Man accused of conning elderly mom out of $10K, claims Mafia ties
By GEORGE PLAVIN Montana Standard
A 53-year-old Anaconda man is accused of conning his 74-year-old mother out of more than $10,000 by claiming ties with the Mafia.
Christopher Thomas Tilling made his initial appearance Wednesday in district court, charged with felony elder abuse for allegedly exploiting his mother to buy a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Judge Ray Dayton did not call for a plea, and appointed a public defender to represent Tilling. An arraignment is scheduled for 10 a.m. Aug. 15.
Tilling and his mother reunited last year after decades of no contact, according to court documents. She moved from Hawaii to Anaconda to get reacquainted with her son, when he then told her he needed $10,000 to repay a loan to the Mafia or they would kill him.
Tilling’s mother gave him $10,000 cash, which he used to buy a Harley-Davidson motorcycle in Butte, according to the same documents.
Several months later, Tilling went to work in North Dakota and had his mother pay for repairs to his truck. She also agreed to let him use two credit cards, which he ran up about $3,500 and never paid back the debt, according to court documents.
When Tilling again asked his mother for money, she refused. He allegedly told her he had friends in the Mafia, and she had “better be careful.”
If convicted, Tilling could face 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He is free on recognizance.
SOURCE: The BillingsGazette
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August 10, 2012
August 6, 2012
Winnipeg Organization Develops Program to Reduce Elder Financial Abuse
Bernice Pontanilla,
July 24, 2012
A Winnipeg organization hopes credit unions can help reduce the financial abuse of seniors.
The Good Neighbours Active Living Centre is developing a program that will link seniors with staff at credit unions who can help ensure they aren't taken advantage of when it comes to their money.
Susan Sader, executive director of the centre, said their goal is to bring all 41 credit unions in Manitoba on board in 115 communities, including 57 in which a credit union is the only financial institution.
The federal government is spending $350,000 to support the program.
Sader said the funding is timely.
She said she recently dealt with a woman in her 70s who was looking for help after being bilked by a family member who was somehow able to gain control over her assets.
"It's a very difficult issue," Sader said Tuesday. "This lady had lost thousands of dollars."
Sader said credit union employees often deal with seniors and are in a trusting position to guide them toward the available help.
The program being developed by Good Neighbours includes workshops, online tools, training materials and resources for credit union employees.
Alice Wong, federal minister of state for seniors, said the program could serve as a blueprint for other regions in the country.
"Elder abuse is hard to talk about but we have to break the silence," she said. (Metro Winnipeg)
© The Canadian Press, 2012
SOURCE: The Global Winnipeg
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July 24, 2012
A Winnipeg organization hopes credit unions can help reduce the financial abuse of seniors.
The Good Neighbours Active Living Centre is developing a program that will link seniors with staff at credit unions who can help ensure they aren't taken advantage of when it comes to their money.
Susan Sader, executive director of the centre, said their goal is to bring all 41 credit unions in Manitoba on board in 115 communities, including 57 in which a credit union is the only financial institution.
The federal government is spending $350,000 to support the program.
Sader said the funding is timely.
She said she recently dealt with a woman in her 70s who was looking for help after being bilked by a family member who was somehow able to gain control over her assets.
"It's a very difficult issue," Sader said Tuesday. "This lady had lost thousands of dollars."
Sader said credit union employees often deal with seniors and are in a trusting position to guide them toward the available help.
The program being developed by Good Neighbours includes workshops, online tools, training materials and resources for credit union employees.
Alice Wong, federal minister of state for seniors, said the program could serve as a blueprint for other regions in the country.
"Elder abuse is hard to talk about but we have to break the silence," she said. (Metro Winnipeg)
© The Canadian Press, 2012
SOURCE: The Global Winnipeg
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Grant to Sustain Senior Safety Line (On. CANADA)
The Ontario Trillium Foundation awards ONPEA grant to sustain Senior Safety Line
ONTARIO, Aug. 1, 2012 /CNW/
The Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario, awarded The Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (ONPEA) a one-year, $187,400 grant to continue the operation of their Senior Safety Line (SSL 1-866-299-1011). ONPEA is pleased to accept and acknowledge the OTF for this needed grant that will be used to continue this critical service, develop a sustainable funding model, … more at http://www.onpea.org/english/contactus/mediacentre.html
SOURCE: Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (ONPEA)
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ONTARIO, Aug. 1, 2012 /CNW/
The Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario, awarded The Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (ONPEA) a one-year, $187,400 grant to continue the operation of their Senior Safety Line (SSL 1-866-299-1011). ONPEA is pleased to accept and acknowledge the OTF for this needed grant that will be used to continue this critical service, develop a sustainable funding model, … more at http://www.onpea.org/english/contactus/mediacentre.html
SOURCE: Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (ONPEA)
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August 3, 2012
Aug 02, 2012
By Teri Okita
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -
Elder abuse and senior scams are escalating, both nationwide, and here in our islands. Hawaii News Now, in conjunction with the Aloha United Way, presents "Seniors in Crisis."
Here, we're taking a closer look at financial scams, particularly Medicare cons, that could devastate seniors. Since 2008, the number of elder abuse cases in Honolulu has jumped 108 percent, according to the City and County's Elder Abuse Justice Unit, and much of those scams come down to dollars and sense.
79 year old Satoru H, understandably, doesn't want to be identified. Last year, mainland crooks tried to hustle him out of personal information.
"Oh yes, yes, yes, it really bothers me," says Mr. H. The caller asked him for his Medicare number - saying she wanted to "confirm" and "verify" it. He says, "She mentioned my name, my address, my telephone number, and my doctor's name, and she said, 'Oh, you're a diabetic?' and I said, 'Why? Why you want to know?'"
Mr. H. hung up, but the con artist called again … and again … a total of 28 times. "Ah, frustrating!" he recalls.
Someone had tried to defraud Mr. H. once before, so he knew the drill, wrote everything down, and called authorities.
Abridged
SOURCE: The HawaiiNewsNow
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By Teri Okita
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -
Elder abuse and senior scams are escalating, both nationwide, and here in our islands. Hawaii News Now, in conjunction with the Aloha United Way, presents "Seniors in Crisis."
Here, we're taking a closer look at financial scams, particularly Medicare cons, that could devastate seniors. Since 2008, the number of elder abuse cases in Honolulu has jumped 108 percent, according to the City and County's Elder Abuse Justice Unit, and much of those scams come down to dollars and sense.
79 year old Satoru H, understandably, doesn't want to be identified. Last year, mainland crooks tried to hustle him out of personal information.
"Oh yes, yes, yes, it really bothers me," says Mr. H. The caller asked him for his Medicare number - saying she wanted to "confirm" and "verify" it. He says, "She mentioned my name, my address, my telephone number, and my doctor's name, and she said, 'Oh, you're a diabetic?' and I said, 'Why? Why you want to know?'"
Mr. H. hung up, but the con artist called again … and again … a total of 28 times. "Ah, frustrating!" he recalls.
Someone had tried to defraud Mr. H. once before, so he knew the drill, wrote everything down, and called authorities.
Abridged
SOURCE: The HawaiiNewsNow
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TN Report Shows Rise in Crimes Against the Elderly (TN. USA)
'They are more vulnerable,' first-of-its kind study shows
Aug 2, 2012
Written by Brian Haas
The Tennessean
Julius Taylor was just taking out the trash last week when a young man walked up and asked for a light. He barely had time to respond before the robbery began.
“The next thing I know, he wanted to get my billfold,” said Taylor, 74. “I was fixing to tell him, ‘No you aren’t getting that.’ But when I saw another guy come out of the bushes, I just threw it on the ground.”
Taylor was unharmed and the robbers, who were brothers, were arrested a short time later. But his case adds to the growing number of Tennesseans 65 years old and up who are becoming victims of crime, according to a report released Wednesday by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The report, the first of its kind in the state, found that crimes with victims 65 years old or older rose by about 7 percent from 2009 through 2011, the same time that the state saw a 5 percent drop in overall crime.
“We did this study so that policymakers, law enforcement officers know that the growing elderly population is increasingly being victimized in the state of Tennessee,” said Kristin Helm, spokeswoman for the TBI. “They are more vulnerable to victimization.”
Seniors targets of burglary, fraud
The report focused on four key areas most likely to affect seniors: robbery, burglary, assaults and fraud. They were disproportionately victims of home burglaries and fraud cases, making up one out of 10 victims of those crimes in the state during the three years studied.
Abridged
SOURCE: The Tennessean
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Aug 2, 2012
Written by Brian Haas
The Tennessean
Julius Taylor was just taking out the trash last week when a young man walked up and asked for a light. He barely had time to respond before the robbery began.
“The next thing I know, he wanted to get my billfold,” said Taylor, 74. “I was fixing to tell him, ‘No you aren’t getting that.’ But when I saw another guy come out of the bushes, I just threw it on the ground.”
Taylor was unharmed and the robbers, who were brothers, were arrested a short time later. But his case adds to the growing number of Tennesseans 65 years old and up who are becoming victims of crime, according to a report released Wednesday by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The report, the first of its kind in the state, found that crimes with victims 65 years old or older rose by about 7 percent from 2009 through 2011, the same time that the state saw a 5 percent drop in overall crime.
“We did this study so that policymakers, law enforcement officers know that the growing elderly population is increasingly being victimized in the state of Tennessee,” said Kristin Helm, spokeswoman for the TBI. “They are more vulnerable to victimization.”
Seniors targets of burglary, fraud
The report focused on four key areas most likely to affect seniors: robbery, burglary, assaults and fraud. They were disproportionately victims of home burglaries and fraud cases, making up one out of 10 victims of those crimes in the state during the three years studied.
Abridged
SOURCE: The Tennessean
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Nursing Home Concerns and the Elderly (USA)
Jasper, Ala. (WIAT)
In a world where sexual predators are dominating headlines and remain in the back of the minds of parents... the elderly are not immune to similar fears of what horrible acts could come to them.
The Silver Haired Legislature (SHL) is made up of one-hundred-and five seniors through-out the state.
They are asking State Legislators to pass a law requiring nursing homes to alert residents and their family members if a convicted sex offender is admitted into their facility.
The group is also asking the state to require more employs on staff between the hours of 10PM and 6AM.
One member of the SHL whose relative is in a nursing home tells CBS42 there are only two orderlies available to assist the entire facility overnight.
These are just a few fears facing families and residents inside Alabama nursing homes.
Many people who reside in nursing homes are there because they can no longer live alone, and their family members may not be willing or equipped to care for their special needs.
But they fear once they are checked into their new homes they will be alone without visitors or anyone to check on them.
Joann Elmer operates a nursing home in Jasper. Elmer says she has seen first hand how real those fears can be. She says too often once seniors enter nursing homes the responsibility to check on them falls on one son or daughter.
Elmer says the only way to avoid abuse and neglect is constant visitation by family and friends.
"It would be very easy to say now I'm going to focus on my own immediate family but you can't do that you've got to remember to go and see them do a check and let them know you haven't forsaken them."
Because so many seniors are checked in and abandoned by their loved ones elmer has become a friend and confidant to many of the seniors in her care.
For her, the challenge is maximizing the life these men and women have left by keeping them happy, healthy and engaged.
"They're losing their independence and that's the reason I stress until their times comes benefit everyone get out and enjoy activities with places like the senior center "
You can learn more about the quality of care of the nursing homes in your area by clicking here.
Abridged
SOURCE: CBS42
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In a world where sexual predators are dominating headlines and remain in the back of the minds of parents... the elderly are not immune to similar fears of what horrible acts could come to them.
The Silver Haired Legislature (SHL) is made up of one-hundred-and five seniors through-out the state.
They are asking State Legislators to pass a law requiring nursing homes to alert residents and their family members if a convicted sex offender is admitted into their facility.
The group is also asking the state to require more employs on staff between the hours of 10PM and 6AM.
One member of the SHL whose relative is in a nursing home tells CBS42 there are only two orderlies available to assist the entire facility overnight.
These are just a few fears facing families and residents inside Alabama nursing homes.
Many people who reside in nursing homes are there because they can no longer live alone, and their family members may not be willing or equipped to care for their special needs.
But they fear once they are checked into their new homes they will be alone without visitors or anyone to check on them.
Joann Elmer operates a nursing home in Jasper. Elmer says she has seen first hand how real those fears can be. She says too often once seniors enter nursing homes the responsibility to check on them falls on one son or daughter.
Elmer says the only way to avoid abuse and neglect is constant visitation by family and friends.
"It would be very easy to say now I'm going to focus on my own immediate family but you can't do that you've got to remember to go and see them do a check and let them know you haven't forsaken them."
Because so many seniors are checked in and abandoned by their loved ones elmer has become a friend and confidant to many of the seniors in her care.
For her, the challenge is maximizing the life these men and women have left by keeping them happy, healthy and engaged.
"They're losing their independence and that's the reason I stress until their times comes benefit everyone get out and enjoy activities with places like the senior center "
You can learn more about the quality of care of the nursing homes in your area by clicking here.
Abridged
SOURCE: CBS42
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August 1, 2012
SINGAPORE – MAINTENANCE OF PARENTS ACT
The Act provides for Singapore residents aged 60 years old
and above, who are unable to subsist on their own, to claim maintenance from
their children who are capable of supporting him but are not doing
so. Parents can sue their children for maintenance, in the form of monthly
allowances or a lump-sum payment. The Act also establishes the Tribunal
for the Maintenance of Parents to decide on applications made under the Act.
Abridged
SOURCE: Infopedia, Sg
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Illinois Protects its Senior Citizens (USA)
Gov. Quinn enacts bills to benefit elderly
By Len Wells
July 29, 2012
In 2011, the first of the nation's 79 million baby boomers born between the end of World War II and the mid-60s started turning 65. And lawmakers are now looking at ways to protect the new senior citizens from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
In Illinois, Gov. Pat Quinn has signed into law a dozen new measures aimed at protecting state's growing senior citizen population.
Abridged
SOURCE: The CourierPress
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By Len Wells
July 29, 2012
In 2011, the first of the nation's 79 million baby boomers born between the end of World War II and the mid-60s started turning 65. And lawmakers are now looking at ways to protect the new senior citizens from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
In Illinois, Gov. Pat Quinn has signed into law a dozen new measures aimed at protecting state's growing senior citizen population.
Abridged
SOURCE: The CourierPress
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New Research: 40 Percent of Elderly Latinos Abused (TX. USA)
New Research: 40 Percent of Elderly Latinos Abused
July 30, 2012
AUSTIN, Texas
A new study of elderly, low-income Latinos reveals significantly higher rates of abuse, neglect and exploitation than previous estimates. The report's lead author, Marguerite DeLiema, University of Southern California Davis School of Gerontology, says that, at first glance, abuse of Latino seniors appears to be almost four times more prevalent than elder abuse in the general population.
"One in 10 older adults suffers from some form of abuse, neglect or exploitation. Our study was much higher. We found 40 percent of the Latino population reported at least one form of elder abuse."
She thinks it's possible that her research - based on detailed, in-person interviews by community members - reflects a higher elder abuse rate among the population at large than past studies have been able to document. She says mistreatment need not be physical to qualify as abuse. Family members may repeatedly threaten to send seniors to nursing homes, or take advantage of financial vulnerabilities.
The study calls into question past assumptions that elderly Latinos are shielded from abuse by cultural norms, such as family loyalty. Sometimes solidarity just leads to silence, according to Sandra Garcia Huhn, staff attorney with the Texas Legal Services Center Elder Exploitation Project.
"I think that there is a reluctance by the Hispanic community to discuss problems outside of the family. A lot of times when there is abuse or exploitation they're not reporting it, because they want to protect the family member."
The new study found that about 10 percent of those surveyed revealed physical abuse, 17 percent had been exploited financially, and 12 percent had been neglected by caretakers. But only 1.5 percent of all victims had ever reported the abuse to authorities or service organizations.
She encourages Texas seniors or concerned loved ones to call the toll-free Elder Exploitation Hotline to find out about a variety of resources for victims of scams, financial manipulation or physical, sexual and emotional abuse. That number is 888-612-6626.
Information about the study is available at http://bit.ly/NNYACb. The TEEP website is based at www.tlsc.org.
Peter Malof, Public News Service - TX
Abridged
SOURCE: The PublicNewsService
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July 30, 2012
AUSTIN, Texas
A new study of elderly, low-income Latinos reveals significantly higher rates of abuse, neglect and exploitation than previous estimates. The report's lead author, Marguerite DeLiema, University of Southern California Davis School of Gerontology, says that, at first glance, abuse of Latino seniors appears to be almost four times more prevalent than elder abuse in the general population.
"One in 10 older adults suffers from some form of abuse, neglect or exploitation. Our study was much higher. We found 40 percent of the Latino population reported at least one form of elder abuse."
She thinks it's possible that her research - based on detailed, in-person interviews by community members - reflects a higher elder abuse rate among the population at large than past studies have been able to document. She says mistreatment need not be physical to qualify as abuse. Family members may repeatedly threaten to send seniors to nursing homes, or take advantage of financial vulnerabilities.
The study calls into question past assumptions that elderly Latinos are shielded from abuse by cultural norms, such as family loyalty. Sometimes solidarity just leads to silence, according to Sandra Garcia Huhn, staff attorney with the Texas Legal Services Center Elder Exploitation Project.
"I think that there is a reluctance by the Hispanic community to discuss problems outside of the family. A lot of times when there is abuse or exploitation they're not reporting it, because they want to protect the family member."
The new study found that about 10 percent of those surveyed revealed physical abuse, 17 percent had been exploited financially, and 12 percent had been neglected by caretakers. But only 1.5 percent of all victims had ever reported the abuse to authorities or service organizations.
She encourages Texas seniors or concerned loved ones to call the toll-free Elder Exploitation Hotline to find out about a variety of resources for victims of scams, financial manipulation or physical, sexual and emotional abuse. That number is 888-612-6626.
Information about the study is available at http://bit.ly/NNYACb. The TEEP website is based at www.tlsc.org.
Peter Malof, Public News Service - TX
Abridged
SOURCE: The PublicNewsService
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A Court Room of (and for) Grandparents (INDIA)
A courtroom of (and for) grandparents
Those convicted for abandoning senior citizens may face jail term of up to 3 months or fine of Rs.5,000
By Gayatri Jayaraman
Mumbai: An ambulance pull
s up in front of the new administration building of the state labour court in Bandra, Mumbai, on Thursday, 26 July, as it will again on Tuesday. It ferries 96-year-old Shiva Chetanram Krip, the plaintiff, who has a fractured hip and must attend proceedings on the ninth floor, where a landmark case quietly unfolds. The defendant is Krip’s son, Bhagvan Shiva Krip, himself a senior citizen, and grandson, Prashanth Bhagvan Krip, 33.
Krip is the first senior citizen in Maharashtra whose case is being heard by the tribunal set up under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007. He first filed for maintenance of up to Rs. 10,000 under section 5 in Pune, in May 2011. This, his second plea for the rendering of a gift deed allegedly taken by force to render his will invalid and void was filed under section 23 of the Act in April 2012.
The Act, which was notified in 2009, does not fall under the jurisdiction of any civil court, but takes on the powers of the civil court, and cases are tried by the SDO at the level of additional magistrate. Senior citizens abandoned by their children can apply for maintenance of up to Rs. 10,000 under this Act. Those convicted for abandoning senior citizens/parents could face a jail term up to three months or a fine of Rs. 5,000.
According to HelpAge India’s 2012 report on Elder Abuse in India, which spanned 20 cities, 31% of older persons reported facing abuse, 24% of the elderly faced it on a daily basis, 75% of those facing abuse lived with their families, and 69% were the owners of the house in which they were being abused. Fifty-six percent faced abuse by sons, and 23% by daughters-in-law. More than 55% suffered abuse silently to uphold “family honour”, 50% for periods of more than five years. The Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) witnessed a rise in abuse from last year, with 29.82% of the elderly stating that they faced abuse, against 12% the year before; Mumbai followed a close second to Delhi-NCR with 29.46%. Bhopal ranked the highest in elder abuse with 77.12% elders stating that they faced this, followed closely by Guwahati with 60.55%.
Abridged
SOURCE: LiveMint
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Those convicted for abandoning senior citizens may face jail term of up to 3 months or fine of Rs.5,000
By Gayatri Jayaraman
Mumbai: An ambulance pull
s up in front of the new administration building of the state labour court in Bandra, Mumbai, on Thursday, 26 July, as it will again on Tuesday. It ferries 96-year-old Shiva Chetanram Krip, the plaintiff, who has a fractured hip and must attend proceedings on the ninth floor, where a landmark case quietly unfolds. The defendant is Krip’s son, Bhagvan Shiva Krip, himself a senior citizen, and grandson, Prashanth Bhagvan Krip, 33.
Krip is the first senior citizen in Maharashtra whose case is being heard by the tribunal set up under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007. He first filed for maintenance of up to Rs. 10,000 under section 5 in Pune, in May 2011. This, his second plea for the rendering of a gift deed allegedly taken by force to render his will invalid and void was filed under section 23 of the Act in April 2012.
The Act, which was notified in 2009, does not fall under the jurisdiction of any civil court, but takes on the powers of the civil court, and cases are tried by the SDO at the level of additional magistrate. Senior citizens abandoned by their children can apply for maintenance of up to Rs. 10,000 under this Act. Those convicted for abandoning senior citizens/parents could face a jail term up to three months or a fine of Rs. 5,000.
According to HelpAge India’s 2012 report on Elder Abuse in India, which spanned 20 cities, 31% of older persons reported facing abuse, 24% of the elderly faced it on a daily basis, 75% of those facing abuse lived with their families, and 69% were the owners of the house in which they were being abused. Fifty-six percent faced abuse by sons, and 23% by daughters-in-law. More than 55% suffered abuse silently to uphold “family honour”, 50% for periods of more than five years. The Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) witnessed a rise in abuse from last year, with 29.82% of the elderly stating that they faced abuse, against 12% the year before; Mumbai followed a close second to Delhi-NCR with 29.46%. Bhopal ranked the highest in elder abuse with 77.12% elders stating that they faced this, followed closely by Guwahati with 60.55%.
Abridged
SOURCE: LiveMint
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