Elderly Victimes of Abuse Often Use Alcohol or Drugs, Study Says (USA)

Elderly victims of abuse often use alcohol or drugs, study says

Contact: Sherri McGinnis González
smcginn@uic.edu
312-996-8277
University of Illinois at Chicago

Victims of severe traumatic elder abuse are more likely to be female, suffer from a neurological or mental disorder, and to abuse drugs or alcohol, according to research published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

"Past studies have shown that alcohol abuse by the perpetrator plays a substantial role and is strongly associated with physical abuse," says Lee Friedman, assistant professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago and lead author of the study. "Our findings indicate that alcohol abuse among the victims may be an important contributing factor as well."

Twenty-nine percent of abuse victims in the study tested positive for alcohol, compared to 13 percent of controls.

Local researchers examined medical record data at two Chicago-area Level I trauma units from 41 cases of elder abuse and compared them to a random set of other over-60 patients between 1999 and 2006.

The researchers found that elderly victims of physical abuse suffered more severe injuries than their non-abused counterparts. They also suffered disproportionately from pre-existing medical conditions such as heart disease, dementia and Alzheimer's disease, mental illness and alcohol abuse.

All the key measures of injury severity -- length of hospital stay, treatment in an intensive care unit, assisted breathing, injury severity scores, in-hospital case fatality rates -- were higher in the abuse cases, according to the researchers, and are associated with long-term adverse outcomes.

In the study, 20 victims of abuse returned to the environment in which the abuse occurred. In the majority of cases, the perpetrator had been arrested, but 17 percent of the victims expressed a desire to return to the perpetrator and not to press charges.

Eighty-five percent of the perpetrators were family members or intimate partners. In most cases, the abuse was not identified until after the admission process or several days into hospitalization.

The failure of medical staff to properly identify abuse victims and contact adult protective services in the majority of cases shows that clinicians need to better understand elder abuse, Friedman said.

The research was funded by a grant from the Retirement Research Foundation. Co-authors are Susan Avila and Dr. Kimberly Joseph of the John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County and Kathy Tanouye of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Ill. Friedman's work on the project predated his joining the full-time faculty at UIC.

For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu

SOURCE:    The Eurekalert
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Elder Abuse: A Hidden Epidemic (AUSTRALIA)

Produced by Karin Adam


Ninety-year-old veteran actor Mickey Rooney appeared before the United States Senate Committee on Ageing this month, revealing years of alleged abuse by his stepson. The former Hollywood star says he was deprived of medication, food and access to his own finances. Elder abuse often occurs behind closed doors and it is surprising who is hurting the older people in our community. Karin Adam investigates this hidden Australian epidemic ... Interviewed: Les Jackson, coordinator of Lifeline's Elder Abuse Prevention Unit in Queensland; Lillian Jeter, former director of the Elder Abuse Prevention Association and trainer of residential care professionals.

Elder Abuse Response service contacts in Australia: Qld: Lifeline's Elder Abuse Helpline 1300 651 192 or (07) 3250 1836;

NSW: The Aged-care Rights Service NSW 02 9281 3600;

VIC: Seniors Rights Victoria 1300 368 821; ACT: Elder Abuse Information and Referral Phone (02) 6205 3535

http://www.dhcs.act.gov.au/wac/ageing/elder_abuse_prevention__and__assistance; Tas: Advocacy Tasmania 1300 555 727 or 133 677

http://www.advocacytasmania.org.au;

Sth Aust: Aged Rights Advocacy Service (08) 8232 5377

http://www.sa.agedrights.asn.au;

WA: Advocare 1800 655 566 or (08) 9479 7599 http://www.advocare.org.au;

NT: Aged and Disability Rights Team 1800 812 953 or (08) 8982 1111 http://www.dcls.org.au

Related Links
Lifeline's Elder Abuse Helpline
The Aged-care Rights Service NSW 
Seniors Rights Victoria

SOURCE:    The Wire.Org
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Carers Took 1Million Pounds From Frail Relatives (SCOTLAND)

The vilest thieves in Scotland? Carers £1m from frail relatives

Mar 20 2011

By Marion Scott, Sunday Mail

A former social work boss claims greedy relatives steal £1million a year from elderly family members.

Ex West Dunbartonshire Council social work director Tim Huntingford said: "As shocking as that figure sounds, studies indicate it's just the tip of the iceberg.

"Abuse of the elderly is a taboo subject, something we don't want to believe is going on under our very noses.

"But there are as many as 33,000 cases a year in Scotland which come to the attention of local authorities. And if the public were more aware of what to look out for, I think there would be thousands more."

Last month, a TV ad to raise awareness about abuse of elderly people prompted 425 calls to a free helpline.

Huntingford, chair of Renfrewshire's Adult Protection Committee, said: "We've heard of cases where elderly relatives believe they're going into a care home for respite then their homes are sold out from under them.

"In the last two years, local authorities across Scotland have taken out 42 court orders banning relatives and carers going near their victims, often elderly parents or grandparents.

"In one family, elderly parents were living in filthy conditions, starving and afraid, cared for by their son and daughter who both had drink and drug problems.

"Victims don't want to tell on their own family members."

The elder abuse free confidential hotline number is 0300 777 6520.

SOURCE:    The Daily Record, UK


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Mickey Rooney Speaks Out On Elder Abuse (USA)

By Richard Griffin/Columnist

Wicked Local Cambridge

Mar 20, 2011

During my early adolescence, my favorite movie actor was Mickey Rooney. In between the years 1938 and 1944 he made an amazing 13 Andy Hardy films. These movies thrilled me; each time I could hardly wait for the next one to appear.

My friends and I saw these movies at the old Paramount Theater in Newton Corner, identifying with Mickey as we watched him deal with the social adventures of teenagers, not entirely different from our own.

 He did well with other films, too. His versatility as an actor, singer and dancer made him one of Hollywood’s most enduring stars. The Andy Hardy movies were only some of the more than 200 films he made in his long career.

At age 91, Rooney is one of the rare actors still living who played leading roles in the films I saw as a boy.

 My reason for calling attention to Mickey Rooney is his appearance this month before a congressional committee in Washington, D.C. It would have been heartwarming to report he came there to receive a medal in honor of his film achievements. Instead, he presented himself for a much more sober reason.

The testimony he gave to the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Aging had nothing to do with the satisfactions of living to be old, but rather with one of its hazards. He told the legislators about how he had been robbed of his savings.

“I was unable to avoid becoming a victim of elder abuse,” he said.

The worst part of it was the identity of the person who stole his money. It was not a stranger but rather a close family member. In falling prey to a relative — in his instance a 52-year-old stepson — Rooney is typical of a disturbingly large number of older people. 

Rooney described the emotional impact of the theft. “You feel scared and disappointed,” he said, “and can’t believe it’s happening to you. You feel overwhelmed. You’re afraid about criticism from your family and friends.”

This famous man went on to label what happened to him as “emotional blackmail.”

In gripping testimony, he added: “It came out of nowhere. It started with something small but it was rather sinister. For years I suffered silently. I was told to shut up and be quiet; you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He finished with this counsel to his age peers: “You are not alone and you have nothing to be ashamed of. You deserve better. You deserve the right to control your life. To end the cycle of abuse, do not allow yourself to be silenced. Tell your story. Above all, have hope and faith.”

Thanks to YouTube, I have watched Mickey Rooney presenting his case. His poise and his confident speaking impressed me. He knew what he was talking about.

Financial exploitation of elders takes place much more frequently than most Americans realize. Older people frequently prove vulnerable to the unscrupulous who see in them targets for easy money.

Abridged
SOURCE:      The Daily News Transcript
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Sunnyvale Nursing Home Employees Charged With Elder Abuse (USA)

Sunnyvale nursing home employees charged with elder abuse

By Alia Wilson, Sunnyvale Sun

03/10/2011

Three Sunnyvale nursing home workers were arrested by state agents March 2 on suspicion of elder abuse after officials reported that one worker allegedly grabbed the genitalia of an Idylwood Care Center resident and two others did not report the abuse to authorities.

Arnold Samson, 27, of San Jose has been charged with multiple acts of elder abuse and battery, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office. Ryan Tan, 22, of San Jose and Ricardo Martinez, 50, of Saratoga are charged with having knowledge of the abuse and not reporting it to authorities as required by law.

Samson, Tan and Martinez were arrested at their homes Samson was held on $25,000 bail and Tan and Martinez on $5,000 bail in Santa Clara County Jail. All three were released on bail on March 3.

Staff from the Sunnyvale nursing home facility could not be reached for comment.

In late January, agents from the state Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse received an allegation of sexual misconduct from the Department of Public Health's Licensing and Certification Division. A staff member reported that one of the Idylwood residents was complaining to him about being grabbed in the "private area" over several days by one of the certified nursing assistants, according to a news release from the attorney general's office.

As the employee was in the process of questioning the resident, he said he saw Samson grab the resident's genitalia and make a crude

comment. The employee reported the abuse immediately and Samson was suspended.

The news release also stated several staff members whom agents interviewed said Samson had grabbed and pulled on the testicles of the same resident and made crude comments on other occasions as well as threatened to touch the resident's private parts in attempt to "torment him."

In an interview with agents, Tan allegedly admitted that he had seen Samson threaten the resident several times. Tan also allegedly told agents that he watched Samson grab the man's private parts while the resident was sleeping "in order to get a rise out of him."

"The failure to report the abuse is just as offensive and reprehensible as the abuse itself," Attorney General Kamala Harris said in a statement. "As a mandated reporter, caregivers are bound by law to report anyone they see commit abuse or are told an abuse has occurred. We want to send a clear message to facility caregivers around the state that if you fail to report abuse, we will come after you."

The district attorney's office asks residents with information about potential abuse at the Idylwood Care Center to contact special agent Kristin Mansfield of the Department of Justice at 925.520.6408.

To report cases of elder abuse, call the Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse hotline toll-free at 800.722.0432 or visit ag.ca.gov/bmfea/reporting.php




SOURCE:      The Mercury News






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Suspect Elder Abuse? Be Sure to Report It (USA)

By Herb Weisbaum

Mar 15, 2011

We rarely hear about it, but financial abuse of the elderly is a serious and growing problem. Mickey Rooney put a spotlight on the crime when he testified before Congress recently.

We know elder financial abuse it widespread and growing, but no one really has a handle on how much money is lost this way.

The best figure we have is $2.6 billion a year -- that's based on a report done in 2009 for MetLife. The report also said only one in six cases is ever reported, so this $2.6 billion dollar is conservative. And with the recent recession, fraud experts say the problem has only gotten worse.

Who's committing the crime? It can be a staff member at a care facility who's able to cozy up to a resident to get jewelry, money or power of attorney.

It can be family members who believe they're entitled to inheritance before their parents or grandparents pass away.

It could be a stranger. Con artists also prey on older people, because as a group they control a tremendous amount of this country's wealth. 

Elder abuse is a community-wide problem that can only be solved when people get involved. It really will take a village to deal with this. 

If your suspect elder abuse, report your concerns. Most cases of elder abuse go undetected. Don't assume that someone has already reported a suspicious situation. 

Contact your local adult protective services agency or prosecutor's office or police department. The people committing these crimes need to be caught and punished.

SOURCE:      PineWS Wire
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Home Care's Booming, and So Is Regulation (USA)

Home Care's Booming, and So Is Regulation

As services for seniors expand, entrepreneurs are preparing for more scrutiny from regulators

By John Tozzi

March 17, 2011

As the first baby boomers turn 65 this year, entrepreneurs see opportunity. The number of companies providing home health care or services such as assistance in dressing, bathing, and cooking increased by more than 50 percent in the past decade, U.S. Census Bureau data show. Now regulators are scrambling to catch up with the growing industry.

Home-care companies aren't regulated in about two dozen states, and just a handful require licenses for companies that provide nonmedical services. Today the industry faces a hodgepodge of inconsistent rules that advocates say puts vulnerable people at risk of financial exploitation or physical abuse. In states that require licensing, many operators ignore regulations because the costs of complying are high and the risk of getting caught is low, people in the industry say.

Advocates of home care say it is more compassionate and less expensive than nursing home care. More than 45,000 companies offered home health care or other aid in 2008, including 2,800 small outfits that pay franchisers for a brand name, training, and support, researcher Frandata estimates. They're targeting a $55 billion market that will surely grow as the number of Americans 65 and older increases by 79 percent in the next 20 years, to 72 million, according to Census projections.

A report by the Senate Special Committee on Aging notes that "addressing elder abuse in home-based care settings is becoming a growing concern." Much of the worry centers on how thoroughly companies vet workers before sending them into people's houses. The Senate report says that after seven states began requiring comprehensive background checks for caregivers in institutions and private homes, 4.3 percent of the 220,000 applicants were disqualified because of a history of serious crimes. Some 92 percent of nursing homes employ at least one worker with a criminal conviction, according to a Mar. 1 report by the U.S. Health & Human Services Dept. Not all crimes preclude workers from employment.

Abridged
SOURCE:      Business Week
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Mickey Rooney Tells Senate Panel He was a Victim of Elder Abuse (USA)

Mickey Rooney tells Senate panel he was a victim of elder abuse

By Tom Cohen, CNN

March 2, 2011

Washington (CNN)

Grimacing with emotion, entertainment legend Mickey Rooney implored a Senate committee on Wednesday to stop what experts call chronic emotional, physical, sexual and financial abuse of elderly Americans by family members and other caregivers.

The 90-year-old Rooney told the Senate Special Committee on Aging that he was abused by a family member who took control of his life, and described feeling "scared, disappointed, yes, and angry."

"You can't believe that it's happening to you," Rooney said. "You feel overwhelmed."

Rooney has filed a restraining order against his stepson and stepdaughter, claiming both emotional and financial abuse.

The committee's hearing brought attention to what experts call chronic elder abuse in America. Rooney said Congress should pass a law to make it a specific crime.

"I'm asking you to stop this elderly abuse. I mean to stop it. Now. Not tomorrow, not next month, but now," he shouted from the witness table. Pass legislation and send it to be signed into law by President Barack Obama, he urged, so that the nation can say "it's a crime and we will not allow it in the United States of America."

Following the hearing, committee Chairman Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wisconsin, introduced legislation that would create an Office of Elder Justice within the Department of Justice to help coordinate law enforcement response to elder abuse.

According to a report by the Government Accountability Office, more than 14% of noninstitutionalized older adults experienced some form of elder abuse in 2009. The report cautions that number may be lower than the reality because many instances of elder abuse are underreported.

"For years I suffered silently. I didn't want to tell anybody. I couldn't muster the courage and you have to have courage," Rooney said Wednesday. "I needed help and I knew I needed it. Even when I tried to speak up, I was told to shut up and be quiet."

The GAO report found that many Adult Protective Service programs at the state level have growing case loads and dwindling resources. The elder population of the United States is expected to grow by 60% over the next 25 years.

Other witnesses detailed the depth of the problem.

Abridged
SOURCE:      CNN
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Elder Abuse: A Growing Dilemma in an Aging Population (CANADA)

CBC News

Mar 1, 2011

As the baby boom generation ages, Canada is becoming an older country. According to Statistics Canada, eight million of us will be over the age of 65 by 2031. That's nearly 25 per cent of the population.

What's more, a growing number of those in this age bracket are reporting that they are the victims of abuse.

In 2007, Statistics Canada reported that the overall rate of police-reported violence against seniors increased by 20 per cent between 1998 and 2005.

Seniors are the least likely demographic to suffer violent crime, but they are most at risk of suffering violence at the hand of a family member.

For those over 65, 47 out of every 100,000 women were violently assaulted by a family member, according to 2005 statistics. For men over the age of 65, the figure was 36 cases per 100,000 population.

The biggest perpetrators of violence against seniors were adult children (15 per 100,000 cases) or a current or former spouse (13 per 100,000).

Elder abuse can take several forms. Among them:

·         Neglect: Signs include unkempt appearance, broken glasses, lack of appropriate clothing as well as malnutrition, dehydration and poor personal hygiene.

·         Physical Abuse: Signs include untreated or unexplainable injuries in various stages of healing, limb and skull fractures, bruises, black eyes and welts.

·         Psychological/emotional abuse: Watch for changes in behaviour (emotional upset/agitation resulting in sucking, biting, rocking), withdrawal or non-responsiveness.

·         Economic/financial abuse: Watch for sudden changes in bank accounts or banking activity, and major changes to legal documents such as powers of attorney and wills.

The RCMP suggest that the strongest indicator that an elderly person is being abused is that he or she will tell someone.

In the wake of the recent case of a 68-year-old Toronto woman who was allegedly left alone in an uninsulated garage during the winter by her son and daughter-in-law, an advocacy group for seniors called on the federal government to do more to prevent elder abuse.

The group, known as CARP, wants changes to the Criminal Code to punish elder abuse and hotlines to make it easier for seniors to report problems.

"CARP is on the record calling for more services to support families dealing with the physical and mental challenges of their loved ones to help prevent tragedies like this one, and intervention agencies and services to provide a comprehensive response to a significant social problem," Susan Eng, the vice-president of advocacy for CARP, said.

"At some point, the heavy hand of the criminal law needs to be invoked, as it has been in this case, and legislative changes may be necessary to reflect society's values and abhorrence of such a situation."

Most provinces and territories already offer some form of seniors' helpline — but there is no national 24-hour hotline dedicated to helping seniors who are the victims of abuse, similar to rape crisis lines.

CARP would also like to see:

·         The Criminal Code to be modified to include "duty to report" provisions modeled on requirements to report suspected cases of child or spousal abuse.

• ·A provision in the Criminal Code for crimes against the elderly that provide increased penalties, similar to tougher penalties that can be imposed for hate crimes.

·            A new criminal office of Elder Abuse Victim.

·         Support services and elder shelters.

SOURCE:    CBC.CA




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No Bail for Couple Charged in Elder Abuse Case (CANADA)

Chloé Fedio Staff Reporter

A Toronto couple will spend at least two more weeks in police custody after allegedly leaving a 68-year-old woman in an unheated garage all winter.

Kwong Yan, 43, and Qi Tan, 28, were arrested Feb. 25 and charged with failing to provide the necessities of life and criminal negligence causing bodily harm. The combined charges carry a 15-year maximum sentence.

Neither displayed any emotion as they appeared in a Scarborough courtroom via video link from separate detention centres on Tuesday. Each has been remanded in custody until a March 15 court appearance.

Paramedics found the woman unconscious and suffering from frostbite in the uninsulated garage of a Scarborough home on Feb. 23. She was taken to hospital where she remains in life-threatening condition after suffering a stroke.

Her skin was cold to the touch and her stomach was empty, police said.

It is alleged that her son and daughter-in-law moved her into the attached garage of their large, two-storey corner house on Marrakesh Dr. in November. The couple lives with their 6-year-old daughter and both their mothers.

The woman appears to suffer from dementia and was declared legally incompetent in the fall, said Det. Sgt. Mike Stones. Her son was named as her guardian. Since then, she has been living in “deplorable” conditions in a garage near McCowan Rd. and Finch Ave. E., Stones said.

Officers described being “taken aback” by the smell of urine when they entered the garage.

The couple’s lawyer said he will “vigorously defend” the allegations. David Hao refused to comment on the case but said his clients were “fairly distraught” when they sought his counsel last week.

He told reporters he was preparing a bail review.

“Obviously they were fairly distraught. Mr. Yan has only one mother, his father passed away years back, so I believe he was quite upset at his mother’s illness,” Hao said.

A national seniors’ advocacy group has called on the federal government to add the charge of elder abuse to the Criminal Code. Cases where seniors are severely neglected, malnourished and live in squalor, “happen, unfortunately, more often than we’d like to think,” said CARP vice president Susan Eng.

“Maybe we need the heavy hand of the law, after all,” Eng said.

Stones called the case one of the worst examples of elder abuse he has ever witnessed.

“I’m disgusted,” he said, adding the house has four bedrooms, two of which were vacant at the time.

The woman had been sleeping on a mattress in the “makeshift bedroom,” Stones said.

The only heating source was a “modified dryer vent” connected to a furnace inside the house, Stones said. To relieve herself, the woman was given a box of diapers and a port-a-potty. Her “washing facilities” consisted of a bucket of water. When she was found, the only food in the room was a piece of bread.

Stones said the woman had a room on the main floor until she was relocated to the garage around early November. He said her former room has been “converted for other uses” and now has a computer desk and some toys.

Neighbours said the couple parked in the driveway and that their two-door garage was always closed.

There are also two tenants living in the house, one in the basement, Stones said.

According to Stones, the family is originally from mainland China but are now Canadian citizens.

With files from Jennifer Yang

SOURCE:   The Star
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