realistic about the problems that family caregivers are facing.

The researchers conducted a survey of 220 family caregivers of people with dementia newly referred to psychiatric services and living at home.

Dr. Cooper added: “This is the first representative survey to ask family caregivers about abuse. It shows that abusive behavior toward people with dementia from family caregivers is common according to the scale used, with a third reporting ’significant’ levels of abuse, and half some abusive behavior.

“We found few cases of physical or frequent abuse, although those with the most abusive behavior may have been reluctant to report it, or take part in the study in the first place.”

Co-author Professor Gill Livingston added: “Our findings suggest that any strategy for safeguarding vulnerable adults must be directed toward families who provide the majority of care for older people, rather than exclusively at paid caregivers.

“The UK government is currently revising its policy in this area, but unfortunately their review is entirely focused on preventing abuse by paid caregivers, suggesting that abuse is confined to the formal care system whereas our research suggests this is not the case.

“The vast majority of family caregivers do a fantastic job under very difficult circumstances and although levels of minor abuse seem high according to the scale used, there may need to be a redefinition.

“Health care professionals can be reluctant to ask about abuse by family caregivers, but this attitude can be very unhelpful to caregivers who are worried about their own actions and want to talk about them and get help.

“Considering elder abuse as a spectrum of behaviors rather than an “all or nothing” phenomenon could help professionals to ask about it and therefore offer assistance.”

The study is published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Copyright © 1992-2009 Psych Central.

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Elder Abuse highlighted (Northern Ireland)

26 January 2006 BBC NEWS A campaign has been launched to try to raise awareness of abuse of the elderly in Northern Ireland. Uniting against Elder Abuse, which is funded by a range of charities, has produced a DVD to highlight the issue. They say a reported 10,000 older people have been abused in Northern Ireland, but that the problem could actually be much worse.  The project's Claire Keatinge said some pensioners do not report abuse because they fear they will not be believed. She said other victims may rely on their abuser for care, while those with dementia might be unable to fully understand and communicate what is happening to them.  "Make no mistake about it, elder abuse is happening in Northern Ireland and we all have a responsibility to familiarise ourselves with the facts and to make sure that older people in our society are protected against all forms of abuse and receive appropriate help and advice when it is reported," said Ms Keathinge. "Thirty-five per cent of adults in Northern Ireland have not heard of the term 'elder abuse' and 21% do not know if they would be able to recognise if an older person they knew was being abused. "It is therefore vital that our awareness of elder abuse and its indicators is increased."   SOURCE:  BBC News - UK

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Reporting Elder Abuse: Law Ignored ?(IA. USA)

Health workers who ignore abuse rarely punished

BY CLARK KAUFFMAN

JANUARY 25, 2009

Lora Washburn thought she was doing the right thing when she told state inspectors about the abuse of an elderly resident at the Iowa nursing home where she worked.

But Washburn was fired a few days after making the report. Her boss at Montrose Health Center accused her of trying to intimidate a co-worker into giving state inspectors information about the alleged abuse. The co-worker, who has admitted under oath that she downplayed her report to the state to protect the nursing home, has since been promoted.

Washburn says this isn't how it's supposed to work. Under Iowa law, all health care professionals are considered "mandatory reporters," meaning they must report cases of suspected dependent-adult abuse. Failure to do so is a crime — at least in theory.

But state officials say there is no record of anyone being convicted of violating Iowa's mandatory-reporter law during the past 10 years. The last known conviction was in 1997, and that resulted in a $50 fine.

"That doesn't surprise me," said Gerald Jogerst, a University of Iowa researcher who has studied elder abuse. "I don't think there are really any teeth in that law. It's just paper. I think we've proven that in Iowa."

The law is supposed to help protect the 40,000 Iowa seniors living in 600 care facilities across the state. In recent years, mandatory reporters who work in those facilities, as well as nursing home residents and their family members, have filed as many as 1,600 abuse complaints each year. The annual number of confirmed cases has ranged from 182 to 580.

Mandatory-reporter laws exist in 44 other states, and Jogerst said lack of enforcement seems to be an issue nationally.

"We don't have data on that, but it's kind of a common belief that no one is ever prosecuted for failing to report abuse," he said.

Abridged

SOURCE:    DesMoinesRegister

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Information received, from people who have emailed me regarding the effect on them after they had reported elder abuse; support the plight of reporters.  It is no wonder why very few bother to report elder abuse (in any settings).

If the authorites are serious about encouraging the reporting of elder abuse, this sort of thing would NOT be allowed to happen. 

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Elder Abuse: Nursing Home Larceny Trial Gets Under Way (MA. USA)

Nursing home larceny trial gets under way

Selecting of jury begins for Kingston resident charged with larceny and conspiracy

The Patriot Ledger

(Jan 21, 2009)

Jury selection was scheduled to begin today in the trial of a man whose family once owned one of the area’s largest nursing home operations.

Gregory Logan, 44, and his uncles Joel K. Logan and Todd Logan were accused of plundering patient accounts and stealing tens of thousands of dollars from nursing home residents and employees.

Gregory Logan, of Kingston, the grandson of the nursing home business founders, Samuel and Florence Logan, was an administrator at Logan Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Braintree. He is charged with larceny and conspiracy.

Joel and Todd Logan pleaded guilty in July to misappropriating Medicaid funds, conspiracy, larceny, embezzlement and patient neglect. They were both put on probation for five years and ordered to pay a total of $150,000 restitution.

The Logan family once owned and operated one of the region’s largest and oldest nursing home enterprises: the Elihu White Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Braintree, the Pond Meadow Healthcare Facility in Weymouth, the Atrium Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Middleboro, the Crestview Healthcare Facility in Quincy and Logan Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.

The trio raided nursing home accounts from January 2001 to June 2003, taking money for their personal use, Assistant Attorney General Ann Ackil said.

The brothers took $600,000 of the $34 million the nursing homes received from Medicare during the three years, Ackil said.

A judge put four of the Logans’ nursing homes into receivership in 2003 after state health officials said they were in danger of closing because of mismanagement. Workers’ paychecks bounced and vendors went unpaid, officials said. The Crestview Healthcare Facility was put into receivership in 2004.

The receiver closed two homes and sold three to other nursing home companies.

SOURCE:    Patriot Ledger MA. USA

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Alleged Financial Abuse: Mother Filed Against Son (Phillipines)

Ma sues own son for  estafa over land row 

By Julie M. Aurelio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
01/23/2009

MANILA, Philippines – An elderly woman has filed an estafa case (Estafa is an act with intent to defraud)  against her own son after alleging that he transferred to his name two land titles worth P2 million without paying the supposed value of the properties.

In a complaint filed before the Quezon City prosecutors’ office Friday, Portal Rosales claimed that she did not receive any amount from her son, but the deeds of sale from her son stipulated the properties as worth P2.45 million.

Rosales, 62, alleged that her son Alberto proposed to have the two properties – a residential lot in Quezon City and an agricultural land in San Juan, Batangas – be transferred to his name “to avoid heavy taxes and to hold them in trust for his family.”

“We were disappointed that we were deceived into believing that he meant good for all of us – that he would merely transfer the properties to avoid heavy taxes and hold them in trust for the family,” she claimed in her complaint.

The complaint affidavit will be raffled off to a prosecutor who would conduct a preliminary investigation on the complaint.

Alberto is now an American citizen and has residences both in the Philippines and in Louisiana, USA.

In her affidavit, Rosales claimed that in 2004, her son had proposed that the land titles be transferred to his name but Rosales and her husband Cesar did not take it seriously

(Copyright Inquirer Net)

SOURCE:    The Inquirer Net News - Phillipines

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Police Gain Grant to Help Combat Elder Abuse (WA. USA)

By Jeff Humphrey / KXLY4 Reporter

 Jan 24, 2009

SPOKANE -- With cases of elder abuse on the rise, the Spokane Police Department has received a $380K grant from the Department of Justice to combat the problem.

Eighty-five-year-old Ira Holcomb was allegedly attacked by his own daughter with a pair of scissors. Michael Bourassa left his grandmother rot to death in her bed. Earlier this week Lacey Sell and Cory Morse were arrested after allegedly stealing medication patches from elderly residents at long-term care facilities right off their bodies.

In the past year Spokane has been rocked by several high-profile cases of what happens to seniors when they become isolated from their doctors and families. Now police are hoping a new grant will help them do a better job of finding out what's happening behind closed doors.

A large portion of the DOJ grant will be geared toward teaching police officers and first responders some red flags to look at to hopefully prevent or curb further victimization. Those red flags can be obscured by intimidation, embarrassment or family loyalty.

Investigators are hoping this new grant will help them detect an increase in elder fraud as a failing economy forces adults to move back in with their parents.

Abridged

SOURCE:    KXLY - Spokane,WA,USA

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Elder Abuse On the Rise, Attorney Warns (CA. USA)

By Jason Sweeney

The Daily Review

1/23/2009

SAN LORENZO — Elder abuse is a widespread problem that has largely remained hidden because of a lack of public awareness, attorney Kirsten Voyles told a crowd of about 20 people Wednesday at the San Lorenzo Library.

"Elder abuse, I'm hearing lately, is the new child abuse," said Voyles, a staff attorney for Legal Assistance For Seniors, an Oakland-based nonprofit that provides free legal services in Alameda County to people 60 years old and older.

The Alameda County Library's Older Adult Services program invited Voyles to give the talk at the library.

Much like child abuse before it, elder abuse is a societal problem that hasn't always received a proper amount of attention, Voyles said. But that has been changing in recent years, she said.

Senior citizens can be become victims of financial, emotional, physical and sexual abuse most commonly at the hands of family members and caregivers, she said. And in these hard economic times, when more family members are moving in together and more caregivers are strapped for cash, the opportunities for elder abuse are increasing, she added.

Crowded living conditions can cause "lots of anger and frustration," which can result in the elderly being abused, Voyles said.

A common form of financial elder abuse occurs when a senior citizen gives someone power of attorney, and that person then bilks the senior of their assets, Voyles said. She advised the elderly to be cautious when choosing who gets power of attorney, and only choose someone who can absolutely be trusted.

Psychological and emotional abuse of elders is also on the rise, she said.

If elder abuse is suspected, call Legal Assistance For Seniors at 800-393-0363 or Adult Protective Services at 510-577-1900.

For more information about the library's Older Adult Services program, visit seniors.aclibrary.org.

Abridged

SOURCE:    Tri Valley Herald - Walnut Creek,CA,USA

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