Elder Abuse - Yet Another Case

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Mason siblings plead guilty to elder abuse
Last Updated: 7:18 pm Wednesday, October 10, 2007


Mason siblings plead guilty to elder abuse
MASON - A Mason brother and sister both pleaded guilty Oct. 9 in the Warren County Common Pleas Court to not properly caring for their 63-year-old disabled father.
Shelia Gray, 40, and Shawn Gray, 37, were each charged with one count of failing to provide for a functionally impaired person, a fourth degree felony.
An emergency medical squad responded to a call for assistance on May 17 at a residence in Mason to find the victim with bedsores on his body and extremely poor hygiene.
The victim was wheechair-bound and dependent on his children for his care.
The defendants face up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Sentencing will occur in approximately 30 days.

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If there was a law cover 'Duty to Care' would this deter children neglecting their parents?

Elder Abuse - Who Really Cares?

Elder Abuse the silent "Crime of the Century". Yet, just like the public attitude to child abuse all those years ago, no one wants to talk about it.

When a clear cut, physical or sexual abuse case in care facilities, is given publicity by the media, the public and the government will take notice.

Unfortunately, the majority of cases of Elder Abuse happened in the victims' homes. No one wants to talk about those cases.

Especially, if the victims are not in any government care facilities or care packages. They are invisible victims.

Often, anyone who is brave enough to expose such cases are not given any support.

Take the Frank Punito Case - The person who put up the information on the site :
http://www.inthenameofthemother.com/

has now been accused of "lies and deceits" and having "an agenda".

Furthermore, the webmaster of that site has been accused of doing harm to the victim and his children(the abusers).

It shocked that webmaster, because this is one case where the documentary evidence have been overwhelming, and provided by the victim. Obviously, as far as the accusers are concerned, the event is in the past. The victim should just get back with his children, and just start over.

What about the victim's needs for counselling? What about his mental health?

Even his own relatives accused the webmaster of standing in the way of reconciliation between the victim and his children.

This is just one of the cases known to me that resulted in this way.

Should we bother to speak up for victims of elder abuse?

I can tell you from my own experience, and that of associates in this fight for justice for those victims -- If you are not strong enough to stand the thankless job - DON'T TRY!

It can be heart-wrenching and frustrated. Be prepared to face accusations of ALL-SORTS.

I salute all workers for the cause of promoting the awareness and prevention of all violence and abuses.

Elder Abuse Prevention and Awareness programs are still new. We will have to face a lot more in years to come, before Elder Abuse Advocacy is given the recognition and attention it deserves.

Elder Abuse - Another Story

The following is the transcript of the Joan Story.
(courtesy of Help the Aged Org. UK)

This is a true story.
Joan said:
“He was a volunteer. He used to pick me up and take me to the local day centre every week.
He was kind and I trusted him. I looked on him as a friend.
“After about a year, he changed. He became quite nasty. He verbally abused me. He told me if it wasn’t for him nobody would look after me.
“Then he said me he wanted power of attorney, but I didn’t know what that meant. So I put him down as next of kin and left him in charge of my money. But he took my pension. He had everything.
“He had my front door key because he used to do my shopping for me. But then he started to come and go whenever he felt like it. He used to wait until I’d gone out and then let himself in and jump out at me. It was very upsetting.
“Then he started to pester me, telling me I had to ‘do something for him.’ He put his hand on my breasts, and put his hand up my skirt. He tried to kiss me and put his tongue in my mouth. I felt so ashamed but I couldn’t stop him. I was helpless, I was scared of what he’d do next.
“This went on for a number of years and there was nothing I could do to stop him. Until one day I broke down and told my friend what had been going on. She contacted a social worker
straight away.
“It turned out he’d done this to a number of women, but as nobody had reported him so he thought he could get away with it.”
He did.
After 3 years of abuse, he was only fined £450.
Your donation will help stop this happening again.

ELDER ABUSE - ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

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If you are a UK resident and are worried about elder abuse of yourself or someone you know, please visit the Help the Aged Org or Call the Action on Elder Abuse helpline on Freephone 0808 808 8141

Elder Abuse Caught on Tape

Report from Good Morning America (GMA) on 16 October 2007

Silent Epidemic of Abuse Occurs Because Too Many Cases Go Unreported
Anastasia Olouch, a caretaker seen beating 90-year-old John Taylor in a shocking hidden-camera video, escaped to her native Kenya last month.
The chances of her being captured are slim. But the problem of elder abuse isn't going away anytime soon.
There are currently 1.6 million elderly Americans who are cared for by nursing home assistants, and that number is expected to reach 5 million over the next 20 years.
Having someone else look after aging parents is a tough decision to make, and is made even tougher by fact that one of four nursing homes has been blamed for the death or serious injury to a resident each year, according to government figures.
"There are many forms of elder abuse. Physical abuse is certainly one. Verbal abuse is another," said Elinor Ginzler of the American Association of Retired People.
If You See It, Say Something
According to estimates by the National Center on Elder Abuse, between 1 million and 2 million Americans aged 65 or older have been abused, mistreated or exploited by a caregiver -- whether a relative or paid health aide.
Experts say there could be many more unreported cases.
"For every one case of elder abuse that is reported there are as many as four that go unreported," said Bob Blancato of the Elder Justice Coalition.
Many people are afraid to speak up, or they simply don't recognize signs of abuse, even when it is right in front of them, as an ABC News "Primetime" investigation revealed.
For its series on ethical dilemmas, "Primetime" set up a scenario using two actors in a local park.
For two days, hidden cameras recorded the reactions of passersby as an elderly, wheelchair-bound man was screamed at and even struck by someone who appeared to be there to take care of him.
Out of more than 100 potential witnesses, 75 of them kept walking without saying a word.
"It points to a certain level of denial that is rampant in this country about the issue of elder abuse," Blancato said.
The ones who did intervene used a variety of methods, from calling 911 to directly confronting the abuser.

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Thought I should post this item. Elder Abuse is not a pleasant topic to write or talk about. However, if we want to inform the public and politicians that it is wide-spread and needs changes regarding care and protection of the elderly; we must continue to highlight this issue.
For those who need more information, please check the links in the sidebar.

Elder Abuse Site Accused of "Lies and Deceit"

The webmaster of the site that exposed the Frank Punito Case (http://inthenameofthemother.com/) has been accused of having a hidden agenda and causing harm to the victim and his children.

According to that webmaster, all information posted on that site have been verified by documents and were approved by the victim.

The accusations were made by "a close caring friend" of the family. Obviously, that person cannot be a close caring friend of the victim.

The webmaster of that site has now posted a response and added that documents will be published in the near future, to support information on that website.

For all those who know the case by now, please log on and contact the webmaster to give your support.

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Let all elder abuse blog- or website- owners be warned. Unless you have documentary evidence, you are taking a risk!
But, I think we know better. The only "agenda" we all have, is the firm belief that all human beings are entitled to be treated with respect and dignity. Elder Abuse is NOT accepted in any shape or form.

Elder Abusers Gave Excuses - Part 2

Elder Abuse Aftermath

What happens to victims of elder abuse once they have been “rescued” from their abusive environment? I believe that if the victims are under the care of Adult Protective Services or other government care facilities they would be cared for in some ways. However, if they are living in their own homes and are still physically and mentally capable there are no help for them.

Do they ever get over the abuses – especially, if the abusers were members of their own families?

The Frank Punito Case is one that I have details and documentary evidence. The 77 year old man in this case, is struggling to go on with whatever is left of his life.

The reasons the abusers gave for their abusive actions, surely would nauseate most of us.

One of the reasons the abusers gave was "..... we feel sorry for the old man, but we did what we did because he has a lady friend, X..."

For those who are not familiar with the case, just take a look at the video first

Now, Frank's friend X, has made a statement regarding the citing of her, as an excuse for the abusers' actions. Her Statement

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These 2 elder abusers "got away". There were no repercussions, except for the fact that their father no longer wishes to see them. Not a big deal for them, because they never bothered to keep in contact with their father or cared about him!
This is another case, where the abuses occurred in a private home, and no one were able to intervene or assist the victim.
Through the astute actions of the victim's friend, videos and documentary evidence of the case were made/collected. If this was a child abuse case; the abusers would have been prosecuted and jailed!
Society MUST take actions now to ensure that its older citizens are protected from such injustice. Please visit the Frank Punito Website and leave a comment to encourage this victim.
(Just type 'Frank Punito' in your browser to get there)

Elder Abuse - Know Your Rights

Every person-every man, woman, and child-deserves to be treated with respect and with caring.

Every person-no matter how young or how old-deserves to be safe from harm by those who live with them, care for them, or come in day-to-day contact with them.
Older people today are more visible, more active, and more independent than ever before. They are living longer and in better health. But as the population of older Americans grows, so does the hidden problem of elder abuse, exploitation, and neglect.

Every year an estimated 2.1 million older Americans are victims of physical, psychological, or other forms of abuse and neglect. Those statistics may not tell the whole story. For every case of elder abuse and neglect that is reported to authorities, experts estimate that there may be as many as five cases that have not been reported. Recent research suggests that elders who have been abused tend to die earlier than those who are not abused, even in the absence of chronic conditions or life threatening disease.


Most elder abuse and neglect takes place at home. The great majority of older people live on their own or with their spouses, children, siblings, or other relatives-not in institutional settings. When elder abuse happens, family, other household members, and paid caregivers usually are the abusers. Although there are extreme cases of elder abuse, often the abuse is subtle, and the distinction between normal interpersonal stress and abuse is not always easy to discern.

Elder abuse, like other forms of violence, is never an acceptable response to any problem or situation, however stressful. (my emphasis)Effective interventions can prevent or stop elder abuse. By increasing awareness among physicians, mental health professionals, home health care workers, and others who provide services to the elderly and family members, patterns of abuse or neglect can be broken, and both the abused person and the abuser can receive needed help.

Source: American Psychological Association

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Researches around the world has echoed the same thing. The majority of elder abuse cases are in private homes. Only 1 in 5 are reported. Often the victims of elder abuse are reluctant to report for fear of "withdrawal of help or affection" from the abusers.

If you think you or someone else has been abused please check out sidebar links here to get more information about where and how you can get help.
Do not put up with abuses. You have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

Elder Abuse - Neglect of Aged an 'Outrage'

Neglect of Aged an 'Outrage'

By Thomas Walkom, The Star.com Canada October 4, 2007

The Ontario government is helping to break its own laws when it lets nursing homes leave elderly residents lying for hours in urine-soaked diapers, according to a legal opinion prepared for the Ontario Federation of Labour.

Federation president Wayne Samuelson says he has sent letters to all major party leaders warning that unless whoever wins next week's election moves quickly to clean up the problem, the OFL will "pursue any and all legal recourse."

"It's absolutely outrageous," he said in an interview.

"People shouldn't have to end up in these situations. If these were kids in a child-care centre, there would be outrage."

Written by Toronto lawyers Mary Cornish and Jo-Anne Pickel, the 29-page brief concludes that most nursing homes in the province violate laws, regulations and binding contractual obligations that require long-term care institutions to keep patients "clean and dry" and "promote their dignity and independence."

They say the so-called 75 per cent rule, whereby a diaper is changed only after it is three-quarters full of urine, contravenes the province's human rights code against discrimination on the basis of age, disability and sex (elderly women suffer from incontinence more than men). And, they say, it may also violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Nursing home administrators who insist that staff leave immobile residents festering in their own urine could also be charged with professional misconduct, they say.

Full-text: Global Action on Aging

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As kids, we were often told to learn from our own mistakes or that of others.
Why, then, do governments around the world not learn from others? I believe the above report may be mirrored in many other countries. Politicians, community groups and other groups - let us be united in the fight for Ageing with Dignity - NOW. Do not wait till you are helpless!

Elder Abuse - Another Research Paper (Australia)

Perceptions of elder abuse among Australian older adults and
general practitioners

This report investigates and compares perceptions of elder abuse by general practitioners (GPs) and older people. The results suggest that GPs tend to view all types of abuse scenarios as less severe when compared to the groups of older adults. In addition, "caregivers saw scenarios as less severe than other groups of older people."

“To conclude, although it has become axiomatic in many studies to state that additional research is needed, this is definitely the case in the area of elder abuse in Australia. One neglected area is the complex web of dependency and fear that influences the acceptance of mistreatment by an older person in order to protect a relationship with the abuser. (my emphasis) Further studies of the risk factors of abuse, the determination of the most effective methods of assessment and the efficacy of intervention programs are all important. Whether the introduction of mandatory reporting of elder abuse, proposed in the wake of public disclosure of sexual assaults in a Victorian residential care facility, will be an effective intervention remains to be seen. The present results highlight the complexity of the perceptions of elder abuse among older adults themselves, and the differences of these perceptions from those of GPs. Such findings as these highlight that it will only be through extensive research and discussion on the topic of elder abuse that the difficulty of defining the problem and obtaining answers to other related questions will be resolved.”

Full-text: From GAA

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Yet another report published, filed and will be forgotten in time.
Governments around the world MUST take actions. At least get the local populations informed about the growing problems. Older persons need to be informed of their elder rights and where they can get assistance.

Growing Old at Home - An Inspirational Story

A Grass-Roots Effort to Grow Old at Home

By Jane Gross, New York Times
August 14, 2007

On a bluff overlooking the Potomac River, George and Anne Allen, both 82, struggle to remain in their beloved three-story house and neighborhood, despite the frailty, danger and isolation of old age. Mr. Allen has been hobbled since he fractured his spine in a fall down the stairs, and he expects to lose his driver’s license when it comes up for renewal. Mrs. Allen recently broke four ribs getting out of bed. Neither can climb a ladder to change a light bulb or crouch under the kitchen sink to fix a leak. Stores and public transportation are an uncomfortable hike.So the Allens have banded together with their neighbors, who are equally determined to avoid being forced from their homes by dependence. Along with more than 100 communities nationwide — a dozen of them planned here in Washington and its suburbs — their group is part of a movement to make neighborhoods comfortable places to grow old, both for elderly men and women in need of help and for baby boomers anticipating the future.
“We are totally dependent on ourselves,” Mr. Allen said. “But I want to live in a mixed community, not just with the elderly. And as long as we can do it here, that’s what we want.” Their group has registered as a nonprofit corporation, is setting membership dues, and is lining up providers of transportation, home repair, companionship, security and other services to meet their needs at home for as long as possible. Urban planners and senior housing experts say this movement, organized by residents rather than government agencies or social service providers, could make “aging in place” safe and affordable for a majority of elderly people. Almost 9 in 10 Americans over the age of 60, according to AARP polls, share the Allens’ wish to live out their lives in familiar surroundings.Many of these self-help communities are calling themselves villages, playing on the notion that it takes a village to raise a child and also support the aged in their decline. Some are expected to open this fall on Capitol Hill; in Cambridge, Mass.; New Canaan, Conn.; Palo Alto, Calif.; and Bronxville, N.Y. “Providers don’t always need to do things for the elderly,” said Philip McCallion, director of the Center for Excellence in Aging Services at the State University of New York at Albany. “There are plenty of ideas how to do this within the aging community.” Although not a panacea for those with complicated medical needs, the approach addresses what experts say can be a premature decision by older people to give up their homes in response to relatively minor problems: No way to get to the grocery store. Tradesmen unwilling to take on small repairs. The isolation of a snowy winter. As these small problems mount, sometimes accompanied by pressure from adult children, experts say, the elderly homeowner is caught off guard. Remaining at home without sufficient help is frightening. But moving to an assisted-living center is often an overreaction that can be avoided or postponed.

Full text: HERE