October 30, 2012
Ex Tulare Fire Captain to be Sentenced November 26
Oct. 26, 2012
A former Tulare City Fire captain entered a no contest plea to elder abuse charges stemming from allegations he took money from his aunt’s benefits.
Keith Little, 49, entered his plea earlier this week to two counts of felony elder abuse and one misdemeanor count. He’s subject to a one year sentence in jail, the Tulare County District Attorney’s office said.
Little’s sentencing hearing was set for Nov. 26, a day before he’s to turn himself over to federal authorities on additional charges stemming from the same incident.
In early August, Little was sentenced to six months in prison. The two incarceration periods will be served consecutively, Tulare County Assistant District Attorney Shani Jenkins said.
“He doesn’t get to served the same time for the two offenses,” she said.
Little is also subject to receive a five year suspended prison sentence. That’s the same time he has to pay restitution, Jenkins said.
Little worked for the Tulare Fire Department for more than 20 years. He was first hired in 1989 as a firefighter and then promoted to engineer in 1997. He was named captain in June 2004. He left the department Feb. 10.
SOURCE: VisaliaTimesDelta
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More Cases of Elder Abuse Reported After Earthquakes (NEW ZEALAND)
More cases of elder abuse reported after earthquakes
NICOLE MATHEWSON
Elderly people are more vulnerable since the Canterbury earthquakes, with more abuse and neglect incidents reported.
Lynne Gibbons tells stories of elderly people being forced into a bank to get money that will be taken from them by a younger relative waiting outside.
The community health nurse says that since the Canterbury earthquakes there have been cases where a family member has "intimidated or stressed" an older person into letting them take over their claim with the Earthquake Commission (EQC).
The younger family member would keep the money from the claim, with EQC never knowing what happened. Gibbons, who works for Age Concern Canterbury, said the organisation dealt with up to 12 elder-abuse cases each month. Elder abuse related to abuse perpetrated by someone in a trusted relationship with an elderly person. It could be physical, sexual, psychological or financial, or it could be related to neglect.
The problem was "rife within the community" but remained largely hidden, with many cases going unreported, she said.
"More often than not it's a family matter, and people won't speak out about family matters." She said the issues were usually multi-layered and often stemmed from lack of respect for an elderly person's quality of life.
Elderly people with disabilities and chronic illness were particularly vulnerable as they were often socially isolated and relied on others. "Sadly, people may take advantage or over-step the rights and decisions of older people," she said.
Fellow Age Concern Canterbury community health nurse Kerry Howley said there had been an initial spike in elder-abuse cases after the region's quakes.
"Families were pushed together and all were stressed and all were confined. We can cope with stress if there's an end to it, but it was just going on and on." Since then, she said, the numbers seemed to go back to normal, but the cases had become more complex.
"There was a fear that there would be financial abuse with payouts from earthquake damage . . . and there's been a few cases."
Howley said it was difficult to know just how prevalent elder abuse was as agencies did not share their data. Clinical social work specialist Suzanne Edmonds told the recent College of Nurses Aotearoa symposium in Christchurch that there had "definitely" been an increase in referrals for elder abuse since the September 2010 and February 2011 quakes. "I've heard myself in moving about the community that it's not just something that happens in isolated ways."
However, it was possible not all of it was intentional, she said.
"Carers can be so stressed or unwell themselves that they're causing harm," She believed the most common form of elder abuse was financial and often happened when an abuser was financially dependent on an older person.
"Since the earthquakes that's been a very common thing - families have been pushed together, they've needed to borrow money, been stressed." Changes to the Crimes Act had brought the issue of elder abuse into the spotlight, she said.
The act, which came into effect in March, created a new offence of failing to protect a child or vulnerable adult from the risk of death, grievous bodily harm or sexual assault.
"It talks about people who have frequent contact with a vulnerable adult . . . who sees what is happening but doesn't do anything about it." Elder abuse was "very much a community problem" and it was important for health professionals to watch out for it, she said.
Canterbury police family violence co-ordinator Pegeen O'Rourke Harris said elder abuse was "kind of that unspoken thing". "It's probably one of the most under-reported things.
Many may not even recognise they were being abused," she said.
"They wouldn't necessarily even call it abuse that the grandson hits them up for $80 every time he visits and they need him to come and mow the lawn or carry the groceries," O'Rourke Harris said.
Gibbons said it was important for people to seek advice if they suspected someone was being abused or exploited. Age Concern could provide free and confidential advice, respond to situations where an older person's safety or wellbeing was at risk, provide assessment and intervention services and work with family and service providers, she said.
For help Contact Age Concern Canterbury: Phone - 366 0903 or 0800 80 33 44 or http://ageconcerncan.org.nz/news/
BY THE NUMBERS
Age Concern Canterbury deals with 10 to 12 cases of elderly abuse each month, but others would be identified by other agencies, including health providers, police and lawyers.
Of the cases reported to Age Concern nationally: Up to 70 per cent of victims are women.
40 per cent to 46 per cent of abused elderly people live alone.
Up to 80 per cent of abuse is committed by family members and 50 per cent of abusers are adult children. Up to 35 per cent of abusers are primary caregivers.
This could be a family member or support worker, or a staff member if the person is living in residential care.
About half of those supported by Age Concern over the past 10 years had their health significantly affected by the abuse they experienced.
Two out of every five abused people experienced a significant reduction in their independence, lost confidence and self-esteem, and reported feeling frightened or anxious and emotionally distressed.
- © Fairfax NZ News
SOURCE: The Stuff, nz
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NICOLE MATHEWSON
Elderly people are more vulnerable since the Canterbury earthquakes, with more abuse and neglect incidents reported.
Lynne Gibbons tells stories of elderly people being forced into a bank to get money that will be taken from them by a younger relative waiting outside.
The community health nurse says that since the Canterbury earthquakes there have been cases where a family member has "intimidated or stressed" an older person into letting them take over their claim with the Earthquake Commission (EQC).
The younger family member would keep the money from the claim, with EQC never knowing what happened. Gibbons, who works for Age Concern Canterbury, said the organisation dealt with up to 12 elder-abuse cases each month. Elder abuse related to abuse perpetrated by someone in a trusted relationship with an elderly person. It could be physical, sexual, psychological or financial, or it could be related to neglect.
The problem was "rife within the community" but remained largely hidden, with many cases going unreported, she said.
"More often than not it's a family matter, and people won't speak out about family matters." She said the issues were usually multi-layered and often stemmed from lack of respect for an elderly person's quality of life.
Elderly people with disabilities and chronic illness were particularly vulnerable as they were often socially isolated and relied on others. "Sadly, people may take advantage or over-step the rights and decisions of older people," she said.
Fellow Age Concern Canterbury community health nurse Kerry Howley said there had been an initial spike in elder-abuse cases after the region's quakes.
"Families were pushed together and all were stressed and all were confined. We can cope with stress if there's an end to it, but it was just going on and on." Since then, she said, the numbers seemed to go back to normal, but the cases had become more complex.
"There was a fear that there would be financial abuse with payouts from earthquake damage . . . and there's been a few cases."
Howley said it was difficult to know just how prevalent elder abuse was as agencies did not share their data. Clinical social work specialist Suzanne Edmonds told the recent College of Nurses Aotearoa symposium in Christchurch that there had "definitely" been an increase in referrals for elder abuse since the September 2010 and February 2011 quakes. "I've heard myself in moving about the community that it's not just something that happens in isolated ways."
However, it was possible not all of it was intentional, she said.
"Carers can be so stressed or unwell themselves that they're causing harm," She believed the most common form of elder abuse was financial and often happened when an abuser was financially dependent on an older person.
"Since the earthquakes that's been a very common thing - families have been pushed together, they've needed to borrow money, been stressed." Changes to the Crimes Act had brought the issue of elder abuse into the spotlight, she said.
The act, which came into effect in March, created a new offence of failing to protect a child or vulnerable adult from the risk of death, grievous bodily harm or sexual assault.
"It talks about people who have frequent contact with a vulnerable adult . . . who sees what is happening but doesn't do anything about it." Elder abuse was "very much a community problem" and it was important for health professionals to watch out for it, she said.
Canterbury police family violence co-ordinator Pegeen O'Rourke Harris said elder abuse was "kind of that unspoken thing". "It's probably one of the most under-reported things.
Many may not even recognise they were being abused," she said.
"They wouldn't necessarily even call it abuse that the grandson hits them up for $80 every time he visits and they need him to come and mow the lawn or carry the groceries," O'Rourke Harris said.
Gibbons said it was important for people to seek advice if they suspected someone was being abused or exploited. Age Concern could provide free and confidential advice, respond to situations where an older person's safety or wellbeing was at risk, provide assessment and intervention services and work with family and service providers, she said.
For help Contact Age Concern Canterbury: Phone - 366 0903 or 0800 80 33 44 or http://ageconcerncan.org.nz/news/
BY THE NUMBERS
Age Concern Canterbury deals with 10 to 12 cases of elderly abuse each month, but others would be identified by other agencies, including health providers, police and lawyers.
Of the cases reported to Age Concern nationally: Up to 70 per cent of victims are women.
40 per cent to 46 per cent of abused elderly people live alone.
Up to 80 per cent of abuse is committed by family members and 50 per cent of abusers are adult children. Up to 35 per cent of abusers are primary caregivers.
This could be a family member or support worker, or a staff member if the person is living in residential care.
About half of those supported by Age Concern over the past 10 years had their health significantly affected by the abuse they experienced.
Two out of every five abused people experienced a significant reduction in their independence, lost confidence and self-esteem, and reported feeling frightened or anxious and emotionally distressed.
- © Fairfax NZ News
SOURCE: The Stuff, nz
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Warning Issued to Nursing Home in Dulwich Care Centre (UK)
Warning issued to nursing home in Dulwich Care Centre, Streatham
28th October 2012
By Alice Foster, Reporter
A nursing home has been told to sort out its act after an inspection found unsafe arrangements for managing medicines.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) demanded urgent improvements at the Dulwich Care Centre, in Knollys Road, Streatham, to stop elderly residents being put at risk of harm.
The warning notice was issued after an August inspection found some doses had not been given when recorded and some medicines had been given but not recorded.
Matthew Trainer, deputy director of CQC in London, said: "Poor medicines management can have serious consequences for people living in nursing homes.
"The issues identified at the Dulwich Care Centre were in need of immediate action.
"Our inspectors will return in the near future to carry out another inspection.
"If we find that the home is not making the required progress we won’t hesitate to use our legal powers further to protect the people living there."
Geoff Daly, director of T D Bailey Investments Ltd, which owns the care centre, said: "We acknowledge that there were shortcomings in the documentation surrounding the administration of medicines at the time of the CQC visit.
"These issues were immediately addressed by further training for staff and more robust audits put in place.
"A CQC inspector visited again on Wednesday and was impressed by the improvements implemented.
"While we await the formal outcome of her visit, we are confident that all issues have been resolved and, as a result, that the formal notice will be lifted in the coming days."
The council has placed 51 residents at the privately run centre and has been working with the CQC to set out how the centre must improve.
A spokesman said: "We are monitoring the implementation of these improvements closely.
"Along with the CQC, council staff are making regular and unannounced visits to ensure the wellbeing of residents, and all families and carers have been contacted."
During an inspection on August 16 gaps were found in the recording of medicines given to four people.
Inspectors also noticed that an antibiotic was prescribed three times a day for one person but given four times a day for three days.
In addition a 14-day supply of medicine had run out for another person but nurses had recorded that it was given for 16 days.
Their audit found discrepancies in the stocks for 14 medicines compared to records while medicines were not always kept safely and medication trolleys left unlocked.
SOURCE: YourLocalGuardian, UK
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28th October 2012
By Alice Foster, Reporter
A nursing home has been told to sort out its act after an inspection found unsafe arrangements for managing medicines.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) demanded urgent improvements at the Dulwich Care Centre, in Knollys Road, Streatham, to stop elderly residents being put at risk of harm.
The warning notice was issued after an August inspection found some doses had not been given when recorded and some medicines had been given but not recorded.
Matthew Trainer, deputy director of CQC in London, said: "Poor medicines management can have serious consequences for people living in nursing homes.
"The issues identified at the Dulwich Care Centre were in need of immediate action.
"Our inspectors will return in the near future to carry out another inspection.
"If we find that the home is not making the required progress we won’t hesitate to use our legal powers further to protect the people living there."
Geoff Daly, director of T D Bailey Investments Ltd, which owns the care centre, said: "We acknowledge that there were shortcomings in the documentation surrounding the administration of medicines at the time of the CQC visit.
"These issues were immediately addressed by further training for staff and more robust audits put in place.
"A CQC inspector visited again on Wednesday and was impressed by the improvements implemented.
"While we await the formal outcome of her visit, we are confident that all issues have been resolved and, as a result, that the formal notice will be lifted in the coming days."
The council has placed 51 residents at the privately run centre and has been working with the CQC to set out how the centre must improve.
A spokesman said: "We are monitoring the implementation of these improvements closely.
"Along with the CQC, council staff are making regular and unannounced visits to ensure the wellbeing of residents, and all families and carers have been contacted."
During an inspection on August 16 gaps were found in the recording of medicines given to four people.
Inspectors also noticed that an antibiotic was prescribed three times a day for one person but given four times a day for three days.
In addition a 14-day supply of medicine had run out for another person but nurses had recorded that it was given for 16 days.
Their audit found discrepancies in the stocks for 14 medicines compared to records while medicines were not always kept safely and medication trolleys left unlocked.
SOURCE: YourLocalGuardian, UK
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October 24, 2012
Golden Outrage: Elder Abuse (CANADA)
Golden Outrage: Elder Abuse
CTV Montreal
Oct. 18, 2012
MONTREAL
In a CTV Montreal special report, Cindy Sherwin looked at elder abuse and how those who care the most, are sometimes the perpetrators of violence and abuse.
“It’s absolute chaos, it’s scary,” started Joan, her voice straining. The senior, whose real name isn’t being released, lives in an apartment with her two sons. “I’d like to have peace and quiet.”
Supporting her grown sons financially, Joan was left with little money for herself. After scuffles with her sons, she turned to help.
According to Thurza Dufresne, the coordinator for Sava Centre-Ouest, Joan isn’t living in a unique situation in Montreal.
More Special Reports
Elder Abuse Resources
Quebec's help line
La Ligne Aide Abus Aine
514-489-2287
1-888-489-ABUS (2287)
For emergencies: 911.
Accompaniment and Refuge Program
S.A.V.A Centre-Ouest, NDG
514-903-3550
For general information about Elder Abuse
Ann Soden--Elder Law Practitioner
SOURCE: The Montreal CTV News
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CTV Montreal
Oct. 18, 2012
MONTREAL
In a CTV Montreal special report, Cindy Sherwin looked at elder abuse and how those who care the most, are sometimes the perpetrators of violence and abuse.
“It’s absolute chaos, it’s scary,” started Joan, her voice straining. The senior, whose real name isn’t being released, lives in an apartment with her two sons. “I’d like to have peace and quiet.”
Supporting her grown sons financially, Joan was left with little money for herself. After scuffles with her sons, she turned to help.
According to Thurza Dufresne, the coordinator for Sava Centre-Ouest, Joan isn’t living in a unique situation in Montreal.
More Special Reports
Elder Abuse Resources
Quebec's help line
La Ligne Aide Abus Aine
514-489-2287
1-888-489-ABUS (2287)
For emergencies: 911.
Accompaniment and Refuge Program
S.A.V.A Centre-Ouest, NDG
514-903-3550
For general information about Elder Abuse
Ann Soden--Elder Law Practitioner
SOURCE: The Montreal CTV News
__________________________________
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Nursiing-Home Worker Jailed 12 Months for Sex Assault (CANADA)
Nursing-home worker jailed 12 months for sex assault
October 17, 2012
Moira Welsh
Staff Reporter
A Toronto nursing-home worker convicted of sexually assaulting an elderly female resident is serving a 12-month jail sentence for the crime.
Leonid Kozlov, 47, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the 71-year-old woman, who suffers from severe dementia, after he was caught by a co-worker with his pants halfway down his legs, pressed against the woman’s back.
Advocates for seniors say the sentence doesn’t do the crime justice.
“We need to send a stronger message, that assault against vulnerable people, especially when you are in a position of care, cannot be tolerated,” said Jane Meadus, a staff lawyer with the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly.
“I don’t think 12 months is long enough to send that message.”
The Star wrote about the sexual assault of Danae Chambers, a well-known Toronto artist, as part of last year’s investigation into Ontario nursing-home abuse.
Details of the assault were taken from a Ministry of Health inspection report that was never released to the public — despite Health Minister Deb Matthews’ promise of greater transparency in nursing-home care following the Star investigation.
Kozlov was a registered practical nurse who worked the overnight shift at Castleview Wychwood Towers, a Christie St. nursing home operated by the City of Toronto. On April 4, 2011, Kozlov was charged with sexual assault after the co-worker discovered him in Chambers’ semi-private room.
Nearly one year later, on March 29, Kozlov pleaded guilty to sexual assault. He was placed on the Ontario sex offender registry for 10 years and was ordered to provide a DNA sample.
Kozlov is currently serving his 12-month sentence, said Greg Flood, spokesman for the Ministry of Community and Correctional Services. Citing privacy issues, Flood would not say where Kozlov is being jailed or whether he will get an early release.
When he does get out of jail, Kozlov will be on probation for two years.
The Ontario College of Nurses, which has the power to suspend a nurse’s license, has a hearing on the case scheduled for December 13. Kozlov is currently not entitled to practice.
When it was published last November, the Star’s investigation into Chambers’ assault broke the taboo against talking about the sexual abuse of elderly women.
The Star does not normally identify victims of sexual assault, but Chambers’ power of attorney, Anna Schrofer, wanted her friend identified to bring to light the sexual abuse of women in nursing homes.
The Star’s investigation — based on 1,500 nursing-home inspection reports — found numerous examples of sexual assaults against women residents.
The reports are part of a new inspection system that began July 1, 2010, promising greater transparency so families can make more educated choices when it comes to care for their loved ones.
The Star investigation found ministry officials prepare two very different reports of an incident. One with detailed findings is given to the home’s management. Another version, typically sanitized of key details, is posted in a public place in the nursing home so families and prospective residents can see the kind of care offered in the home.
The public report of Chambers’ assault had limited information, saying an “identified resident was a victim of abuse.” Schrofer had to hire a lawyer to get a copy of the ministry’s detailed report, which she later gave to the Star.
In Chambers’ case, the provincial inspection report reveals the home was warned by a staffer two months before the attack that a male registered practical nurse who was supposed to be watching “high-risk” residents in one area was “returning late from breaks and (had) unexplained absences from his assigned duties.”
According to the report, a staff member discovered Kozlov in Chambers’ room on April 4, 2011, at 3:05 a.m. His pants were down and he was standing behind Chambers’ exposed buttocks, which were “positioned at the edge of the bed.” His body was “facing (Chamber’s) buttocks.” The bed had been positioned at a height between his waist and hips.
The worker who witnessed the assault reported it immediately.
Vija Mallia, who was Castleview Wychwood’s administrator at the time of the assault and is now a senior manager with the City of Toronto, said the home now requires that two employees work together during the evening and overnight shifts so no one can be alone with residents.
Following the Star’s story, the health minister called an emergency meeting for nursing-home leaders and demanded they take action to stop abuse.
The Long-Term Care Task Force on Resident Care and Safety was created, and an action plan for change was submitted to Matthews last spring.
Mallia said the task force’s recommendations on zero tolerance for abuse and staff education have since been adopted by Toronto’s 10 long-term care homes.
SOURCE: The STAR
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October 17, 2012
Moira Welsh
Staff Reporter
A Toronto nursing-home worker convicted of sexually assaulting an elderly female resident is serving a 12-month jail sentence for the crime.
Leonid Kozlov, 47, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the 71-year-old woman, who suffers from severe dementia, after he was caught by a co-worker with his pants halfway down his legs, pressed against the woman’s back.
Advocates for seniors say the sentence doesn’t do the crime justice.
“We need to send a stronger message, that assault against vulnerable people, especially when you are in a position of care, cannot be tolerated,” said Jane Meadus, a staff lawyer with the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly.
“I don’t think 12 months is long enough to send that message.”
The Star wrote about the sexual assault of Danae Chambers, a well-known Toronto artist, as part of last year’s investigation into Ontario nursing-home abuse.
Details of the assault were taken from a Ministry of Health inspection report that was never released to the public — despite Health Minister Deb Matthews’ promise of greater transparency in nursing-home care following the Star investigation.
Kozlov was a registered practical nurse who worked the overnight shift at Castleview Wychwood Towers, a Christie St. nursing home operated by the City of Toronto. On April 4, 2011, Kozlov was charged with sexual assault after the co-worker discovered him in Chambers’ semi-private room.
Nearly one year later, on March 29, Kozlov pleaded guilty to sexual assault. He was placed on the Ontario sex offender registry for 10 years and was ordered to provide a DNA sample.
Kozlov is currently serving his 12-month sentence, said Greg Flood, spokesman for the Ministry of Community and Correctional Services. Citing privacy issues, Flood would not say where Kozlov is being jailed or whether he will get an early release.
When he does get out of jail, Kozlov will be on probation for two years.
The Ontario College of Nurses, which has the power to suspend a nurse’s license, has a hearing on the case scheduled for December 13. Kozlov is currently not entitled to practice.
When it was published last November, the Star’s investigation into Chambers’ assault broke the taboo against talking about the sexual abuse of elderly women.
The Star does not normally identify victims of sexual assault, but Chambers’ power of attorney, Anna Schrofer, wanted her friend identified to bring to light the sexual abuse of women in nursing homes.
The Star’s investigation — based on 1,500 nursing-home inspection reports — found numerous examples of sexual assaults against women residents.
The reports are part of a new inspection system that began July 1, 2010, promising greater transparency so families can make more educated choices when it comes to care for their loved ones.
The Star investigation found ministry officials prepare two very different reports of an incident. One with detailed findings is given to the home’s management. Another version, typically sanitized of key details, is posted in a public place in the nursing home so families and prospective residents can see the kind of care offered in the home.
The public report of Chambers’ assault had limited information, saying an “identified resident was a victim of abuse.” Schrofer had to hire a lawyer to get a copy of the ministry’s detailed report, which she later gave to the Star.
In Chambers’ case, the provincial inspection report reveals the home was warned by a staffer two months before the attack that a male registered practical nurse who was supposed to be watching “high-risk” residents in one area was “returning late from breaks and (had) unexplained absences from his assigned duties.”
According to the report, a staff member discovered Kozlov in Chambers’ room on April 4, 2011, at 3:05 a.m. His pants were down and he was standing behind Chambers’ exposed buttocks, which were “positioned at the edge of the bed.” His body was “facing (Chamber’s) buttocks.” The bed had been positioned at a height between his waist and hips.
The worker who witnessed the assault reported it immediately.
Vija Mallia, who was Castleview Wychwood’s administrator at the time of the assault and is now a senior manager with the City of Toronto, said the home now requires that two employees work together during the evening and overnight shifts so no one can be alone with residents.
Following the Star’s story, the health minister called an emergency meeting for nursing-home leaders and demanded they take action to stop abuse.
The Long-Term Care Task Force on Resident Care and Safety was created, and an action plan for change was submitted to Matthews last spring.
Mallia said the task force’s recommendations on zero tolerance for abuse and staff education have since been adopted by Toronto’s 10 long-term care homes.
SOURCE: The STAR
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More Seniors Target of Fraud
More seniors target of fraud
Oct 18, 2012
by KBZK Media Center
Crimes of fraud against seniors are on the rise... across the United States and here in Gallatin County.
Have you ever heard of the "grandparent scam"? It's one of the top senior scams according to law enforcement officials. A name of a child, grandchild, neighbor, organization and/or school is easily obtainable information used against seniors to trick them into forking over money. Today, it is easy than ever to gather that kind of personal information.
Often times, seniors wont report the crime. Ruth Ann Marchi, owner of Home Instead Senior Care in Bozeman, says only about 25 percent of cases are every reported because seniors feel they will be deemed as incompetent.
With fraud on the rise, Home Instead Senior Care has teamed up with law enforcement to spread awareness.
"We want to educate people on what makes seniors in particularly vulnerable... how we can help prevent them from being taken advantage of, how we can help them from losing their independence and dignity," said Marchi.
Gallatin County Law Enforcement and Home Instead Senior Care are making stops all over Bozeman. Thursday, they were at the Bozeman Senior Center.
Experts say the some of the top scams seniors should be aware of are Telemarketing, Fake Charities, Sweepstakes, Health-care fraud, Identity theft and financial exploitation.
It is recommended that seniors keep a scam checklist:
- Consider a second set of eyes to look over bill payments and mail
- Don't send any personal information through the mail, online or over the phone to anyone you don't know
- Buy and install a locking mail box or a PO Box
- Carefully review monthly accounts for unauthorized charges
- Check your credit score to make sure it hasn't changed significantly
For more tips and other resources visit the Home Instead Senior Care Network online
or by phone 406-922-5060
SOURCE: The KXLF
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Oct 18, 2012
by KBZK Media Center
Crimes of fraud against seniors are on the rise... across the United States and here in Gallatin County.
Have you ever heard of the "grandparent scam"? It's one of the top senior scams according to law enforcement officials. A name of a child, grandchild, neighbor, organization and/or school is easily obtainable information used against seniors to trick them into forking over money. Today, it is easy than ever to gather that kind of personal information.
Often times, seniors wont report the crime. Ruth Ann Marchi, owner of Home Instead Senior Care in Bozeman, says only about 25 percent of cases are every reported because seniors feel they will be deemed as incompetent.
With fraud on the rise, Home Instead Senior Care has teamed up with law enforcement to spread awareness.
"We want to educate people on what makes seniors in particularly vulnerable... how we can help prevent them from being taken advantage of, how we can help them from losing their independence and dignity," said Marchi.
Gallatin County Law Enforcement and Home Instead Senior Care are making stops all over Bozeman. Thursday, they were at the Bozeman Senior Center.
Experts say the some of the top scams seniors should be aware of are Telemarketing, Fake Charities, Sweepstakes, Health-care fraud, Identity theft and financial exploitation.
It is recommended that seniors keep a scam checklist:
- Consider a second set of eyes to look over bill payments and mail
- Don't send any personal information through the mail, online or over the phone to anyone you don't know
- Buy and install a locking mail box or a PO Box
- Carefully review monthly accounts for unauthorized charges
- Check your credit score to make sure it hasn't changed significantly
For more tips and other resources visit the Home Instead Senior Care Network online
or by phone 406-922-5060
SOURCE: The KXLF
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Disbarred Lawyer Headed to Jail for Looting Estate
Disbarred NT lawyer headed to jail for looting estate
BY: Thomas Prohaska
Disbarred North Tonawanda attorney Roger J. Niemel is scheduled to go to jail Jan. 8 after pleading guilty last week to stealing $153,264 from a Wheatfield man’s estate.
Niemel, 70, agreed to a plea bargain that included a two-year sentence to Niagara County Jail. He pleaded guilty before County Judge Sara Sheldon Farkas to third-degree grand larceny and second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument.
The thefts from the estate of Chester Kawalec lasted from 2005 to 2008, Assistant District Attorney Brian D. Seaman said. Kawalec, 84, died April 27, 2005, and left an estate worth more than $800,000, counting assets in personal accounts and those in joint accounts with his adult daughter and her two children.
Kawalec, widowed in 1993, left a will calling for his daughter, Marcia Poirier-DeNapoli of Niagara Falls, Ont., to receive half of the estate, and her two children, Sara and Jason Poirier, were to have 25 percent each.
Surrogate’s Court files indicate that the estate was complicated by the fact that Jason Poirier left home in 1993 at age 18, and his whereabouts are not known to his mother, who did not return calls from The Buffalo News.
She hired North Tonawanda attorney Robert E. Nicely in August 2011 to help move the estate toward closure.
In a letter a year ago to the Eighth Judicial District’s Attorney Grievance Committee, Poirier-DeNapoli said Nicely told her of the thefts Sept. 20, 2011.
“My father has worked hard all his life to accumulate these assets, and it breaks my daughter’s heart and mine to think that Mr. Niemel could so such a dastardly act,” she wrote.
Niemel had lost his law license in March 2011 for misappropriating $20,500 from a Grand Island woman and violating 11 different rules of professional conduct.
During the thefts from the Kawalec estate, Seaman said, Niemel was taking money by means of writing forged checks to himself, many in the $3,000 to $5,000 range but some as little as $500.
“From the very beginning, there were moneys that should have been deposited in an estate account that were deposited in a personal account,” Seaman said.
Asked by Farkas why he stole the money, Niemel minimized his role, claiming that the complainant, Kawalec’s daughter, was at fault.
Poirier-DeNapoli could not serve as sole executor of the estate because of her Canadian residency, Seaman said. Niemel was hired to serve as co-executor.
He said Kawalec’s estate was a difficult one to settle and involved “a great deal of effort and time. From the very first day, when the complainant received funds, I received funds. … It was freely given from her to me.” He said Poirier-DeNapoli stopped coming to his office, and he had the need to pay taxes and other bills on the estate.
Niemel said, “I didn’t have my personal money, so I paid [the bills] from the estate. Not all the money went for bills, but the bulk of it did.” Seaman said that’s untrue. He said he found some bill payments from the estate funds, but “nothing remotely close to $153,000.”
Niemel said Kawalec “may have been a hoarder and [was] very secretive.” He said stacks of $100 U.S. savings bonds were found stashed in boots in Kawalec’s garage. With interest, the value of the bonds totaled more than $175,000, and Niemel said he spent a full day at a bank endorsing them.
A source with knowledge of the case said canceled checks had to be obtained from HSBC Bank, since Niemel had no accounting system.
The source said Niemel botched the estate tax, paying the Internal Revenue Service $26,000 that didn’t have to be paid. The statute of limitations to try to reclaim the money has expired.
SOURCE: The Buffalo News
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BY: Thomas Prohaska
Disbarred North Tonawanda attorney Roger J. Niemel is scheduled to go to jail Jan. 8 after pleading guilty last week to stealing $153,264 from a Wheatfield man’s estate.
Niemel, 70, agreed to a plea bargain that included a two-year sentence to Niagara County Jail. He pleaded guilty before County Judge Sara Sheldon Farkas to third-degree grand larceny and second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument.
The thefts from the estate of Chester Kawalec lasted from 2005 to 2008, Assistant District Attorney Brian D. Seaman said. Kawalec, 84, died April 27, 2005, and left an estate worth more than $800,000, counting assets in personal accounts and those in joint accounts with his adult daughter and her two children.
Kawalec, widowed in 1993, left a will calling for his daughter, Marcia Poirier-DeNapoli of Niagara Falls, Ont., to receive half of the estate, and her two children, Sara and Jason Poirier, were to have 25 percent each.
Surrogate’s Court files indicate that the estate was complicated by the fact that Jason Poirier left home in 1993 at age 18, and his whereabouts are not known to his mother, who did not return calls from The Buffalo News.
She hired North Tonawanda attorney Robert E. Nicely in August 2011 to help move the estate toward closure.
In a letter a year ago to the Eighth Judicial District’s Attorney Grievance Committee, Poirier-DeNapoli said Nicely told her of the thefts Sept. 20, 2011.
“My father has worked hard all his life to accumulate these assets, and it breaks my daughter’s heart and mine to think that Mr. Niemel could so such a dastardly act,” she wrote.
Niemel had lost his law license in March 2011 for misappropriating $20,500 from a Grand Island woman and violating 11 different rules of professional conduct.
During the thefts from the Kawalec estate, Seaman said, Niemel was taking money by means of writing forged checks to himself, many in the $3,000 to $5,000 range but some as little as $500.
“From the very beginning, there were moneys that should have been deposited in an estate account that were deposited in a personal account,” Seaman said.
Asked by Farkas why he stole the money, Niemel minimized his role, claiming that the complainant, Kawalec’s daughter, was at fault.
Poirier-DeNapoli could not serve as sole executor of the estate because of her Canadian residency, Seaman said. Niemel was hired to serve as co-executor.
He said Kawalec’s estate was a difficult one to settle and involved “a great deal of effort and time. From the very first day, when the complainant received funds, I received funds. … It was freely given from her to me.” He said Poirier-DeNapoli stopped coming to his office, and he had the need to pay taxes and other bills on the estate.
Niemel said, “I didn’t have my personal money, so I paid [the bills] from the estate. Not all the money went for bills, but the bulk of it did.” Seaman said that’s untrue. He said he found some bill payments from the estate funds, but “nothing remotely close to $153,000.”
Niemel said Kawalec “may have been a hoarder and [was] very secretive.” He said stacks of $100 U.S. savings bonds were found stashed in boots in Kawalec’s garage. With interest, the value of the bonds totaled more than $175,000, and Niemel said he spent a full day at a bank endorsing them.
A source with knowledge of the case said canceled checks had to be obtained from HSBC Bank, since Niemel had no accounting system.
The source said Niemel botched the estate tax, paying the Internal Revenue Service $26,000 that didn’t have to be paid. The statute of limitations to try to reclaim the money has expired.
SOURCE: The Buffalo News
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AM Backs New Laws to Fight Abuse of Elderly (WALES, UK)
AM backs new laws to fight abuse of elderly
October 22, 2012
South Wales Evening Post
A SWANSEA-BASED AM has supported calls for new laws helping protect elderly people from abuse.
Liberal Democrat AM for South Wales West Peter Black has signed up to Age Cymru's Rule Out Abuse campaign, which is calling for a new law to make sure tackling elder abuse is treated with the priority it deserves.
Mr Black said: "Age Cymru say that Wales has the highest prevalence of elder abuse in the UK with a rate of six per cent.
"Based on population estimates, this could equate to more than 6,000 older people who are being abused in their own home in our region alone, and as many as 39,000 in Wales as a whole.
"No-one should have to endure abuse, and more can be done to make sure people are supported and protected against harm."
He said he was delighted the upcoming Social Services and Well-being Bill would place key legal duties on local authorities, the health service and the police to protect at-risk adults.
Mr Black also said he felt the legislation should also include a duty to consider provision of independent advocates for adults at risk.
"Independent advocacy services play a vital role in supporting people who have been or are being abused by empowering them to express their views and exercise their rights," he said.
"Adults at risk often have no one to support them to exercise their rights and to make informed choices.
"Independent advocacy can provide people with a stronger voice and real control."
SOURCE: This is South Wales
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October 22, 2012
South Wales Evening Post
A SWANSEA-BASED AM has supported calls for new laws helping protect elderly people from abuse.
Liberal Democrat AM for South Wales West Peter Black has signed up to Age Cymru's Rule Out Abuse campaign, which is calling for a new law to make sure tackling elder abuse is treated with the priority it deserves.
Mr Black said: "Age Cymru say that Wales has the highest prevalence of elder abuse in the UK with a rate of six per cent.
"Based on population estimates, this could equate to more than 6,000 older people who are being abused in their own home in our region alone, and as many as 39,000 in Wales as a whole.
"No-one should have to endure abuse, and more can be done to make sure people are supported and protected against harm."
He said he was delighted the upcoming Social Services and Well-being Bill would place key legal duties on local authorities, the health service and the police to protect at-risk adults.
Mr Black also said he felt the legislation should also include a duty to consider provision of independent advocates for adults at risk.
"Independent advocacy services play a vital role in supporting people who have been or are being abused by empowering them to express their views and exercise their rights," he said.
"Adults at risk often have no one to support them to exercise their rights and to make informed choices.
"Independent advocacy can provide people with a stronger voice and real control."
SOURCE: This is South Wales
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Man Accused of Trying to Rape Elderly Woman
Man accused of trying to rape elderly woman in Moorpark
October 22, 2012
MOORPARK, Calif. (KABC)
A man was arrested on suspicion of attempting to rape an elderly woman in Moorpark, officials said.
The incident happened last Thursday morning in the area of Valley Road and Magnolia Street. Investigators said the suspect, 40-year-old Julio Garcia, fled the scene before authorities arrived.
Garcia was eventually found and arrested in the 1800 block of Cochran Street in Simi Valley. He was booked for attempted forcible rape and elder abuse. He was held on $1 million bail.
According to deputies, Garcia knew the victim and attempted to rape her after he forced her into the home. The exact age of the victim was not released.
(Copyright ©2012 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
SOURCE: ABC Local
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October 22, 2012
MOORPARK, Calif. (KABC)
A man was arrested on suspicion of attempting to rape an elderly woman in Moorpark, officials said.
The incident happened last Thursday morning in the area of Valley Road and Magnolia Street. Investigators said the suspect, 40-year-old Julio Garcia, fled the scene before authorities arrived.
Garcia was eventually found and arrested in the 1800 block of Cochran Street in Simi Valley. He was booked for attempted forcible rape and elder abuse. He was held on $1 million bail.
According to deputies, Garcia knew the victim and attempted to rape her after he forced her into the home. The exact age of the victim was not released.
(Copyright ©2012 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
SOURCE: ABC Local
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October 22, 2012
Free Elder Law Seminar Coming Up (Iowa, USA)
Free elder law seminar coming up
The Hawk Eye
10/19/2012
Iowa Department of Elder Affairs and Iowa Legal Aid's Legal Hot Line for Older Iowans will present a free Elder Law seminar from 12:30 to 3:45 p.m. Nov. 1.
The seminar will be broadcast over the Iowa Communications Network at Burlington Public Library, 210 Court St.
Participants will learn about health care directives; financial powers of attorney; guardianships; conservatorships; Medicaid eligibility for nursing home expenses; avoiding financial exploitation and elder abuse; nursing home residents' rights; and programs to help pay Medicare premiums and other health care costs.
Pre-registration by Oct. 22 is requested to ensure everybody receives the written seminar materials.
To register for the seminar, or for more information, call the Legal Hotline for Older Iowans at (800) 992-8161 or email landerson@iowalaw.org.
SOURCE: The Hawk Eye
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The Hawk Eye
10/19/2012
Iowa Department of Elder Affairs and Iowa Legal Aid's Legal Hot Line for Older Iowans will present a free Elder Law seminar from 12:30 to 3:45 p.m. Nov. 1.
The seminar will be broadcast over the Iowa Communications Network at Burlington Public Library, 210 Court St.
Participants will learn about health care directives; financial powers of attorney; guardianships; conservatorships; Medicaid eligibility for nursing home expenses; avoiding financial exploitation and elder abuse; nursing home residents' rights; and programs to help pay Medicare premiums and other health care costs.
Pre-registration by Oct. 22 is requested to ensure everybody receives the written seminar materials.
To register for the seminar, or for more information, call the Legal Hotline for Older Iowans at (800) 992-8161 or email landerson@iowalaw.org.
SOURCE: The Hawk Eye
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Man Accused of Elder Abuse, Scam Appears in Court
By Jess Sullivan
October 20, 2012
FAIRFIELD — A 62-year-old Vacaville man pleaded not guilty Friday to felony theft and elder abuse charges for allegedly scamming an elderly woman out of more than $100,000.
Frank J. Bosnich allegedly pilfered the money in May and June, enticing the victim to give him money with promises that she was a sweepstakes winner and would receive her prize once the money had been used to obtain her winnings, according to the prosecutor handling the case.
Bosnich, who is being held in jail on $50,000 bail, was ordered back to court Oct. 29 for a probable cause hearing.
Authorities believe Bosnich may have victimized others with a similar scam. Anyone with information about the fraud or who may have been the victim of a similar fraud is asked to call Detective Chris Lechuga at 449-5269.
SOURCE: The Daily Republic
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October 20, 2012
FAIRFIELD — A 62-year-old Vacaville man pleaded not guilty Friday to felony theft and elder abuse charges for allegedly scamming an elderly woman out of more than $100,000.
Frank J. Bosnich allegedly pilfered the money in May and June, enticing the victim to give him money with promises that she was a sweepstakes winner and would receive her prize once the money had been used to obtain her winnings, according to the prosecutor handling the case.
Bosnich, who is being held in jail on $50,000 bail, was ordered back to court Oct. 29 for a probable cause hearing.
Authorities believe Bosnich may have victimized others with a similar scam. Anyone with information about the fraud or who may have been the victim of a similar fraud is asked to call Detective Chris Lechuga at 449-5269.
SOURCE: The Daily Republic
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Woman Gets 43 Years for Defrauding 86 Seniors
Woman gets 43 years for defrauding 86 seniors out of thousands of dollars
October 20, 2012
By: Kimathi Lewis
A woman pretending to be a Georgia Power Company employee defrauded 86 DeKalb County residents out of thousands of dollars — and almost all her victims were more than 65 years old.
A Superior Court judge on Friday sentenced Ms. Santee Roberts to 43 years in prison after she was found guilty of racketeering, identity fraud, financial transaction fraud and elder exploitation, according to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office.
Ms. Roberts identified herself as a Georgia Power representative to the residents in order to obtain their personal information, prosecutors said.
“The defendants purchased a cell phone and registered it under the alias ‘Georgia Powers’ and began targeting seniors,” District Attorney Mr. Robert James said.
“When a victim would check the caller ID, it would read similar to the local power company. The defendants would then demand payment for utility services and threaten to interrupt power services if the victim would not immediately comply.”
Fearful of losing their electricity, the residents provided credit card numbers and personal information, which the defendants used to purchase various items including electronics, cash advances and gift cards, Mr. James said.
But as it turned out, Ms. Roberts was never employed by Georgia Power.
“This sentence sends a strong message to those who prey upon our seniors and scam our residents,” Mr. James said.
SOURCE: The Examiner
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October 20, 2012
By: Kimathi Lewis
A woman pretending to be a Georgia Power Company employee defrauded 86 DeKalb County residents out of thousands of dollars — and almost all her victims were more than 65 years old.
A Superior Court judge on Friday sentenced Ms. Santee Roberts to 43 years in prison after she was found guilty of racketeering, identity fraud, financial transaction fraud and elder exploitation, according to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office.
Ms. Roberts identified herself as a Georgia Power representative to the residents in order to obtain their personal information, prosecutors said.
“The defendants purchased a cell phone and registered it under the alias ‘Georgia Powers’ and began targeting seniors,” District Attorney Mr. Robert James said.
“When a victim would check the caller ID, it would read similar to the local power company. The defendants would then demand payment for utility services and threaten to interrupt power services if the victim would not immediately comply.”
Fearful of losing their electricity, the residents provided credit card numbers and personal information, which the defendants used to purchase various items including electronics, cash advances and gift cards, Mr. James said.
But as it turned out, Ms. Roberts was never employed by Georgia Power.
“This sentence sends a strong message to those who prey upon our seniors and scam our residents,” Mr. James said.
SOURCE: The Examiner
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October 17, 2012
Scammers Thwarted in Attempt to Sell WA Home (WA. AUSTRALIA)
By David Weber
16 October, 2012
Fraud police and a real estate agency in Western Australia have thwarted an attempt by con artists to sell a home without the owner's knowledge.
It is the latest in a series of scams facing WA real estate agencies where real owners have lost their homes to new buyers and the funds are transferred overseas.
In those cases fraudsters convinced the agents, the banks and government authority Landgate they were the real owners.
But real estate agency Peard & Associates and Fraud Squad detectives have stopped the attempted sale of another home in a case they believe was plotted in Africa.
Peard & Associates director Byron Wallace says the scammers attempted to assume the identity of a real property owner.
"We've managed property for an overseas landlord and he resided in South Africa," he said.
"We received what was an email from a reported landlord with the same name in the email address thanking us for a property condition report we had posted to him recently."
Mr Wallace says the scammer wrote to the agency to say "by the way, I've changed my email address. Please further any future correspondence to" a certain email address.
"Subsequently a phone call came pretty soon after: 'Just want to confirm my new email address is this, I'm not using the old address anymore. Any further correspondence should be sent to this address'," he said.
Mr Wallace says the agency then emailed the owner asking if they had received a property condition report and wanted to change their details.
"He said, 'No I haven't got the report and no I'm not changing my details'," he said.
"We also asked him whether he had any thoughts of selling the property.
"Subsequently we received another email [from the scammer] saying, 'Please value the property we're looking to sell it urgently'."
Not selling
Audio: Con artist fails to sell WA home (PM)
Mr Wallace says the real owner confirmed they were not selling the property.
"We reported to the Department of Commerce or Consumer Protection and we also got in touch with the Major Fraud Squad," he said.
The scammer's email is believed to have been sent from in or around South Africa, Mr Wallace says.
"That's where the landlord lives. They have our contact details via our letterhead and we've obviously shut it down," he said.
WA Consumer Protection Commissioner Anne Driscoll says the tale is a warning to other property owners that they could be targeted in the future.
"I don't think we should assume that these attempts are necessarily going to be with an absent landowner in an overseas country," she said.
"That has to date been where it's been successful, but I feel that any property owner who is renting out their property should make arrangements for the real estate agent to ensure any change of details is cross checked, maybe to introduce passwords or special private questions that serve to confirm that they're dealing with the true owner."
SOURCE: ABC,NEWS AUSTRALIA
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16 October, 2012
Fraud police and a real estate agency in Western Australia have thwarted an attempt by con artists to sell a home without the owner's knowledge.
It is the latest in a series of scams facing WA real estate agencies where real owners have lost their homes to new buyers and the funds are transferred overseas.
In those cases fraudsters convinced the agents, the banks and government authority Landgate they were the real owners.
But real estate agency Peard & Associates and Fraud Squad detectives have stopped the attempted sale of another home in a case they believe was plotted in Africa.
Peard & Associates director Byron Wallace says the scammers attempted to assume the identity of a real property owner.
"We've managed property for an overseas landlord and he resided in South Africa," he said.
"We received what was an email from a reported landlord with the same name in the email address thanking us for a property condition report we had posted to him recently."
Mr Wallace says the scammer wrote to the agency to say "by the way, I've changed my email address. Please further any future correspondence to" a certain email address.
"Subsequently a phone call came pretty soon after: 'Just want to confirm my new email address is this, I'm not using the old address anymore. Any further correspondence should be sent to this address'," he said.
Mr Wallace says the agency then emailed the owner asking if they had received a property condition report and wanted to change their details.
"He said, 'No I haven't got the report and no I'm not changing my details'," he said.
"We also asked him whether he had any thoughts of selling the property.
"Subsequently we received another email [from the scammer] saying, 'Please value the property we're looking to sell it urgently'."
Not selling
Audio: Con artist fails to sell WA home (PM)
Mr Wallace says the real owner confirmed they were not selling the property.
"We reported to the Department of Commerce or Consumer Protection and we also got in touch with the Major Fraud Squad," he said.
The scammer's email is believed to have been sent from in or around South Africa, Mr Wallace says.
"That's where the landlord lives. They have our contact details via our letterhead and we've obviously shut it down," he said.
WA Consumer Protection Commissioner Anne Driscoll says the tale is a warning to other property owners that they could be targeted in the future.
"I don't think we should assume that these attempts are necessarily going to be with an absent landowner in an overseas country," she said.
"That has to date been where it's been successful, but I feel that any property owner who is renting out their property should make arrangements for the real estate agent to ensure any change of details is cross checked, maybe to introduce passwords or special private questions that serve to confirm that they're dealing with the true owner."
SOURCE: ABC,NEWS AUSTRALIA
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National Centre for the Protection of Older People (IRELAND)
National Centre for the Protection of Older People (Ireland)
National Centre for the Protection of Older People (NCPOP). The centre is funded by the Health Service Executive to undertake a programme of research into elder abuse in Ireland. Through our collaborative interdisciplinary team we aim to develop a knowledge base of Irish and international research to contribute to the development of policy, practice, and education. The NCPOP website is a resource for all those working with or having contact with older people in areas such as health and social care, legal and financial services, as well as for older people themselves.
Elder Abuse in the News 2012
Impact of elder abuse profiled in report - Summer 2012 - Nursing Homes Ireland Newsletter
To read the full article please click on the following link: NHI Article
(There are more useful information on Elder Abuse in Ireland, Please go to the website )
SOURCE: National Centre for the Protection of Older People, ie
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National Centre for the Protection of Older People (NCPOP). The centre is funded by the Health Service Executive to undertake a programme of research into elder abuse in Ireland. Through our collaborative interdisciplinary team we aim to develop a knowledge base of Irish and international research to contribute to the development of policy, practice, and education. The NCPOP website is a resource for all those working with or having contact with older people in areas such as health and social care, legal and financial services, as well as for older people themselves.
Elder Abuse in the News 2012
Impact of elder abuse profiled in report - Summer 2012 - Nursing Homes Ireland Newsletter
To read the full article please click on the following link: NHI Article
(There are more useful information on Elder Abuse in Ireland, Please go to the website )
SOURCE: National Centre for the Protection of Older People, ie
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Designing Effective Strategies for Tackling Elder Abuse (Europe)
Ageing in Dignity: Designing effective strategies for tackling elder abuse
The purpose of the conference will be to take stock of the achievements of recent EU projects related to elder abuse and to exchange views about what needs and could be done at national and European level to protect the dignity and well-being of older people.
Following the 1st European high level conference of 2008 the European Commission is organising again a conference on the prevention of elder abuse.
The number of older people, particularly over the age of 80, will be growing very fast over the coming decades. While most of the over-80s can be expected to be able to live independently, a large minority are likely to be frail and dependent for prolonged periods on help from others, be they relatives or professional carers. They will be vulnerable to neglect or even abuse. Protecting the dignity of these people is becoming a major challenge for our societies.
The conference can be followed via webstreaming in EN, FR, DE, ES and IT.
Link to proramme.
28 November 2012 Brussels, Belgium
Organisation: European Commission
More information
SOURCE: MOVISIE
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The purpose of the conference will be to take stock of the achievements of recent EU projects related to elder abuse and to exchange views about what needs and could be done at national and European level to protect the dignity and well-being of older people.
Following the 1st European high level conference of 2008 the European Commission is organising again a conference on the prevention of elder abuse.
The number of older people, particularly over the age of 80, will be growing very fast over the coming decades. While most of the over-80s can be expected to be able to live independently, a large minority are likely to be frail and dependent for prolonged periods on help from others, be they relatives or professional carers. They will be vulnerable to neglect or even abuse. Protecting the dignity of these people is becoming a major challenge for our societies.
The conference can be followed via webstreaming in EN, FR, DE, ES and IT.
Link to proramme.
28 November 2012 Brussels, Belgium
Organisation: European Commission
More information
SOURCE: MOVISIE
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Monitoring in Long-Term Care Pilot Project on Elder Abuse (EU)
Monitoring in Long-Term Care Pilot Project on Elder Abuse ( MILCEA)
MILCEA contributes to prevention of elder abuse. The subordinated goal is to develop a monitoring system that allows the assessment of elder abuse in long term care as a precondition for prevention. MILCEA is funded by the European Commission.
Report
Website in English/German
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MILCEA contributes to prevention of elder abuse. The subordinated goal is to develop a monitoring system that allows the assessment of elder abuse in long term care as a precondition for prevention. MILCEA is funded by the European Commission.
Report
Website in English/German
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October 8, 2012
Abuse of Our Elders is an Epidemic
Abuse of our elders is an epidemic
Oct 4, 2012
Carol Silver Elliott is CEO and president of Cedar Village Retirement Community in Mason and led the creation of the Shalom Center for Elder Abuse Prevention at Cedar Village. She spoke about elder abuse this week on a panel at the White House.
If you were told that there is a life-threatening issue that affects more than one in 10 older adults – more than 2.5 million people in the United States – would you be concerned and feel that something should be done?
There is such a problem, it is growing every year and little is being done to address it. That problem is elder abuse, and it is an epidemic.
Elder abuse is defined as intentional or neglectful acts by a caregiver or trusted individual that can lead to harm of people over age 65. These acts most often are committed by a family member, often a child or grandchild.
Abuse of older adults may be physical, sexual, financial, verbal, emotional and/or psychological. It includes intentionally ignoring or failing to meet a person’s needs. Elder abuse knows no race, culture or socioeconomic status – it is an equal-opportunity tragedy.
What does elder abuse look like? It’s a woman who has been physically battered by her daughter; a man whose son has his power of attorney and who emptied all of his bank accounts and now does not answer his phone; a man who is no longer allowed to make decisions for himself and fully participate in the active life he once knew. This abuse often goes unrecognized and unreported. Victims are afraid or ashamed to ask for help. They are not believed if they seek assistance, often because of their age.
Elder abuse is a form of domestic violence. Although our nation’s system of domestic violence shelters meets a vital need, such shelters do not meet the need for older adults. Caring for an 80-year-old in a shelter of young families does not work. Older adults have different needs – medically, nutritionally, legally and socially.
Two things need to happen to more effectively combat elder abuse:
• Members of the professional community and the general public must be educated to look for signs of abuse committed against their neighbors, customers, clients, patients and relatives. Then, alert authorities.
• Safe havens must be created in every community.
At Cedar Village, we’ve joined the ranks of five other long-term care facilities in the country that operate elder abuse shelters. The Shalom Center for Elder Abuse Prevention at Cedar Village has been open since Jan. 1.
It is a virtual shelter, which means that any one of Cedar Village’s 162 nursing home beds can be used as a bed for an abuse victim. Victims may stay for 90 to 120 days while plans are made to discharge them to the least restrictive alternative environment. They are integrated into Cedar Village’s population and receive medical and nursing care, therapy and nutrition services, spiritual care, social services and legal assistance.
Nearly every community in the nation has the resources to create a safe haven for the elderly at little expense. Beds in existing long-term care facilities are natural for this because, after all, the core of a shelter is a bed.
And individuals can help by being alert to older adults whose routines change, who become socially isolated or who have unexplained injuries. If there are older adults in your life and you have suspicions, ask them questions when they are alone. Be alert to when their account of an injury is different from a caregiver’s.
Our older adults deserve your help in regaining and maintaining their respect and quality of life.
SOURCE: The Cincinnati
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Oct 4, 2012
Carol Silver Elliott is CEO and president of Cedar Village Retirement Community in Mason and led the creation of the Shalom Center for Elder Abuse Prevention at Cedar Village. She spoke about elder abuse this week on a panel at the White House.
If you were told that there is a life-threatening issue that affects more than one in 10 older adults – more than 2.5 million people in the United States – would you be concerned and feel that something should be done?
There is such a problem, it is growing every year and little is being done to address it. That problem is elder abuse, and it is an epidemic.
Elder abuse is defined as intentional or neglectful acts by a caregiver or trusted individual that can lead to harm of people over age 65. These acts most often are committed by a family member, often a child or grandchild.
Abuse of older adults may be physical, sexual, financial, verbal, emotional and/or psychological. It includes intentionally ignoring or failing to meet a person’s needs. Elder abuse knows no race, culture or socioeconomic status – it is an equal-opportunity tragedy.
What does elder abuse look like? It’s a woman who has been physically battered by her daughter; a man whose son has his power of attorney and who emptied all of his bank accounts and now does not answer his phone; a man who is no longer allowed to make decisions for himself and fully participate in the active life he once knew. This abuse often goes unrecognized and unreported. Victims are afraid or ashamed to ask for help. They are not believed if they seek assistance, often because of their age.
Elder abuse is a form of domestic violence. Although our nation’s system of domestic violence shelters meets a vital need, such shelters do not meet the need for older adults. Caring for an 80-year-old in a shelter of young families does not work. Older adults have different needs – medically, nutritionally, legally and socially.
Two things need to happen to more effectively combat elder abuse:
• Members of the professional community and the general public must be educated to look for signs of abuse committed against their neighbors, customers, clients, patients and relatives. Then, alert authorities.
• Safe havens must be created in every community.
At Cedar Village, we’ve joined the ranks of five other long-term care facilities in the country that operate elder abuse shelters. The Shalom Center for Elder Abuse Prevention at Cedar Village has been open since Jan. 1.
It is a virtual shelter, which means that any one of Cedar Village’s 162 nursing home beds can be used as a bed for an abuse victim. Victims may stay for 90 to 120 days while plans are made to discharge them to the least restrictive alternative environment. They are integrated into Cedar Village’s population and receive medical and nursing care, therapy and nutrition services, spiritual care, social services and legal assistance.
Nearly every community in the nation has the resources to create a safe haven for the elderly at little expense. Beds in existing long-term care facilities are natural for this because, after all, the core of a shelter is a bed.
And individuals can help by being alert to older adults whose routines change, who become socially isolated or who have unexplained injuries. If there are older adults in your life and you have suspicions, ask them questions when they are alone. Be alert to when their account of an injury is different from a caregiver’s.
Our older adults deserve your help in regaining and maintaining their respect and quality of life.
SOURCE: The Cincinnati
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Call to Action Against Elder Abuse
By Ellwood Shreve, QMI Agency
October 4, 2012
Elder abuse is often well hidden, because family members, caregivers or scam artists victimize many seniors.
But, with the growing number of seniors in Ontario, due to aging baby boomers, collaboration is key to addressing this issue.
That was the key message brought by Durham Regional Police Sgt. John Keating, an expert in the field of crimes against seniors, and Tammy Rankin, elder abuse advisor with the Regional Municipality of Durham. The two were presenters Thursday at a Chatham-Kent Abuse Awareness Committee workshop in Chatham.
Keating said it is important for community partners to tackle this issue, because "there isn't any one agency that can do this on their own."
Police, caregivers and other agencies need to work together, he said.
He told of an elder abuse case in Durham region where a long-term care (LTC) home resident was suddenly in arrears for her lodging.
Because the woman suffered from dementia, and wouldn't be spending her own money, the LTC home contacted police.
Keating said when police heard the word "arrears," the response was this is a civil matter and the problem continued for several months.
Fortunately, the victim's son realized an injustice was taking place and pressed police to investigate. Police discovered the victim's daughter, who had power of attorney, took $163,250 from her mother's bank account over a three-month period. She gambled it away, Keating said.
The daughter ended up being convicted of theft by power of attorney.
Keating said the matter may have been dealt with faster if it was described as a suspected fraud or theft, to police. However, he said the culture is changing and police are recognizing seniors are more likely to be victims of crime, because of his fellow officers are being educated about elder abuse.
Other ways seniors can fall victim is through con artists who roam online dating sites, crooked home care workers who steal money, and workers in homes who over medicate residents to make them easy to handle.
Rankin is concerned about whether society is ready to handle the issue as the number of seniors in Ontario, currently at 1.6 million seniors, is expected to rise to more than three million in the next 20 years.
Noting this is referred to as the "boomer tsunami," Rankin said there are currently waiting lists for admission into LTC homes and to receive in-home care.
"If we're already behind now, we are we going to be in 20 years?" she said.
It is estimated between 2% and 10% of seniors have been abused physically, psychologically or financially. Statistics show the son of a victim is likely to be the abuser 24% of the time, the same percentage applies to unrelated caregivers. Grandchildren are the abusers 21% of the time.
Pam Fasullo, executive director of Chatham-Kent Victims Services and a member of the C-K elder abuse awareness committee, said the problem is large in scope.
"That means there's between 32,000 and 160,000 older adults living in the province of Ontario who are being abused in some form by someone that they know and trust," Fasullo said.
She said those statistics would be comparable in Chatham-Kent where an estimated 1,076 to 2,690 adults 55 and over have experienced some form of abuse.
Fasullo has seen several examples through her work with victim services where elderly victims "want the help, they want the abuse to stop . . . but often times they don't want to report to police."
Rankin said a call to action is needed, like the one decades ago when society became aware of the startling statistics about child abuse and domestic violence.
This resulted in more services and laws being put in place to provide protection.
"We have to recognize that we care for a children, we care for people through domestic violence far more efficiently than we do our older adults," she said. "We have to value them, combat ageism and put some money and resources into combating the issue."
SOURCE: Chatham Daily News
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Man First Helps, Then Takes $4,000 From Wheelchair User
BSO: Man first helps, then takes $4,000, from wheelchair user
By Linda Trischitta, Sun Sentinel
October 5, 2012
FORT LAUDERDALE
When James Talley was paying for a meal at The Glass Key restaurant, someone was watching as the senior citizen in a wheelchair drew from an envelope that held more than $4,000.
"The victim is a retired toll collector on Florida's Turnpike who was going to pay first and last months' rent on a new apartment," said Broward Sheriff's spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright. "That's why he had so much money on him."
Talley, who lives in the Palm Aire neighborhood, encountered Randolph Soto at 361 NW 27th Ave. in Pompano Beach on Aug. 9, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
Soto, 31, who also lives in the city, offered to help Talley cross the street.
But before they parted, Broward Sheriff's Detective Steven Hoover wrote in his report that Soto helped himself to Talley's envelope.
And then he fled.
"Everybody in that neighborhood knows 'Turnpike,'" Hoover said Thursday of Talley, who uses the nickname. "And most people know Soto."
Soto was arrested Wednesday, two months after the incident.
He was charged with abuse of an elderly or disabled adult without great harm, and robbery without a weapon.
In first appearance court Thursday, Broward Judge John "Jay" Hurley noted there was "no force indicated" on the arrest report.
"[Talley] positively identified you as the person who took his money," Hurley told Soto.
The judge found probable cause for the charges, and Soto was held on $12,500 bond at the Broward County main jail.
Hoover said Talley's money was not recovered.
SOURCE: The Sun-Sentinel
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By Linda Trischitta, Sun Sentinel
October 5, 2012
FORT LAUDERDALE
When James Talley was paying for a meal at The Glass Key restaurant, someone was watching as the senior citizen in a wheelchair drew from an envelope that held more than $4,000.
"The victim is a retired toll collector on Florida's Turnpike who was going to pay first and last months' rent on a new apartment," said Broward Sheriff's spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright. "That's why he had so much money on him."
Talley, who lives in the Palm Aire neighborhood, encountered Randolph Soto at 361 NW 27th Ave. in Pompano Beach on Aug. 9, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
Soto, 31, who also lives in the city, offered to help Talley cross the street.
But before they parted, Broward Sheriff's Detective Steven Hoover wrote in his report that Soto helped himself to Talley's envelope.
And then he fled.
"Everybody in that neighborhood knows 'Turnpike,'" Hoover said Thursday of Talley, who uses the nickname. "And most people know Soto."
Soto was arrested Wednesday, two months after the incident.
He was charged with abuse of an elderly or disabled adult without great harm, and robbery without a weapon.
In first appearance court Thursday, Broward Judge John "Jay" Hurley noted there was "no force indicated" on the arrest report.
"[Talley] positively identified you as the person who took his money," Hurley told Soto.
The judge found probable cause for the charges, and Soto was held on $12,500 bond at the Broward County main jail.
Hoover said Talley's money was not recovered.
SOURCE: The Sun-Sentinel
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Seniors Need to Be Wary of Medicare Fraud (USA)
Seniors Need to Be Wary of Medicare Fraud
Bernard A. Krooks, Contributor
In previous entries, we’ve discussed different types of financial elder abuse. One thing is certain, Medicare abuse and fraud is rising. Experts estimate that in 2010, Medicare and Medicaid together made $65 billion in improper payments, and that number rose to $98 billion in 2011. [1] As thieves become more sophisticated, seniors and caregivers must become more vigilant – as Medicare abuse and fraud can affect a loved one’s health and healthcare programs. Here’s a quick guide to Medicare fraud and a few tips to protect yourself and your loved ones:
Medicare fraud is defined as any individual or company searching for Medicare reimbursement payments under false pretenses. [2]
There are a few common types of Medicare fraud that include:
• Identity Theft: When a medical professional steals patient information to use to over-bill Medicare.
• Equipment Substitution: An order for medical equipment may be intercepted, with Medicare being billed for newer or more expensive equipment and the patient being provided with cheap or used equipment.
• Phantom Billing: A doctor’s office may bill for services never performed.
• Upcoding: A medical provider may submit bills to Medicare for a more expensive service than the one actually performed.
• Unnecessary Procedures: A doctor may perform procedures that are not medically necessary in order to bill Medicare for the cost.
• Generic Drugs: Medicare is often billed for name brand medications when generic drugs were actually provided to the patient.
Medicare fraud doesn’t just cost the federal government. It often results in substandard medical treatment for the patient, and the additional costs can mean that the patient’s Medicare allotment is used up due to fraudulent billing. Fraud costs also increase health care costs and can eventually lead to higher taxes.
Here are a few things you can do to protect yourself or a loved one from Medicare fraud:
• Review your claims for mistakes or concerns:
• Keep a record of the dates of your doctors’ appointments and save your receipts and statements that you receive from providers to check for errors.
• Compare your records with the Medicare processed records to ensure you were not billed for any services you did not receive. You can review your Medicare claims by:
• visiting www.mymedicare.gov (claims are normally available within 24 hours after processing)
• calling 1-800-Medicare (1-800-633-4227) or
• looking at your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN)
• If you notice an incorrect charge on your bill, call your doctor or health care provider to give you more information to better understand the billing issue—it is possible there was a billing error.
• Make sure that the information below is readily accessible before contacting your doctor, health care provider, or Medicare:
• Your name and Medicare number
• The date of your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN)
• The provider’s name & any identifying number;
• The service or item in question;
• The date the service/item was received;
• The payment amount approved/paid for by Medicare;
• The reason you think Medicare should not have paid;
• Any information providing evidence to show why Medicare should not have paid for the service/item in question.
If you think you or your loved one may have been a victim of Medicare fraud, help is available. The Senior Medicare Patrol is a federally-funded resource to help seniors combat Medicare abuse. To contact the New York Senior Medicare Patrol, call the 24-hour hotline at 1-877-678-4697 or visit http://www.aging.ny.gov/ResourceGuide/HealthInsurance.cfm. For more information about our elder law services, visit www.elderlawnewyork.com.
SOURCE: The New York Times
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Bernard A. Krooks, Contributor
In previous entries, we’ve discussed different types of financial elder abuse. One thing is certain, Medicare abuse and fraud is rising. Experts estimate that in 2010, Medicare and Medicaid together made $65 billion in improper payments, and that number rose to $98 billion in 2011. [1] As thieves become more sophisticated, seniors and caregivers must become more vigilant – as Medicare abuse and fraud can affect a loved one’s health and healthcare programs. Here’s a quick guide to Medicare fraud and a few tips to protect yourself and your loved ones:
Medicare fraud is defined as any individual or company searching for Medicare reimbursement payments under false pretenses. [2]
There are a few common types of Medicare fraud that include:
• Identity Theft: When a medical professional steals patient information to use to over-bill Medicare.
• Equipment Substitution: An order for medical equipment may be intercepted, with Medicare being billed for newer or more expensive equipment and the patient being provided with cheap or used equipment.
• Phantom Billing: A doctor’s office may bill for services never performed.
• Upcoding: A medical provider may submit bills to Medicare for a more expensive service than the one actually performed.
• Unnecessary Procedures: A doctor may perform procedures that are not medically necessary in order to bill Medicare for the cost.
• Generic Drugs: Medicare is often billed for name brand medications when generic drugs were actually provided to the patient.
Medicare fraud doesn’t just cost the federal government. It often results in substandard medical treatment for the patient, and the additional costs can mean that the patient’s Medicare allotment is used up due to fraudulent billing. Fraud costs also increase health care costs and can eventually lead to higher taxes.
Here are a few things you can do to protect yourself or a loved one from Medicare fraud:
• Review your claims for mistakes or concerns:
• Keep a record of the dates of your doctors’ appointments and save your receipts and statements that you receive from providers to check for errors.
• Compare your records with the Medicare processed records to ensure you were not billed for any services you did not receive. You can review your Medicare claims by:
• visiting www.mymedicare.gov (claims are normally available within 24 hours after processing)
• calling 1-800-Medicare (1-800-633-4227) or
• looking at your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN)
• If you notice an incorrect charge on your bill, call your doctor or health care provider to give you more information to better understand the billing issue—it is possible there was a billing error.
• Make sure that the information below is readily accessible before contacting your doctor, health care provider, or Medicare:
• Your name and Medicare number
• The date of your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN)
• The provider’s name & any identifying number;
• The service or item in question;
• The date the service/item was received;
• The payment amount approved/paid for by Medicare;
• The reason you think Medicare should not have paid;
• Any information providing evidence to show why Medicare should not have paid for the service/item in question.
If you think you or your loved one may have been a victim of Medicare fraud, help is available. The Senior Medicare Patrol is a federally-funded resource to help seniors combat Medicare abuse. To contact the New York Senior Medicare Patrol, call the 24-hour hotline at 1-877-678-4697 or visit http://www.aging.ny.gov/ResourceGuide/HealthInsurance.cfm. For more information about our elder law services, visit www.elderlawnewyork.com.
SOURCE: The New York Times
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October 3, 2012
Elderly Patient Left to Wet Bed in Hospital Corridor (NSW. AUSTRALIA)
Lateline
By Matthew Carney
October 2, 2012
An elderly woman was left in a corridor for six hours and told to urinate in her bed when she needed to go to the toilet in a disturbing case of neglect at a major Sydney hospital.
Doctors say the incident at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital points to a system in crisis.
The 89-year-old woman's daughter told ABC1's Lateline that her mother was rushed to the hospital with a serious staph infection early last week.
The daughter, who wants to remain unidentified, says her mother was left on a trolley in a corridor in the emergency department for six hours.
"I'm disgusted, terrified that I might be in the same position one day. Where do you go? And what if she didn't have me as her voice?" she said.
When the elderly patient asked for a bedpan her daughter says a nurse told her to urinate in her clothes in bed.
She was sobbing, she said 'I'm 89-years old, I've paid my taxes all my life, and this is what's happening to me. I have to urinate in the bed.' And her anguish transferred to me and I didn't know which way to turn.
Daughter of a St Vincent's patient
"She was sobbing, she said 'I'm 89-years old, I've paid my taxes all my life, and this is what's happening to me. I have to urinate in the bed'," she said.
"And her anguish transferred to me and I didn't know which way to turn."
The daughter says her mother was left for two hours in the same bed sheets. She says her mother then asked for painkillers.
"She was in extreme pain, was given none of her medication," she said.
"When I told them what medication she was on, a certain painkiller, they said 'we don't use that in emergency because it's too expensive'."
St Vincent's says the system was under stress when the 89-year-old patient entered the hospital and a full investigation will be undertaken.
"The easy answer would be that the hospital was extremely busy at the time, and it was; clearly there was a lot of acute and complex patients who were presenting to the emergency department," spokesperson David Faktor said.
"But that doesn't absolve ourselves of extending just basic levels of care to distressed patients."
The daughter of the patient says the hospital was chronically understaffed.
St Vincent's has apologised to the family, but says it cannot comment on whether this incident is symptomatic of a wider problem.
"I think anyone in those circumstances would be most significantly humiliated," Mr Faktor said.
"But I think the second emotion would be very angry and disappointed and we, as a society, deserve better than that.
"We as a hospital certainly aim to provide care that is leaps and bounds better than that."
System in crisis
Brian Owler, president of the NSW branch of the Australian Medical Association, says the public hospital system is in crisis.
"It's a symptom of a hospital system - whether it's New South Wales or any other state - that's under enormous stress and pressure," he said.
"It's a result of underinvestment in infrastructure of health care, right across the country. Not just governments in place now but governments that have gone before them."
The AMA says emergency departments do not have enough beds to cope with increasing demand and budget cuts are making the situation much worse.
"Having cuts on top of that to a system that's already under stress means that, whether you make the cuts to the back line or not, the frontline clinical services are always going to be affected, particularly in a system that's already under stress, and where there's no surplus jobs that exist in particular in NSW Health," Dr Owler said.
The New South Wales Government rejects the claim that the health system is in crisis.
In a written statement NSW Health Minister Gillian Skinner says she will be redirecting $2.2 billion in savings to frontline health services.
SOURCE: ABC, Australia
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October 2, 2012
Sons are Major Abusers of Elderly Parents in India
Sons are major abusers of elderly parents in India
26 per cent said verbal abuse was very common
IANS
September 30, 2012
GULF NEWS
New Delhi: A large percentage of India’s elderly face abuse from their sons, rather than their daughters-in-law, with financial dependence being one of the main reasons for neglect and abuse.
While the government gives a paltry monthly pension of Rs.200 (Dh13) to those over 60 years in below-poverty-line (BPL) families, social activists are fighting for raising this to Rs.2,000 a month for all the elderly, irrespective of economic background.
October 1 is the International Day of the Elderly.
A survey conducted by HelpAge India on elder abuse indicates that the elderly suffer abuse silently — mostly at the hands of their sons.
There is a common belief that only daughters-in-law abuse elders. On the contrary, 56 per cent of those surveyed felt it was their sons who abuse them; daughters-in-law scored as low as 23 per cent,” Mathew Cherian, chief executive of HelpAge India, told IANS.
Over 44 per cent of the elderly said disrespect was the most common form of abuse, while 30 per cent said it was neglect and 26 per cent said verbal abuse was very common.
The report is based on a survey across 20 major cities, with a sample size of 5,600 and 280 elders per city.
Only a few of the elderly were willing to accept they faced abuse in some form while others chose to keep mum for the sake of family honour.
“Nearly 33 per cent of them are living without their children. Around 22 million widows, fairly a large group, have no form of subsistence. The widow’s pension reaches only about 10 per cent of the widows,” said Cherian.
“Overall, the situation of the elderly in the country is very bleak,” he added.
Financial burden is one of the main reasons for the neglect and abuse. Experts say universal old age pension would help the elders in a big way.
While a majority of the elderly know the police helpline numbers and services, they never call up — “for the sake of family honour”.
An activist of Pension Parishad, an initiative to ensure universal pension to all workers in India, told IANS: “Under the Indira Gandhi Old Age Pension Scheme those above 60 get Rs.200 a month and those above 80 get Rs.500 per month as pension.
“This amount is too less and the scheme covers only below-poverty line citizens. Only 18 million of the elderly population benefit from this scheme. We are demanding a programme for pension irrespective of whether a person belongs to below poverty line or above poverty line.”
The activist who did not want to be named said union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying that the Rs.200 pension amount was “an insult” to the individual since it’s too low an amount.
While the Pension Parishad, of which social activist Aruna Roy is a member, is fighting for reducing the age limit for pensions to 55, Minister Jairam Ramesh is not in agreement. He wants it to remain at 60 years.
According to Cherian, the government should implement universal pension and health insurance. “Only then will the situation of elders who are 60-plus be better,” Cherian said.
The HelpAge report also said that around 62 per cent elderly felt that children needed to be sensitised to prevent elder abuse and the inter-generational bonding strengthened. However, 38 per cent felt that only economic independence would solve the problem.
The activist added that the government had to increase more health insurance packages which are tailor-made for people who can only afford low premiums.
The report says that Madhya Pradesh tops elder abuse cases with 77.12 per cent. This is followed by Assam — 60.55 per cent, Uttar Pradesh — 52 percent, Gujarat — 42.97 per cent, and the lowest is Rajasthan — 1.6 per cent. The national capital, including the National Capital Region (NCR), has 29.82 per cent cases.
Of those interviewed in Delhi and NCR, 30 per cent admitted to facing abuse. The primary perpetrators of abuse were sons in 60 per cent cases, followed by daughters-in-law in 24 per cent cases.
SOURCE: Gulf News
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26 per cent said verbal abuse was very common
IANS
September 30, 2012
GULF NEWS
New Delhi: A large percentage of India’s elderly face abuse from their sons, rather than their daughters-in-law, with financial dependence being one of the main reasons for neglect and abuse.
While the government gives a paltry monthly pension of Rs.200 (Dh13) to those over 60 years in below-poverty-line (BPL) families, social activists are fighting for raising this to Rs.2,000 a month for all the elderly, irrespective of economic background.
October 1 is the International Day of the Elderly.
A survey conducted by HelpAge India on elder abuse indicates that the elderly suffer abuse silently — mostly at the hands of their sons.
There is a common belief that only daughters-in-law abuse elders. On the contrary, 56 per cent of those surveyed felt it was their sons who abuse them; daughters-in-law scored as low as 23 per cent,” Mathew Cherian, chief executive of HelpAge India, told IANS.
Over 44 per cent of the elderly said disrespect was the most common form of abuse, while 30 per cent said it was neglect and 26 per cent said verbal abuse was very common.
The report is based on a survey across 20 major cities, with a sample size of 5,600 and 280 elders per city.
Only a few of the elderly were willing to accept they faced abuse in some form while others chose to keep mum for the sake of family honour.
“Nearly 33 per cent of them are living without their children. Around 22 million widows, fairly a large group, have no form of subsistence. The widow’s pension reaches only about 10 per cent of the widows,” said Cherian.
“Overall, the situation of the elderly in the country is very bleak,” he added.
Financial burden is one of the main reasons for the neglect and abuse. Experts say universal old age pension would help the elders in a big way.
While a majority of the elderly know the police helpline numbers and services, they never call up — “for the sake of family honour”.
An activist of Pension Parishad, an initiative to ensure universal pension to all workers in India, told IANS: “Under the Indira Gandhi Old Age Pension Scheme those above 60 get Rs.200 a month and those above 80 get Rs.500 per month as pension.
“This amount is too less and the scheme covers only below-poverty line citizens. Only 18 million of the elderly population benefit from this scheme. We are demanding a programme for pension irrespective of whether a person belongs to below poverty line or above poverty line.”
The activist who did not want to be named said union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying that the Rs.200 pension amount was “an insult” to the individual since it’s too low an amount.
While the Pension Parishad, of which social activist Aruna Roy is a member, is fighting for reducing the age limit for pensions to 55, Minister Jairam Ramesh is not in agreement. He wants it to remain at 60 years.
According to Cherian, the government should implement universal pension and health insurance. “Only then will the situation of elders who are 60-plus be better,” Cherian said.
The HelpAge report also said that around 62 per cent elderly felt that children needed to be sensitised to prevent elder abuse and the inter-generational bonding strengthened. However, 38 per cent felt that only economic independence would solve the problem.
The activist added that the government had to increase more health insurance packages which are tailor-made for people who can only afford low premiums.
The report says that Madhya Pradesh tops elder abuse cases with 77.12 per cent. This is followed by Assam — 60.55 per cent, Uttar Pradesh — 52 percent, Gujarat — 42.97 per cent, and the lowest is Rajasthan — 1.6 per cent. The national capital, including the National Capital Region (NCR), has 29.82 per cent cases.
Of those interviewed in Delhi and NCR, 30 per cent admitted to facing abuse. The primary perpetrators of abuse were sons in 60 per cent cases, followed by daughters-in-law in 24 per cent cases.
SOURCE: Gulf News
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No Policy, Law About the Elderly in Pakistan
No policy, law about the elderly in Pakistan
2 October 2012
President Asif Ali Zardari has reiterated the government’s commitment to continue working for the welfare and protection of elderly people.
In a message on the occasion of International Day of Older Persons falling on October 1, Zardari called up philanthropists and the affluent members of society to step forward and play their role.
“Through concerted action by all, the private and the public sector, we can make the lives of elderly more comfortable and meaningful,” he said.
In a similar message, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said the older people are repository of experience, knowledge and wisdom as they have been through thick and thin in life.
Meanwhile, Global Age Watch which gathers data and analyses on population ageing in a report has pointed out that thanks to empty rhetoric from successive governments, Pakistan has neither a policy on ageing nor a national legislation for older people.
Population trends in the country indicate that the percentage of people of 60 years or more is 6.5 per cent and by 2050 this will rise to 15.8 per cent. With a ranking of 123 out of 195 countries in terms of percentage of population aged 80-plus, Pakistan doesn’t have a comprehensive pension system, says the report.
According to the Planning Commission, the population with 60 years or more will increase from 3.78 million in 2011 to 4.31 million by 2015 and 7.45 million by 2030.
The latest national review and appraisal report under the ‘Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing’ submitted to the United Nations by the ministry of human resource development says the population of older persons in Pakistan is very small because of high incidence of heart diseases, diabetes, hepatitis, tuberculosis, malaria, diarrhoea, kidney diseases and water-borne diseases in the country.
The report submitted to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific for its second review and appraisal of the international plan of action that concluded last week admitted that Pakistan neither had a policy on ageing nor a national legislation for older people.
The report recommended that Pakistan should replicate the Expanded Senior Citizens Act, introduced by the Philippines which provided social pension to the older persons.
SOURCE: KhaleeJTimes
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2 October 2012
President Asif Ali Zardari has reiterated the government’s commitment to continue working for the welfare and protection of elderly people.
In a message on the occasion of International Day of Older Persons falling on October 1, Zardari called up philanthropists and the affluent members of society to step forward and play their role.
“Through concerted action by all, the private and the public sector, we can make the lives of elderly more comfortable and meaningful,” he said.
In a similar message, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said the older people are repository of experience, knowledge and wisdom as they have been through thick and thin in life.
Meanwhile, Global Age Watch which gathers data and analyses on population ageing in a report has pointed out that thanks to empty rhetoric from successive governments, Pakistan has neither a policy on ageing nor a national legislation for older people.
Population trends in the country indicate that the percentage of people of 60 years or more is 6.5 per cent and by 2050 this will rise to 15.8 per cent. With a ranking of 123 out of 195 countries in terms of percentage of population aged 80-plus, Pakistan doesn’t have a comprehensive pension system, says the report.
According to the Planning Commission, the population with 60 years or more will increase from 3.78 million in 2011 to 4.31 million by 2015 and 7.45 million by 2030.
The latest national review and appraisal report under the ‘Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing’ submitted to the United Nations by the ministry of human resource development says the population of older persons in Pakistan is very small because of high incidence of heart diseases, diabetes, hepatitis, tuberculosis, malaria, diarrhoea, kidney diseases and water-borne diseases in the country.
The report submitted to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific for its second review and appraisal of the international plan of action that concluded last week admitted that Pakistan neither had a policy on ageing nor a national legislation for older people.
The report recommended that Pakistan should replicate the Expanded Senior Citizens Act, introduced by the Philippines which provided social pension to the older persons.
SOURCE: KhaleeJTimes
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Elderly Can Sue Over Poor Care (UK)
October 1,2012
By Sarah O'Grady
PENSIONERS treated badly in hospitals and care homes can sue for compensation under new age-discrimination laws to be introduced today.
The new rules will also ban the NHS from denying older patients treatments simply because of age.
Recent evidence that old people have been left hungry, dehydrated and lying in soiled clothing in NHS hospitals and care homes has caused outrage.
Doctors have also admitted that they routinely restrict access of some treatments to the elderly.
However, while age discrimination in the workplace is already outlawed, there has been no legal protection in the provision of elderly care services.
This new legislation, the final part of the Equality Act 2010, will ensure that older people cannot be discriminated
against in the provision of goods, facilities and services.
Under the Act, age discrimination claims will be heard by county courts, and patients may be entitled to large sums in compensation.
The rules complement existing laws banning age discrimination in the workplace.
Specific exemptions are included in the laws to allow some positive discrimination, such as the provision of age-related benefits such as free bus passes or certain medical treatments like flu jabs.
General health and social care provision are not included in the exemptions to ensure fair treatment for older patients.
SOURCE: The Express, UK
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By Sarah O'Grady
PENSIONERS treated badly in hospitals and care homes can sue for compensation under new age-discrimination laws to be introduced today.
The new rules will also ban the NHS from denying older patients treatments simply because of age.
Recent evidence that old people have been left hungry, dehydrated and lying in soiled clothing in NHS hospitals and care homes has caused outrage.
Doctors have also admitted that they routinely restrict access of some treatments to the elderly.
However, while age discrimination in the workplace is already outlawed, there has been no legal protection in the provision of elderly care services.
This new legislation, the final part of the Equality Act 2010, will ensure that older people cannot be discriminated
against in the provision of goods, facilities and services.
Under the Act, age discrimination claims will be heard by county courts, and patients may be entitled to large sums in compensation.
The rules complement existing laws banning age discrimination in the workplace.
Specific exemptions are included in the laws to allow some positive discrimination, such as the provision of age-related benefits such as free bus passes or certain medical treatments like flu jabs.
General health and social care provision are not included in the exemptions to ensure fair treatment for older patients.
SOURCE: The Express, UK
______________________________________
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Search LABELS for More Resources
Minister of State Hightlights Elder Abuse Awareness Project (CANADA)
Minister of State (Seniors) Highlights Elder Abuse Awareness Project on National Seniors Day
OTTAWA, ONTARIO
(Marketwire)
10/01/12
The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors), delivered opening remarks today, on the occasion of National Seniors Day, at an elder abuse awareness event organized by the Federation des ainees et aines francophones du Canada (FAAFC).
"National Seniors Day is an occasion to recognize seniors, and all of the valuable contributions they have made and continue to make in our communities, workplaces, families and society," said Minister of State Wong. "On this day, the Government of Canada is proud to pay tribute to seniors and remains committed to better protecting Canadian seniors from elder abuse."
The FAAFC received $700,000 in pan-Canadian project funding under the New Horizons for Senior Program (NHSP) to update and improve elder abuse awareness tools, create a national network of partners and train senior volunteers to facilitate awareness activities for seniors in francophone communities across the country. This is one of 33 pan-Canadian NHSP projects, totalling $14.6 million, that the Government of Canada announced in early summer to help increase awareness of elder abuse.
The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the well-being of seniors. For relevant and easy-to-access information on federal, provincial and territorial services and benefits available to Canadian seniors, please visit www.seniors.gc.ca.
SOURCE: USPolitics Einnews
______________________________________
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OTTAWA, ONTARIO
(Marketwire)
10/01/12
The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors), delivered opening remarks today, on the occasion of National Seniors Day, at an elder abuse awareness event organized by the Federation des ainees et aines francophones du Canada (FAAFC).
"National Seniors Day is an occasion to recognize seniors, and all of the valuable contributions they have made and continue to make in our communities, workplaces, families and society," said Minister of State Wong. "On this day, the Government of Canada is proud to pay tribute to seniors and remains committed to better protecting Canadian seniors from elder abuse."
The FAAFC received $700,000 in pan-Canadian project funding under the New Horizons for Senior Program (NHSP) to update and improve elder abuse awareness tools, create a national network of partners and train senior volunteers to facilitate awareness activities for seniors in francophone communities across the country. This is one of 33 pan-Canadian NHSP projects, totalling $14.6 million, that the Government of Canada announced in early summer to help increase awareness of elder abuse.
The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the well-being of seniors. For relevant and easy-to-access information on federal, provincial and territorial services and benefits available to Canadian seniors, please visit www.seniors.gc.ca.
SOURCE: USPolitics Einnews
______________________________________
Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search LABELS for More Resources
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