Elderly Napier Woman Fused to Couch (NEW ZEALAND)

By: Laura Heathcote
New Zealand News 
 May 24 2013

There is horror at the case of an elderly Napier woman found fused to furniture after apparently having been confined to a couch for at least three years.
The woman's daughter, who is aged in her fifties, is facing a charge of failing to provide the necessaries of life.
Age Concern's National Advisor on Elder Abuse, Louise Collins, says while there is no data to suggest how widespread elder abuse is in New Zealand, there is international research to draw on.
"If we use the statistics that have been found in the UK, that works out at two people very hour in New Zealand."
Louise Collins says elder abuse encompasses emotional, financial and physical abuse - with a family member usually the perpetrator.

SOURCE:      NewsTalkZB
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Northwest Side Man Charged With Elder Abuse in Wisconsin

May 24, 2013

A Northwest Side man hired as a caregiver for an elderly, disabled man faces a felony abuse charge after police in Milton, Wis., found the disabled man in unclean conditions and suffering from suspicious injuries, police said.

Syren Bolderdene, 35, of the 4000 block of North St. Louis Avenue, was charged Thursday with felony abuse of an at-risk person in the village of about 5,000 people less than 10 miles northeast of Janesville, according to police and court records.

Bolderdene was held overnight in the Rock County Jail, but in a hearing this afternoon, Rock County Judge James P. Daley ordered he be allowed to sign a $5,000 personal recognizance bond, according to the the county court clerk’s office.

The victim, a 76-year-old Milton man, was being treated at Mercy Milton Medical Center in Milton, police said in a news release.

Bolderdene had called 911 about 11 a.m. Thursday to request help after the victim, a 76-year-old man, fell out of bed, and Bolderdene could not get him back up, according to a news release from Milton police. Police did not disclose the victim’s address.

Police found the victim had been left in a soiled diaper and bedclothes saturated with his own urine and feces. Investigators believe he had been left that way for at least 24 hours.

The victim had what police said were suspicious fractures, bruising and scratches.

Bolderdene’s next court date is June 18, according to the clerk’s office.

SOURCE:       The ChicagoTribune

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New Laws Clamp Down on Elder Abuse

May 24, 2013

A new legislative act will help protect senior citizens from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The Protecting Alabama’s Elders Act, passed this week by the Alabama House and Senate, better defines abuse of the elderly and strengthens financial protection for individuals 60 and older.
Among the changes, the law defines three degrees of elder abuse and neglect, ranging from a Class A felony for intentional abuse and neglect that leads to serious physical injury to a Class A misdemeanor for reckless emotional abuse.
Among the biggest changes, however, is the financial exploitation rule, which now gives law enforcement the ability to arrest individuals with power of attorney if they are exploiting a senior citizen.
“One of the things that we’ve noticed a great deal of lately, we see a lot of financial exploitation going on, both in terms of the classic con artists who talk them out of their money, but also increasingly a number of family members who exploit their elders,” said Clayton Davis, a local attorney. “For example, an individual may have power of attorney and begin to misuse that power, and the individual with power of attorney begins paying his or her own bills out of the elder’s account or even simply taking the money, taking control of it and at some point abandoning the senior.”
Prior to passage of the new act, reclaiming a senior citizen’s money from a family member was an uphill battle.
“The problem prior to the act passing was that law enforcement and prosecution could not get involved and do anything about power of attorney abuse cases because there were no criminal sanctions for that,” Davis said. “That meant the elder would have to file a civil lawsuit against the relative or con artist, otherwise Medicaid would not cover them if they needed nursing home care.”
Further complicating matters, if the court ruled in favor of the senior citizen, the defendant could file for bankruptcy and wipe out the payments owed, Davis said.
“The big thing about the new act is stiffer penalties for things that already were illegal and some completely new things, like abusing power of attorney, can result in criminal penalties now,” Davis said. “We’re very excited about the new law, as it gives us some new tools to pursue people doing this and may also deter some people who would otherwise not have been deterred.”
Debbie Reed, manager of Rose Hill Senior Center, also hopes the act works as a deterrent.
“People basically are good people, but sometimes they might make decisions that aren’t the best for seniors,” Reed said. “This law might encourage them to ask questions before they do things off the cuff without consideration of the repercussions. You really need to become educated about what you’re doing when your dealing with a senior.”
Davis said most elder abuse cases involve more than $2,500 and will now result in felony charges.
The new law classifies first-degree financial exploitation of an elderly person as any financial exploitation of a person 60 or older as a Class B felony if the value of the property taken exceeds $2,500.
A value between $500 and $2,500 warrants a Class C felony, while anything less than $500 is a Class A misdemeanor.

SOURCE:       The DothanEagle
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Millbrae Caretaker to Stand Trial on Assault, Elder Abuse Charges

KTVU.com and wires
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.
May 24, 2013

A caretaker accused of hitting an elderly Millbrae man on the head with his own walker, causing serious injuries, will stand trial on assault and elder abuse charges, according to San Mateo County prosecutors.
Jalome Sukulu Balekaba, 50, was ordered to stand trial Thursday after a preliminary hearing and will return to court on June 7 to set a trial date.
Balekaba was arrested on Dec. 19, 2011, after the 88-year-old man he was looking after was found bleeding heavily from a head wound while Balekaba slept in the next room, according to prosecutors.
Police had responded to the residence for a welfare check after the victim's nephew called to report that Balekaba sounded drunk over the phone.
The victim was taken to the hospital, where he became comatose and was treated for a stroke. He died about 10 weeks later.
Investigators determined that the victim was struck by his own walker, according to prosecutors.
Balekaba remains in custody in lieu of $200,000 bail.

SOURCE:        KTVU
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Help Elderly Loved Ones Avoid Financial Abuse

By FINANCIAL FOCUS
May 26, 2013

It's unfortunate, but true: The elderly population may be the most vulnerable group in our society. In fact, in an effort to call attention to the problems of physical, emotional and financial abuse of the elderly, the United Nations has designated June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. If you have older parents, or even grandparents, can you do to anything to help prevent them from being victimized, especially with regard to their finances?
Actually, there's a lot you can do. First and foremost, you need to maintain good communications and a trusting relationship with your older family members. As long as these elements are present, you should feel free to make the following suggestions:
Increase awareness -- When it comes to financial fraud and scams, many seniors think: "It can't happen to me." But the facts suggest otherwise: Some 20 percent of Americans over the age of 65 admit to having been victimized by financial swindles, according to a survey by the non-profit Investor Protection Trust. Let your loved ones know that no one in their age group is immune to financial predators.
Guard private information -- Ask your parents or grandparents to not divulge personal information over the phone. In fact, urge them to get caller ID, if they don't have it already, and tell them that if they don't recognize the number, don't answer. Legitimate callers are more likely to leave messages than scammers.
Don't send money. Exhort your parents or grandparents to never wire money to a random account -- no exceptions.
Ignore "limited-time offers" -- Your loved ones should ignore callers, mailers or emails that demand they act immediately. These offers are often overblown at best and may be fraudulent at worst.
Don't trust "no risk" offers -- Financial offers that sound too good to be true are likely just that -- untrue. Legitimate investments carry both potential risks and rewards.
Avoid "debt-settlement" claims -- If your older loved ones have debt problems, they may be especially susceptible to offers that claim to "clear up" all their debts. But there's no quick fix to this problem and any caller who claims otherwise is likely being deceitful. Encourage your parents or grandparents to discuss their debt situation with an honest, professional debt counselor or a financial advisor.
Here's one more thing you can do to help your parents or grandparents avoid financial fraud: If they don't already work with a trusted, qualified financial professional, introduce them to one. If your parents have a relationship with such a professional, they will be less likely to listen to any questionable, unsolicited offers than if they were trying to manage their finances on their own.
You're in a good position to know how much, or how little, help your elderly loved ones may need in terms of avoiding financial abuse. So be willing to do whatever it takes to help them enjoy their retirement years comfortably.
This article was written by Edward Jones and submitted by Wil Pena, an Edward Jones adviser in Islamorada.

SOURCE:        KeyNews
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Relatives Turned Away From Aged Care Homes After Complaining About Standards (AUSTRALIA)

LATELINE
May 22, 2013

Australia's peak aged care body says the sector is grossly underfunded, as concerns are raised over the handling of complaints at nursing homes.
Family and friends say they are being turned away from some facilities after complaining about the level of care.
Sydney woman Eileen Pearce was accused of interfering when she asked that her 98-year-old mother's food be cut up.
"I'd say 'it's only a concern, I'm not complaining'," Ms Pearce told Lateline.
"She said 'well I take it personally and if you don't like the way we treat your mother, you can take her somewhere else'."
The nursing home later moved Ms Pearce's mother to a new facility.
Another Sydney woman, Elaine Todd, was banned from visiting her elderly mother when she consulted an outside doctor.
"I was absolutely gutted," she said. "I'd been looking after my mum since 1996.
"Until she went into that facility, we were extremely close."
Aged and Community Services Australia spokesman John Kelly says banned visits are relatively rare but are a sign the industry needs help.
"This is a stressed system, and without an injection of new dollars into this system we will continue to have these sorts of stories," he said.
Aged care advocates are also lobbying the Federal Government for a more robust and independent complaints system.
"They're not looking for a fight, they're not looking for conflict, they're looking for good care," law expert Rodney Lewis said.
It comes as Leading Aged Services Australia (LASA), the industry's peak body, launches a major public awareness campaign for increased funding.
It says the Government provides less money housing older Australians than it does housing prisoners.
LASA chairman Peter Cosgrove says the new campaign, 3 Million Reasons, highlights the magnitude of the problem.
"The amount of funding that is presently in the program is inadequate.
"We basically need both sides of politics to dedicate themselves to increasing the level of attention and funding to the provision of aged care.
"People in Australia grow old silently, and we're all going to end up there with a life expectancy that's increasing.
"Every 71 minutes an aged person is in need of services which they can't access because there's no capacity.
"We need 83,000 beds urgently."
LASA says the aged care workforce will need to triple by 2050 to look after six million elderly Australians.

SOURCE:         ABC.net.au
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Nursing Home Abuse Incident Not Isolated, Say Experts

Angela Mulholland, CTVNews.ca
May 21, 2013

After the release of shocking video of an elderly woman with dementia being subjected to abuse and humiliation at a southern Ontario long-term care facility, many are saying the incident is far from isolated.
Four employees at St. Joseph’s at Fleming long-term care home in Peterborough, Ont. have been suspended after Camille Parent, the son of a resident there, brought hidden camera footage to media outlets Thursday showing his 85-year-old mother Hellen being repeatedly mistreated.
The footage showed a worker taunting Hellen with rags smeared with her feces; another worker repeatedly wrestling and hitting her; and another wiping his nose on her clean sheets.

The nursing home is now conducting an investigation into the incidents, while the provincial government has launched a probe of its own. Peterborough community police are also looking into whether criminal charges might need to be laid.
Montreal-based lawyer Jean-Pierre Menard has handled countless cases of abuse at nursing homes and long-term care facilities including a horrific case against the St-Charles Borromée hospital in Montreal.
A class action lawsuit detailing hundreds of cases of abuse at the facility was launched in 1999. But it wasn’t until 2003, when family members secretly set up tape recorders to capture staff verbally and psychologically abusing residents, that action was finally taken.
That scandal made national headlines and public discussions about the conditions in Quebec nursing homes and may have contributed to the suicide death of the hospital’s director.
Last month, the class action suit was finally settled, leading to the largest settlement of its kind in Canadian history. More than $7 million will be shared by hundreds of residents and the families of residents who have since died during the 13-year investigation.
The settlement is also unique in that it sets aside funds for foundations that are dedicated to educating seniors and patients about their rights.
Menard says he learned during his investigation that a single abusive act at one of these facilities is rarely an isolated incident, and that abuse often starts with small infringements of patients’ rights and then escalates.
He advises patients and their families to denounce the early signs of improper behaviour.
“The zero tolerance policy means all management and employees have to take the side of the patient,” he explains.
Adina Lebo, the chair of the Toronto chapter of the seniors’ advocacy group CARP, says there are currently tens of thousands of Canadians living in nursing homes, and those numbers are only going to rise as baby boomers enter their old age.
She says if family members suspect abuse at their loved ones’ care facilities, they need to report it to the home’s administrator. But she concedes the process of investigation can be long.
“There’s a question about red tape and how long would it have taken if this son had not gone to the media first to expose this,” Lebo told CTV News Channel Monday.
Camille Parent has said he filed several complaints with the home and even went directly to officials at Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care before he took the footage he recorded to a local TV news station.
Ontario's ombudsman André Marin weighed in on the story on Monday as well.
In a statement to CTV News, Marin said: "I encourage everyone to watch Camille parent's hidden camera video. His mother Hellen is depicted in what appears to be a long-term house of horror,” he said.
He added: “What is shown in this video is so egregious, it falls into the criminal domain."
Marin also pointed out that he does not have the authority to monitor and investigate Ontario long-term care homes.
“Unfortunately, Ontario is the only province where the ombudsman is powerless to intervene."
CUPE Ontario (Canadian Union of Public Employees), the union that represents many workers at nursing homes, says many of the problems of abuse at long-term care facilities stem from underfunding and low staffing.
"Imagine how much better care would be and how much safer residents and staff would be if staffing levels were higher, and homes had enough funding so two staff work together during shifts,” CUPE Ontario Secretary-Treasurer Candace Rennick said in a statement late last week.
There have been task forces and training in several provinces to try to prevent abuse at nursing homes, but Lebo says CARP believes the problem is that most provinces do not have watchdogs in place.
“The broader principle is simply that we do not have an independent oversight body -- not the homes investigating themselves but an independent body,” she said.

SOURCE:        CTV NEWS
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Son of Woman in Alleged Elder Abuse Video Urges Action

Son of woman in alleged elder abuse video urges action
Anyone that is in power and turns their head away from the situation is as guilty as the people performing the acts of abuse, says Camille Parent

(PETERBOROUGH) Camille Parent had enough.

He wanted answers and was willing to go to any lengths to protect his 85-year-old mother. That meant placing a hidden camera in Hellen MacDonald’s long-term care room at St. Joseph’s at Fleming.
“I can’t tell you how I felt with what we uncovered,” explains Mr. Parent.
The alleged abuse started in August. Ms MacDonald had an unexplained black eye and scratches. In January, she broke her hip. Mr. Parent says the blame was put on a resident. She was pushed, but officials didn’t know by whom. He didn’t like how the situation was handled.
“We put the camera there thinking we were going to catch which residents were doing this too her because it needed to stop,” adds Mr. Parent.
The video -- which reveals wandering residents entering Ms. MacDonald’s room, a personal support worker putting feces near Ms MacDonald face  and aggressively handling Ms MacDonald, and another personal support worker blowing his nose in Ms MacDonald’s bed sheets -- has shocked the community, caused the suspension with pay of two employees and led to an investigation by both Peterborough-Lakefield police and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
“It was just unbelievable,” says Mr. Parent.
“You wouldn’t do that to an animal.”
Mr. Parent hopes the video will result in charges being laid.
“We need to make an example out of abuse,” he says.
St. Joseph’s at Fleming chief executive officer Alan Cavell says he wants to reassure family members and others out there that what is alleged to have occurred in the video is a great concern. The alleged actions of employees is unacceptable, he says.
“We’re committed to making sure this is best environment and family members can feel good about their family member staying here,” he says.
Health and Long-Term Care Minister Deb Matthews says the ministry has no tolerance for abuse in long-term care homes.
“While I can’t yet comment further on this case, I can assure you my ministry officials are investigating,” she explains.
“Our government introduced the Long-Term Care Homes Act and we continue to work on the recommendations of the sector-led Long-Term Care Task Force on Resident Care and Safety because our loved ones deserve nothing but the best care.”
Mr. Parent says he recently spoke with Minister Matthews and asked her to resign.
“It is not only her, it is the government, both major governments, the blue and the red are ignoring this,” he says.
“Anyone that is in power and turns their head away from the situation is as guilty as the people performing the acts of abuse.”
While she has not seen the video and is not aware of the specifics of the individual circumstances relating to the alleged incidences captured on the video, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario Secretary-Treasurer Candace Rennick, herself a former long-term care worker, said the union is taking these allegations very seriously.
“We do not condone or tolerate any form of resident abuse or neglect. We are committed to continuing to work constructively with residents’ families and the provincial government to ensure care quality in homes improves. We are also mindful of our obligation to represent our members in the workplace,” she says in a press release.
 Recent media investigations into abuse and resident-on-resident violence in long-term care homes has put a spotlight on the pervasive issues that many experts agree stem from systemic sector underfunding and low staffing levels while homes are attempting to deal with a growing number of residents with complex behaviours, including dementia and Alzheimer’s.
“Imagine how much better care would be and how much safer residents and staff would be if staffing levels were higher, and homes had enough funding so two staff work together during shifts. No one is working alone and residents get the care they need,” she adds.

SOURCE:      MyKawartha
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St. Charles Man Charged With Abusing Elderly Mother

by KMOV.com staff
KMOV.com
 May 8, 2013

A man was arrested after he allegedly beat up his 79-year-old mother at his St. Charles home on Monday.
Daniel Quirk Jr. was charged first-degree elder abuse.
According to court documents, Quirk punched and kicked his mother at a home in the 340 block of Oakleaf.

Authorities said Quirk’s mother was transported to the hospital with broken bones, bruises, cuts and abrasions.
Police said Quirk was on probation for a 2010 assault on his mother, and there was a warrant out for his arrest.

 “Your worst fear is something like this reoccurs only it’s worse this time,” said circuit court judge Tim Lohmar. "If you look at the pictures you can see that this was a brutal assault.”
 Sources say Quirk locked his mother in a room for hours before taking her to the hospital
 Officials say for every elderly person who is a known victim of financial or physical abuse, there are six more who are unknown.

SOURCE:         KMOV
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D.C. Council Still Stalling on Elder Abuse

Local Editorial: D.C. Council still stalling on elder abuse
May 9, 2013

Last March, the daughter of the late D.C. Councilwoman Hilda Mason told the Office on Aging's Elder Abuse Prevention Committee that even her politically connected mother and multimillionaire stepfather became victims of neglect and financial exploitation at the hands of court-approved "conservators" who pilfered their fortune while forcing them to live in squalor.

The District's Adult Protective Services failed to protect her parents and still fails to protect vulnerable seniors, Carolyn Nicholas, president of Advocates for Elder Justice, testified.
As The Washington Examiner reported last year, Nicholas has been pleading with current council members to amend the Adult Protective Services Act to bring the District law in line with other states' best practices. But they're still dragging their feet.

In February, Council member Marion Barry, D-Ward 8, introduced a bill in memory of his old friend and political ally. The Charles and Hilda Mason Elder Abuse Clarification and Expansion Act of 2013 clarifies the definition of elder abuse and increases the penalties for preying on vulnerable seniors.

Guardians or conservators are only supposed to be appointed for people who do not have other plans in place when they become physically or mentally incapacitated. But D.C. Superior Court judges have overridden seniors' wishes, assigning "representatives" to people who have already designated a family member, friend or attorney to handle their affairs when they became frail or incapacitated. Court-appointed guardians and conservators have total control over their wards' persons and property, but some are completely unsupervised, with no requirement to submit to outside audits or even file periodic accountings with the court for how they spent assets it took a lifetime to accumulate.

With such absolute power and little or no oversight by the courts or the city, abuse is inevitable. "Many court-appointed attorneys, guardians and/or conservators have in fact become nothing more than predators," Nicholas told The Examiner.

Barry's bill, which has been co-sponsored by Council members Anita Bonds, D-at large, Yvette Alexander, D-Ward 7, and Jim Graham, D-Ward 1, would make financial abuse of the elderly a felony punishable by a $10,000 fine and up to 15 years in prison, and allow elderly victims to sue for restitution. It would also prevent those convicted of exploiting seniors by "deception, intimidation, misrepresentation, fraud or undue influence" from inheriting their victims' estates.

Three months later, Barry's bill is still sitting in the Judiciary Committee because Chairman Tommy Wells has not scheduled a hearing. What is he waiting for?

SOURCE:       The Washington Examiner
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Seniors Urged to Report Abuse

May 10, 2013
By JoAnn Merrigan

Quite a few people in the audience were using walkers or relying on canes. Now in their "golden years" they're spending a day learning about crimes that victimize senior citizens.
Shalena Cook Jones is the elder abuse prosecutor at the Chatham County District Attorney's Office. She told seniors that 90 percent of violent crimes against persons 65 or older, are committed by someone the senior knows. She urged seniors to stay in touch with friends and neighbors, to have a circle of friends who will help. And she urged those friends to speak up and report the crime if the senior being hurt is too afraid. "But our system is only as good as the people who actually report these crimes, who see it on a daily basis," said Cook Jones. "And sometimes it's just too easy to turn your back to it so we must empower people."
Vernita Wilson took home that important piece of advice. "I learned to keep watching out for my neighbors and they can keep watching out for me," she told us.
Diedie Bonaparte and her friend Roberta Williams know physical crimes against people their age are increasing. "But what's startling is the acceptance of it," said Bonaparte. "And the idea from a senior that it has only happened once but may not happen again."
Bonaparte said it's not always about your safety, but your money. "I had a case where a family member tried to get me to put my house in their name," she said. "They told me it would be best for me. I doubt that."
Seniors who feel alone are assured they're not. The district attorney's office has an eye on crimes against the elderly. Shalena Cook Jones telling us that physical abuse can leave scars and must be reported by a medical professional for example. However, she says stealing a senior's money or scamming them can often be harder to detect. "Financial abuse, you could never know about until months and years have passed" she says. "I think the statistics say that something like $9 billion dollars a year of elder abuse money is being stolen from them every year. That's a huge industry of crimes we're not touch because we're not educated."
Cook Jones says seniors who are being hurt physically or who suspect someone of stealing their money should contact the police. She says to contact the Elder Abuse Division of the Chatham County District Attorney's Office, call  912-652-7308.

SOURCE:        WSAV
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Roca Man, Ex-Wife Arrested in Elder Abuse Case

Roca man, ex-wife arrested in elder abuse case
May 10, 2013
By JONATHAN EDWARDS / Lincoln Journal Star

A 45-year-old Roca man wiped out his mother’s $150,000 life savings over the past two years to pay for child support, a motorcycle and his ex-wife’s tanning and cosmetic surgery, Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner said.

On a doctor’s recommendation, Brian Glen Robinson’s 69-year-old mother gave her son and his then-wife, Carla Robinson, power of attorney in February 2011 and added both as signers to her checking and savings accounts, an affidavit for their arrest says.
During the next two years, Wagner said, the Robinsons drained her bank account of $156,000, including $67,000 in cash withdrawals, $49,000 in child support payments and a divorce settlement, restaurant meals, trips to day spas and tanning salons.
They also racked up a $19,200 debt on her credit card, he said.
“Her entire life savings has been depleted,” Wagner said. “Unfortunately, the money’s gone. It’s not recoverable.
“It’s very devastating for the victim.”
A month after getting power of attorney, Robinson’s mother put a $71,000 down payment on a Roca house where the three of them would live. The mother agreed to pay the mortgage, as long as her son and daughter-in-law paid for utilities and groceries.
Investigators didn't list the house payment in the affidavit, because the mother agreed to pay it, Wagner said.
He said elder abuse cases are tough because investigators have to wade through transactions and parse out which are legitimate and which are theft.
For example, Brian and Carla Robinson paid for his mother's care while they also were allegedly stealing from her, Wagner said.
The document granting Brian and Carla Robinson power of attorney forbids them from transferring money to themselves or using it to pay for their legal obligations, the affidavit says.
But after they moved in, it says, Robinson blocked his mother from looking at her mail, including bank statements, locking them in a room upstairs along with her purse.
Brian and Carla Robinson split up in late 2011 and divorced the next July. A Lancaster County District Court judge ordered him to pay $984 a month in child support for six months, and then $1,210 after that.
The judge also ordered him to pay her a one-time lump sum of $10,000.
Robinson made good on the order by paying $49,000 from his mother’s account between May 2012 and February, Wagner said.
One of the mother’s friends grew suspicious and took her to talk to investigators, who started looking into the matter in February.
Deputies jailed Brian and Carla Robinson on Wednesday and Tuesday, respectively, and prosecutors charged them with felony theft and abusing a vulnerable adult.
County Judge Jeffrey Marcuzzo let Brian Robinson out of jail on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond.
County Judge Thomas Harmon ordered Carla Robinson to pay 10 percent of her $10,000 bond before she was released from jail Tuesday

SOURCE:        The Journal Star
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Camborne Carer Jailed for St. Ives Nursing Home Abuse (UK)

Camborne carer jailed for St Ives nursing home abuse
11th May 2013
Cornwall

A care home worker from Camborne has been sent to jail for nine months after abusing care home residents.
Fiona Sally Salmon, aged 40, of Fore Street, mistreated patients over a five month period at Cornwallis Nursing Home, which caters for those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's disease in particular.
On March 14 she was found guilty of seven charges of ill-treating or neglecting residents suffering from insufficient mental capacity.
The court had heard statements from a former collegue that Salmon had rubbed a resident's face with a flannel so hard it caused a nosebleed, squeezed talcum powder into a woman's face and called a resident a grubby b***h.
Other accusations included pinching and slapping residents, according to the prosecution.
She was handed the prison sentance yesterday at Truro Crown Court.
Salmon no longer works at Cornwallis Care Services' home in St Ives

SOURCE:        ThisIsTheWestCountry

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Governor Signs Elderly Abuse Law (Georgia USA)

Kevin Hall The Moultrie Observer
May 3, 2013

MOULTRIE — Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed into law on Friday a bill to help fight abuse of the elderly, and he came to a Moultrie personal care home to do it.

House Bill 78, sponsored by Rep. Wendell Willard, R-Sandy Springs, and five others, increases the number of mandated reporters of abuse and collects the language of various state laws on the matter into a single act, according to remarks by Deal and Commissioner Clyde Reese of the Department of Human Services.

Reese said in the current fiscal year, the Department of Aging Services, a division of his agency, is investigating 2,100 cases of elder abuse, 2,700 cases of financial exploitation, 3,600 cases of neglect, 3,700 cases of self-neglect and 73 cases of sexual abuse of an elderly person.

“We want to make sure we don’t allow people to abuse the elderly of our state,” said Deal, a former prosecutor.

The changes made by the new law will make prosecution of crimes against the elderly easier, he said. It also expands similar protection to disabled adults of any age.

SOURCE:         The Moultrie Observer

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Bank Employee Accused of Defrauding Elderly Woman (CA. USA)

BY SARAH BURGE
 STAFF WRITER (PE)
 May 03, 2013

A Murrieta man was arrested Thursday, May 2, on suspicion of defrauding an elderly woman he met while working at a bank, authorities said.
Don Leon Foster, 35, was arrested at his current workplace in San Diego County, Riverside County sheriff’s officials said in a news release.
Sheriff’s officials said Foster took advantage of the woman — who recently died — while he was working at a bank in Temecula, defrauding her of “a large sum of money.”
Investigators did not disclose the amount of money taken. But the bail in such cases typically reflects the amount of money believed to have been stolen. Foster’s bail is set at $183,000, jail records show.
After arresting Foster on University Drive in Vista, investigators also served a search warrant Thursday evening at Foster’s home in the Mapleton area of Murrieta.
He was booked into the Southwest Detention Center in French Valley on suspicion of financial elder abuse, sheriff’s officials said.
A case to transfer conservatorship of the woman and her estate from Foster to a public guardian was filed in Riverside County probate court in November, court records show.
Foster contested the case, saying in court records that he was a legitimate caretaker. He said he met the woman in 2007 while working at Wachovia Bank. He said they became friends and she opened accounts there. He and his family began to spend time with the woman, who had no close relatives, and helped take care of her, Foster said. The friendship continued when he left Wachovia in 2009 and took a job at U.S. Bank, he said.
That same year, the woman signed a will leaving her estate to “my good friend, Don Leon Foster” and gave him power of attorney.
When a court-appointed lawyer spoke with woman at her residential care facility in November, she was by then 88 years old, in declining health and suffering from dementia. She was very confused, the lawyer wrote in court records, and was unable to recall who Foster was.

SOURCE:       The Press-Enterprise
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Protect Seniors in the Year of Elder Abuse Prevention (USA)

Every year an estimated 2.1 million older Americans are victims of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation. And that’s only part of the picture: Experts believe that for every case of elder abuse or neglect reported, as many as five cases go unreported.

Elder abuse happens, but everyone can act to protect seniors.

The Administration on Aging (AoA), an agency of the Administration for Community Living (ACL), is sponsoring the Year of Elder Abuse Prevention (YEAP) to encourage national, state, and local organizations to protect seniors and raise awareness about elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
Please Protect Seniors and join us in taking a stand against elder abuse this year! Enter a Pledge Card and commit to do something extra this year to raise awareness in your community about elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation!
As part of the YEAP, the AoA is pleased to provide information, tools, and resources to support partners in their efforts to raise public awareness about elder abuse and shed light on the importance of preventing, identifying, and responding to this serious, often hidden problem.

The YEAP toolkit includes:  (PLEASE GO TO SOURCE FOR RESOURCES)

• YEAP Toolkit Information Sheet: Protect Seniors in the Year of Elder Abuse Prevention
• YEAP Outreach Guide: How Your Organization Can Generate Awareness and Foster Action to Guard Against Elder Abuse
• Fact Sheets:
o 10 Things Anyone Can Do to Protect Seniors
o Warning Signs of Elder Abuse
o How to Answer Those Tough Questions About Elder Abuse
o Protect Yourself From Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
• Logos
o File Type: .jpg
Download Logo: | Color | Black & White
o File Type: .eps
Download Logo: | Color | Black & White
o File Type: .gif
Download Logo: | Color | Black & White
• Poster

• Customizable YEAP Templates
o PowerPoint
o Fact Sheet/Newsletter
o Event Flier
o Certificate
• Web Banners
o Banner Ad - 160x600
o Banner Ad - 180x150
o Banner Ad – 180x55
o Banner Ad - 300x250
o Banner Ad - 278x90

• Social Media Tools

SOURCE:      Administration of Aging

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AGING AND ABUSE

The most recent estimates suggest 1 in 10 seniors are abused, neglected or exploited, and that has serious implications for individuals and communities. Victims of elder abuse are much more likely to end up in hospitals and nursing homes. Seniors lose almost $3 billion a year due to financial exploitation, which leaves them vulnerable and dependent on government or family assistance. With an aging population, elder abuse is only expected to increase, and social service agencies are often not able to keep up. In this five-part series, we look at the complexities of elder abuse in the D.C. region and why the problem is so difficult to address.

WHERE TO GET HELP IN DC, MARYLAND, VIRGINIA

WARNING SIGNS OF ELDER ABUSE

COUPLE TALE OF ABUSE

James and Etta Jennings moved to the Forest Hill neighborhood of Richmond in 1959.  They were young - just married - and the first owners of their red brick ranch house.  They had children and then grandchildren, who gathered in their family room for holidays and learned to swim in their backyard pool.
But when their granddaughter, Jeannie Beidler, approached the home on July 27, 2010, she was confronted by a grim reality.  Paramedics, police and Adult Protective Services social workers were on the scene.
"You could smell the stench of urine and feces," she says, standing at the foot of the driveway.  "From this point, we already knew what we were about to walk into."
The Jennings' son, Beidler's uncle, was supposed to be caring for them, but it became clear very quickly that something had gone horribly wrong.  The Jennings were living without running water or even a fan.  James was confined to a chair.  His blood pressure was high and he was fading in and out of consciousness.  Etta was living on a broken bed crawling with maggots.
Beidler was overwhelmed.
"To think how could this have happened to her?  I can't think of a sadder moment in my life or a heavier moment in my life than that," she says.
It's hard to imagine how a family home could sour and rot as the Jennings' had, or how somebody could watch two elderly parents wasting away.  But neglect is not uncommon, especially for seniors with dementia and complicated medical conditions who are also at risk for physical and emotional abuse, as well as financial exploitation
In a study funded by the National Institute of Justice, approximately 1 in 10 seniors reported being abused or neglected in the previous year, and financial exploitation of seniors is estimated to total $2.9 billion dollars a year.  Victims of abuse are more than twice as likely to die prematurely and more than four times as likely to be admitted to a nursing home or rehab center.

Abridged
SOURCE:      AMERICAN UNIVERSITY RADIO
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