Elder abuse not as rare as reports suggest, area advocates say
September 10, 2012
By Scott Moyers ~ Southeast Missourian
Imagine a weathered and wrinkled face, one that has seen nearly a century of life. Now watch as it recoils suddenly into a grimace of fear as another -- this one 70 years younger -- distorts to anger, draws back a wrinkle-free open hand and then uses it on the one that has been smiling almost since the Titanic sank.
And the younger one uses enough force that, tomorrow, there will be bruising.
It's a situation that police say played out last month at a Cape Girardeau nursing home, where a nurse's aide, no longer employed there, now faces charges of elder abuse.
Police say Sherri L. Sprenger, who was set to graduate with her licensed practical nursing degree this month, admitted to them that she hit the woman on the right side of her face with the back of her right hand. Sprenger told police she did so because she had lost her temper after the victim yelled at her, court records show. What the truth is will play out in court, with an arraignment set for Sept. 24 in Jackson.
Still, elder abuse is a sobering and blood-boiling thought, no doubt, for those with grandmothers, older aunts or special friends whose age stretches past a certain number. But it's also one that seldom is talked about in Cape Girardeau and surrounding communities. Records from the Cape Girardeau Police Department show that reports of elder abuse in all its guises is rare. For example, the report that Sprenger hit a 98-year-old resident at the Lutheran Home was the first such report of elder abuse made in 2012. In all of last year, there were two, the records show.
Rare reporting doesn't mean that the abuse is rare, said several local advocates for the aging and nursing home administrators. Much of the time, seniors stay silent. It is estimated that for every one case of elder abuse, about five more go unreported.
Viviane Rains, the administrator at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau, has worked in nursing home administration for nearly two decades. She worked with Sprenger, who worked at the veterans home in the past. Rains said labor laws forbid her from commenting about Sprenger's work record there -- or if there were other similar reports in Sprenger's file from her days there.
But Rains said she has made reports of elder abuse to the state as required by law. And every time she hears about even the possibility of such an incident, she said she is taken aback.
"Sometimes I just can't believe how wrong it is," Rains said. "I have dedicated my life, not only to serving veterans, but to serving the elderly. In my field, you take it personally every time. It hits close to home."
Rains is quick to point out that she believes that far and away most of the people who go into senior care are good at their jobs and never would dream of hurting the elderly. But she agrees that if it happens once, that's too much.
Since announcing that Sprenger no longer worked there, the Lutheran Home has declined requests for comment.
Abridged
SOURCE: SeMissourian
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September 11, 2012
Abuse of Elders is a Hidden Social Problem: Kayakattan (INDIA)
Abuse of elders is a hidden social problem: Kayakattan
Karnataka
Mangalore
Abuse of elders is a hidden social problem, Jacob Kayakattan, Director, Centre for Gerontological Studies, and president, Indian Sociological Society, said here on Sunday.
He was speaking on “How to fight elder abuse” at the second day of a conference on “Challenges in delivering primary care to the geriatric population in India” organised by Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore.
There are no numbers to show the extent of the problem, which he called “a crying shame”, because it is known only through participant observation. While abuse of elders takes place across classes, those in the middle and upper classes do not speak of it because it reflects on their children, he said.
Dr. Kayakattan said that while the community has to be sensitised towards the needs of the elderly, the elders also should understand the young of today. “Don’t expect too much from your children, if you do, you will end up getting disappointed,” he said. Falls among the elderly can be prevented, said Anand Ambali, Consultant Physician and geriatrician, Geriatric Clinic, BLDE University B.M. Patil Medical College, speaking on “falls among the elderly”. Some steps, which could be taken at home to ensure the elderly do not fall, are to secure carpet edges, use non-skid floors, stay in well-lighted areas, remove low furniture and objects on the floor, reduce clutter, cords, and wires. Install grab bars and rubber mats in bathrooms, handrails in stairs, and keep the light on in bathrooms through the night, he said.
Age, gender cognitive decline and arthritis, lack of exercise, inappropriate footwear, and presbyopic lens, lead to falls. Other risk factors are diuretics, anticonvulsants and antipsychotics. Fever can also be a cause of falls. Later, in the question-answer session, Dr. Ambali said that elderly patients continued to take sleeping pills (which could lead to falls) despite being asked to stop taking them. Seetharam Rao, professor, Department of Orthopaedics, KMC, Mangalore said, falls can lead to serious injury in elderly persons. The time from injury to discovery is important as it could make the difference between life and death. A fall can lead to bruises, head injury, brain haemorrhage, pneumonia or death. After a fall, the elderly may fear repeated falls, get depressed, and lose confidence, he said.
Speaking on the “Role of assistive devices”, he said devices used by the elderly should be of the right size and design otherwise they could cause a fall, said Dr. Rao.
SOURCE: The Hindu
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Karnataka
Mangalore
Abuse of elders is a hidden social problem, Jacob Kayakattan, Director, Centre for Gerontological Studies, and president, Indian Sociological Society, said here on Sunday.
He was speaking on “How to fight elder abuse” at the second day of a conference on “Challenges in delivering primary care to the geriatric population in India” organised by Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore.
There are no numbers to show the extent of the problem, which he called “a crying shame”, because it is known only through participant observation. While abuse of elders takes place across classes, those in the middle and upper classes do not speak of it because it reflects on their children, he said.
Dr. Kayakattan said that while the community has to be sensitised towards the needs of the elderly, the elders also should understand the young of today. “Don’t expect too much from your children, if you do, you will end up getting disappointed,” he said. Falls among the elderly can be prevented, said Anand Ambali, Consultant Physician and geriatrician, Geriatric Clinic, BLDE University B.M. Patil Medical College, speaking on “falls among the elderly”. Some steps, which could be taken at home to ensure the elderly do not fall, are to secure carpet edges, use non-skid floors, stay in well-lighted areas, remove low furniture and objects on the floor, reduce clutter, cords, and wires. Install grab bars and rubber mats in bathrooms, handrails in stairs, and keep the light on in bathrooms through the night, he said.
Age, gender cognitive decline and arthritis, lack of exercise, inappropriate footwear, and presbyopic lens, lead to falls. Other risk factors are diuretics, anticonvulsants and antipsychotics. Fever can also be a cause of falls. Later, in the question-answer session, Dr. Ambali said that elderly patients continued to take sleeping pills (which could lead to falls) despite being asked to stop taking them. Seetharam Rao, professor, Department of Orthopaedics, KMC, Mangalore said, falls can lead to serious injury in elderly persons. The time from injury to discovery is important as it could make the difference between life and death. A fall can lead to bruises, head injury, brain haemorrhage, pneumonia or death. After a fall, the elderly may fear repeated falls, get depressed, and lose confidence, he said.
Speaking on the “Role of assistive devices”, he said devices used by the elderly should be of the right size and design otherwise they could cause a fall, said Dr. Rao.
SOURCE: The Hindu
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September 8, 2012
Greedy Birmingham Carer Claimed £13,000 Benefits from Dead Mum (UK)
SEPT 6, 2012
A GREEDY Birmingham son netted £13,000 by claiming benefits for his DEAD MUM for more than 18 months.
Sazzadur Rahman, 45, was the named carer for his elderly mother Monwara Khatun and had all her income paid into their joint account.
But when she died at Acocks Green Nursing Home in August 2009 he failed to tell the Department of Works and Pension.
The crooked son then continued to bank and spend her benefits for 18 months, netting £13,000.
But a tip-off sparked an investigation by benefit fraud investigators and Rahman was prosecuted. He was sentenced to a 12 month community order and ordered to undertake 200 hours unpaid work when he was brought before the courts this summer.
The court heard he had claimed Income Support for himself and his wife from July 2008 on the basis he was the principal carer for his mother, had no savings and, apart from Carers Allowance, no other form of income.
Mrs Khatun was receiving Retirement Pension, Pension Credit and Attendance Allowance which was all paid into a joint account she held at Lloyds TSB with her son.
But a DWP investigation started in June 2010 when information was received which indicated Rahman was cashing his deceased mother’s benefits, as well as his own.
During an interview under caution in February 2011, he confirmed that his mother had died on August 3, 2009, and that he had failed to declare this fact to the DWP. His benefits were stopped immediately.
Rahman initially stated that he had used the cash to pay back friends for money borrowed to take his mother’s body to her native Bangladesh.
But he later admitted he had used the £13,000 for his day-to-day living expenses.
He also claimed that he had not informed the DWP of his mother’s death as he had asked a local neighbourhood advice centre to organise the halting of the benefits, as his English was very poor.
Yet when the payments didn’t stop, he took no further action and continued to spend the money.
SOURCE: TheBirminghamMail
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A GREEDY Birmingham son netted £13,000 by claiming benefits for his DEAD MUM for more than 18 months.
Sazzadur Rahman, 45, was the named carer for his elderly mother Monwara Khatun and had all her income paid into their joint account.
But when she died at Acocks Green Nursing Home in August 2009 he failed to tell the Department of Works and Pension.
The crooked son then continued to bank and spend her benefits for 18 months, netting £13,000.
But a tip-off sparked an investigation by benefit fraud investigators and Rahman was prosecuted. He was sentenced to a 12 month community order and ordered to undertake 200 hours unpaid work when he was brought before the courts this summer.
The court heard he had claimed Income Support for himself and his wife from July 2008 on the basis he was the principal carer for his mother, had no savings and, apart from Carers Allowance, no other form of income.
Mrs Khatun was receiving Retirement Pension, Pension Credit and Attendance Allowance which was all paid into a joint account she held at Lloyds TSB with her son.
But a DWP investigation started in June 2010 when information was received which indicated Rahman was cashing his deceased mother’s benefits, as well as his own.
During an interview under caution in February 2011, he confirmed that his mother had died on August 3, 2009, and that he had failed to declare this fact to the DWP. His benefits were stopped immediately.
Rahman initially stated that he had used the cash to pay back friends for money borrowed to take his mother’s body to her native Bangladesh.
But he later admitted he had used the £13,000 for his day-to-day living expenses.
He also claimed that he had not informed the DWP of his mother’s death as he had asked a local neighbourhood advice centre to organise the halting of the benefits, as his English was very poor.
Yet when the payments didn’t stop, he took no further action and continued to spend the money.
SOURCE: TheBirminghamMail
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Group's New Name Emphasizes Elder Abuse Prevention
By The Columbian
September 7, 2012
The Clark County Vulnerable Adult Task Force has changed its name to the Southwest Washington Elder Abuse Prevention Coalition to reflect the group's expansion to four more counties and to clarify its mission.
"The idea is to sweep out elder abuse," said Gail Haskett, board member. "We focused on coming up with an acronym people could remember."
The nonprofit group now represents Clark, Klickitat, Cowlitz, Skamania and Wahkiakum counties.
The group's board will be expanded from seven to 20 members in order to represent the new communities.
The vulnerable adult task force was formed to combat physical, mental and financial abuse of vulnerable adults. It helped to establish the Clark County Elder Justice Center, which identifies and prosecutes cases of elder abuse.
Its mission is focused on prevention, education and support of abuse victims.
The coalition is seeking individual and corporate memberships. The annual membership fee is $25 per year for an individual and $100 for two members of a corporation. Membership is free for government entities.
The group's first event is a workshop on the basics of abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable adults. The workshop will begin at noon Sept. 27 at the Clark County Career Development Center in the Timbers Building, 9120 N.E. Vancouver Mall Loop in Vancouver.
To join, call 360-910-1044 or email nwhc@live.com.
SOURCE: The Columbian, VA. WA.
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September 7, 2012
The Clark County Vulnerable Adult Task Force has changed its name to the Southwest Washington Elder Abuse Prevention Coalition to reflect the group's expansion to four more counties and to clarify its mission.
"The idea is to sweep out elder abuse," said Gail Haskett, board member. "We focused on coming up with an acronym people could remember."
The nonprofit group now represents Clark, Klickitat, Cowlitz, Skamania and Wahkiakum counties.
The group's board will be expanded from seven to 20 members in order to represent the new communities.
The vulnerable adult task force was formed to combat physical, mental and financial abuse of vulnerable adults. It helped to establish the Clark County Elder Justice Center, which identifies and prosecutes cases of elder abuse.
Its mission is focused on prevention, education and support of abuse victims.
The coalition is seeking individual and corporate memberships. The annual membership fee is $25 per year for an individual and $100 for two members of a corporation. Membership is free for government entities.
The group's first event is a workshop on the basics of abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable adults. The workshop will begin at noon Sept. 27 at the Clark County Career Development Center in the Timbers Building, 9120 N.E. Vancouver Mall Loop in Vancouver.
To join, call 360-910-1044 or email nwhc@live.com.
SOURCE: The Columbian, VA. WA.
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Another Mental Health Kidnapping in San Bernardino County
August 29, 2012
By Janet Phelan
Activist Post
A Redlands man has filed a writ of habeas corpus concerning release from confinement ordered under a conservatorship that may not even exist.
When Charles Castle was grabbed off the street by San Bernardino mental health court workers Bob Habel and Wayne Henkelman, almost nobody realized he was missing. Charlie was homeless and while a virtual fixture on the street scene in Redlands, California, he lacked family and social support networks. Some folks, such as Ken Stein with the YMCA, where Charlie went to shower, thought that he was possibly deceased.
Taken
Not deceased, but certainly disappeared, Charlie was taken to Arrowhead Regional Center hospital and held in a mental health unit while powerful parties determined his fate. He reports that he was not present at his mandated court hearing and only found out several months later that he had been placed under a mental health conservatorship.
His conservatorship proceedings were steeped in fraud. Charlie was represented by the same law firm, the law offices of Bryan Hartnell, which also represented the conservator, Melodie Scott. Initially, the Public Guardian was appointed as conservator and Scott quickly petitioned to take over this function.
According to Charlie, his attorney “terrorized” him out of his right to a jury trial. He recalls being told by attorney Ryan Sheehan (who has since left the law firm) that his best recourse was to waive his right to a jury trial. Castle recalls Sheehan saying “It will get real bad for you if you lose the trial. They can put you wherever they want to and you will never get out. Better to go along.”
SOURCE: The ActivistPost
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By Janet Phelan
Activist Post
A Redlands man has filed a writ of habeas corpus concerning release from confinement ordered under a conservatorship that may not even exist.
When Charles Castle was grabbed off the street by San Bernardino mental health court workers Bob Habel and Wayne Henkelman, almost nobody realized he was missing. Charlie was homeless and while a virtual fixture on the street scene in Redlands, California, he lacked family and social support networks. Some folks, such as Ken Stein with the YMCA, where Charlie went to shower, thought that he was possibly deceased.
Taken
Not deceased, but certainly disappeared, Charlie was taken to Arrowhead Regional Center hospital and held in a mental health unit while powerful parties determined his fate. He reports that he was not present at his mandated court hearing and only found out several months later that he had been placed under a mental health conservatorship.
His conservatorship proceedings were steeped in fraud. Charlie was represented by the same law firm, the law offices of Bryan Hartnell, which also represented the conservator, Melodie Scott. Initially, the Public Guardian was appointed as conservator and Scott quickly petitioned to take over this function.
According to Charlie, his attorney “terrorized” him out of his right to a jury trial. He recalls being told by attorney Ryan Sheehan (who has since left the law firm) that his best recourse was to waive his right to a jury trial. Castle recalls Sheehan saying “It will get real bad for you if you lose the trial. They can put you wherever they want to and you will never get out. Better to go along.”
SOURCE: The ActivistPost
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Brazil: Reports of Elderly Abuse Rising
From January to May, 7,253 complaints were received by the Ministry of Justice’s Disque 100 hotline, compared with 2,342 during the same period last year.
By Cristine Pires for Infosurhoy.com
07/09/2012
PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil–
Dona Joana Souza (not her real name) did not want to wait for her family to put her in a shelter. She took it upon herself to find a new place to live, so she’d escape the mistreatment she suffered at the hands of her grandson, a crack addict and alcoholic.
In 2006, at the age of 75, she was taken by her niece to stay at the Padre Cacique Shelter in Porto Alegre.
“My grandson beats me to get money for drugs,” Souza said during her interview for admission into the shelter. “I can’t take it anymore.”
Souza lived with her only son and her grandson. Her son suffered from a lung disease and was unable to control the young man, who would come home in a violent pursuit of money to buy crack.
Souza’s son had respiratory complications and died in 2009. A year later, her grandson succumbed to health problems caused by the highly addictive narcotic.
The crack pandemic plaguing Brazil has directly affected the number of reports of violence against the elderly.
“The situation has gotten worse due to drug use among young people,” says psychologist Fernanda Braga of the Court of Justice for the Federal District and Surrounding Territories (TJDFT). “Drug addiction causes behavioral changes and users become more aggressive.”
In June, the Public Defender’s Office of the Federal District at the Plano Piloto Terminal in Brasília implemented a task force to assist senior citizens who had become victims of violence. In their statements, they reported difficulties distancing themselves from their children and grandchildren who abused drugs.
“They feel a mix of fear and pity. But, above all, they feel responsible because they’re being attacked by the people they raised,” Braga adds.
The situation is made worse by low self-esteem, which leads many senior citizens to keep quiet about the violence, Braga says.
“We need to encourage them to file complaints and seek help,” she says.
Psychological violence accounted for 53% of the cases reported to the Public Defender’s task force. The other leading forms of mistreatment cited by those interviewed were negligence and financial exploitation.
In 2011, the Public Defender handled 336 cases of elderly abuse in the Federal District of Brasília – and 66% of victims were targeted by their children.
“Psychological abuse is the main complaint of those who come to Padre Cacique,” says social worker Cristina Pozzer, the shelter’s technical director. “They feel like they’re invisible to the family.”
One hundred fifty senior citizens live at Padre Cacique Shelter in Porto Alegre, capital city of Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state. Many were abused and sent over by the Public Ministry or the Police Department’s Senior Citizens Unit. (Carlos Edler for Infosurhoy.com)
One hundred fifty senior citizens live at Padre Cacique. Many were abused and sent over by the Public Ministry or the Police Department’s Senior Citizens Unit.
Most of the reported cases of abuse occurred in the home (84%), and victims’ children are the main offenders (54%), according to the Rio Grande do Sul State Council for the Elderly.
“More data is needed to research elder abuse,” says Paulo Regina de Oliveira Ribeiro, a public defender who specializes in gerontology and elderly health and serves as the coordinator of the Federal District Public Defender’s Elder Defense Center.
Still, Disque 100 (Dial 100), a complaint hotline created by the federal government, reflects the seriousness of the problem: There were 7,253 complaints of elderly abuse from January to May 2012, compared with 2,342 during the same period last year.
But the Ministry of Justice says the increase does not mean that elderly abuse is on the rise – it’s the result of more people reporting cases of abuse.
The cases most commonly reported to Disque 100 include negligence, psychological and physical abuse, as well as financial exploitation.
How to report elderly abuse
Disque 100 hotline
How to find treatment for drug addicts
Narcotics Anonymous
Disque Saúde 136 hotline
Abridged
SOURCE: INFOSURHOY
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September 5, 2012
Swansea Lib Dem Councillor Jailed for Attacking 87-Year-Old Mother (WALES)
(Published on 6 August, 2012)
A Liberal Democrat community councillor has been jailed for four months for punching his 87-year-old mother.
Swansea magistrates heard Simon Arthur, 44, had treated his mother Isabelle Arthur, "like a dog" for years.
He admitted assaulting pensioner Mrs Arthur, who uses a walking stick, in the driveway of their home in Newton near Mumbles.
After the case Swansea Lib Dems said he had been suspended and steps taken to permanently expel him from the party.
Prosecutor Sharon Anderson told the court Mrs Arthur had been out for the day, but she was too scared to return home, choosing to wait in a car park.
"She regularly went to the car park to avoid going home and had even slept there overnight previously," she said.
“He has a nasty temper and has got more controlling since my husband died 22 years ago” Isabelle Arthur .
"Around 8pm she did go home and parked in the driveway but her son had locked all the doors to their home.
"At around 11.30pm he came out of the house and began the attack," Ms Anderson added.
In a statement Mrs Arthur said her son had come over to the driver's side door and grabbed her hair and tried to pull her out of the car.
"It was like he was possessed," she said.
'Nasty temper'
During the attack he had shouted "You'll burn, you'll suffer in the after life", she added.
When police arrived Arthur opened a drawer in the kitchen and grabbed a knife.
He lunged at Pc Greg Bowen who managed to dodge the blade before disarming the councillor, who was a Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate in the 2010 general election.
Mrs Arthur said her son had never had a proper job and relied on her for financial support
Abridged
SOURCE: BBC,UK
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September 4, 2012
Aged Care: Carer Fears Wife Will be Forced to Move into a Nursing Home (IRELAND)
Carer fears wife will be forced to move into a nursing home
By Breda Heffernan
September 01 2012
A MAN caring for his sick wife fears she may have to be moved to a nursing home if their help hours are cut.
Mattie Sheridan (66) has been caring for his wife, Bridget (65), since she was diagnosed with dementia in 2006. She also suffered a stroke last week.
Mr Sheridan's own health is poor, and he has been diagnosed with heart problems.
The couple get only three hours of home help a week from the HSE and depend on regular assistance from the Carers Association and the Alzheimer Society of Ireland to get by at their home in Waterford city.
Mr Sheridan said: "I get my wife out of bed in the morning and the carer comes in to help her get washed and dressed.
Consequences
"It's an hour-and-a-half in the mornings and a couple of hours in the evening, two evenings a week and three afternoons."
Mr Sheridan said he struggles with what help they receive, and fears the consequences of losing it under the Government's plan to slash home help provision by 600,000 hours.
"I wouldn't be able to look after my wife," he said.
"I'd love to be able to help her and keep her at home, but they're going to cut us back and give more money to the bank bondholders."
He said cutting home help was a false economy and would cost the State more in the long run.
"If they put my wife into a home, it's going to cost the Government €1,200 to €1,400 a week," he said.
"I worked as a volunteer in the community for years and now they're cutting us down.
"I'm just trying to do the best I can for my wife."
SOURCE: The Independent
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By Breda Heffernan
September 01 2012
A MAN caring for his sick wife fears she may have to be moved to a nursing home if their help hours are cut.
Mattie Sheridan (66) has been caring for his wife, Bridget (65), since she was diagnosed with dementia in 2006. She also suffered a stroke last week.
Mr Sheridan's own health is poor, and he has been diagnosed with heart problems.
The couple get only three hours of home help a week from the HSE and depend on regular assistance from the Carers Association and the Alzheimer Society of Ireland to get by at their home in Waterford city.
Mr Sheridan said: "I get my wife out of bed in the morning and the carer comes in to help her get washed and dressed.
Consequences
"It's an hour-and-a-half in the mornings and a couple of hours in the evening, two evenings a week and three afternoons."
Mr Sheridan said he struggles with what help they receive, and fears the consequences of losing it under the Government's plan to slash home help provision by 600,000 hours.
"I wouldn't be able to look after my wife," he said.
"I'd love to be able to help her and keep her at home, but they're going to cut us back and give more money to the bank bondholders."
He said cutting home help was a false economy and would cost the State more in the long run.
"If they put my wife into a home, it's going to cost the Government €1,200 to €1,400 a week," he said.
"I worked as a volunteer in the community for years and now they're cutting us down.
"I'm just trying to do the best I can for my wife."
SOURCE: The Independent
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Senior Carer in Nursing Home Found Guilty of Drugging Dementia Patients (UK)
"Her priority seemed to be to get some sleep": Carer drugged dementia patients so she could kip
She would put two chairs together and doze off after giving residents pills from her pocket with their orange juice
1 September 2012
By Vicki Smith
A senior carer at a nursing home has been found guilty of drugging dementia patients so she could get a night’s sleep.
Mirela Aionoaei, 37, would put two chairs together and doze off after giving residents pills from her pocket with their orange juice.
She was caught after suspicious colleagues noticed patients becoming drowsy and unsteady on their feet when she was on duty.
They would have to be taken to their beds by wheelchair.
Prosecutor Guy Dilliway-Parry told Harrow crown court her victims “all suffered from mental health conditions that left them vulnerable and unaware of their surroundings.
They could do very little for themselves.
“Some would walk around at night and needed hourly checks, but Aionoaei would put two chairs together and go to sleep, even if the residents were walking around.
“Her priority seemed to be to get some sleep herself.”
Aionoaei, who worked at Ashwood Care Centre in Hayes, West London, was convicted of sedating six elderly residents with anti-insomnia, anti-depressant and anti-psychotic pills between July and December 2010.
She denied the charges but hair samples taken from ¬residents revealed that six of them – four women and two men – had been given ¬sedatives.
Aionoaei, of Hayes, will be sentenced on September 27.
SOURCE: The Mirror, UK
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She would put two chairs together and doze off after giving residents pills from her pocket with their orange juice
1 September 2012
By Vicki Smith
A senior carer at a nursing home has been found guilty of drugging dementia patients so she could get a night’s sleep.
Mirela Aionoaei, 37, would put two chairs together and doze off after giving residents pills from her pocket with their orange juice.
She was caught after suspicious colleagues noticed patients becoming drowsy and unsteady on their feet when she was on duty.
They would have to be taken to their beds by wheelchair.
Prosecutor Guy Dilliway-Parry told Harrow crown court her victims “all suffered from mental health conditions that left them vulnerable and unaware of their surroundings.
They could do very little for themselves.
“Some would walk around at night and needed hourly checks, but Aionoaei would put two chairs together and go to sleep, even if the residents were walking around.
“Her priority seemed to be to get some sleep herself.”
Aionoaei, who worked at Ashwood Care Centre in Hayes, West London, was convicted of sedating six elderly residents with anti-insomnia, anti-depressant and anti-psychotic pills between July and December 2010.
She denied the charges but hair samples taken from ¬residents revealed that six of them – four women and two men – had been given ¬sedatives.
Aionoaei, of Hayes, will be sentenced on September 27.
SOURCE: The Mirror, UK
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Tasmanian Elder Abuse Prevention Helpline Launched (TAS. AUSTRALIA)
27 August 2012
By Cassy O'Connor
Minister for Human Services
The Minister for Human Services, Cassy O'Connor, today launched the Tasmanian Elder Abuse Helpline to help protect the rights and dignity of some of Tasmania's most vulnerable citizens.
Ms O'Connor said the helpline would provide Tasmanians with confidential advice and information on dealing with and preventing elder abuse.
"The helpline is key to the Government's Elder Abuse Prevention Strategy and will help older people, and their family and friends make informed decisions about suspected elder abuse," Ms O'Connor said.
"I encourage anyone concerned about a suspected elder abuse situation to contact the helpline for advice."
It is estimated up to 4200 older Tasmanians suffer physical, emotional verbal or financial abuse at the hands of someone close to them.
The helpline is run by Advocacy Tasmania and operates 9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.
The State Government has given Advocacy Tasmania $120,000 to operate the service for 12 months.
Advocacy Tasmania CEO Ken Hardaker said he believed with Tasmania's ageing population that elder abuse was on the rise.
"Advocacy Tasmania is therefore very pleased to be playing an important role in the Tasmanian strategy to address this growing social problem, which affects many of our older citizens," Mr Hardaker said.
Elder abuse can take many forms, and includes the misuse of older people's funds, physical abuse and emotional deprivation or manipulation.
Ms O'Connor said elder abuse was usually carried out by someone close to the older person such as family and friends who they trust.
"Whatever form it takes, elder abuse is simply unacceptable and we need to work together as a community to combat it."
The Tasmanian Government will also fund an Elder Abuse Community Awareness Campaign to run in conjunction with the Helpline.
The Secretary of DHHS has released to all agency staff the Policy Guidelines on responding to suspected Elder Abuse, and staff are required to comply with this policy, its principles and procedures.
The Attorney-General, Mr Wightman, is preparing amendments to the Powers of Attorney Act 2000-, and the Guardianship and Administration Act 1995 to strengthen the protection for older Tasmanians.
There will also commence later this year, a state-wide service provider training on Elder Abuse for all government and non-government services providers that work with older people
Ms O'Connor said the helpline will collect data on elder abuse in Tasmania to inform the Government's ongoing elder abuse prevention efforts.
For further information on the Government's Elder Abuse Prevention Strategy, visit www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/elderabuse.
Contact the Tasmanian Elder Abuse Helpline on 1800 441 169.
SOURCE: Website of Premier of Tasmania
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By Cassy O'Connor
Minister for Human Services
The Minister for Human Services, Cassy O'Connor, today launched the Tasmanian Elder Abuse Helpline to help protect the rights and dignity of some of Tasmania's most vulnerable citizens.
Ms O'Connor said the helpline would provide Tasmanians with confidential advice and information on dealing with and preventing elder abuse.
"The helpline is key to the Government's Elder Abuse Prevention Strategy and will help older people, and their family and friends make informed decisions about suspected elder abuse," Ms O'Connor said.
"I encourage anyone concerned about a suspected elder abuse situation to contact the helpline for advice."
It is estimated up to 4200 older Tasmanians suffer physical, emotional verbal or financial abuse at the hands of someone close to them.
The helpline is run by Advocacy Tasmania and operates 9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.
The State Government has given Advocacy Tasmania $120,000 to operate the service for 12 months.
Advocacy Tasmania CEO Ken Hardaker said he believed with Tasmania's ageing population that elder abuse was on the rise.
"Advocacy Tasmania is therefore very pleased to be playing an important role in the Tasmanian strategy to address this growing social problem, which affects many of our older citizens," Mr Hardaker said.
Elder abuse can take many forms, and includes the misuse of older people's funds, physical abuse and emotional deprivation or manipulation.
Ms O'Connor said elder abuse was usually carried out by someone close to the older person such as family and friends who they trust.
"Whatever form it takes, elder abuse is simply unacceptable and we need to work together as a community to combat it."
The Tasmanian Government will also fund an Elder Abuse Community Awareness Campaign to run in conjunction with the Helpline.
The Secretary of DHHS has released to all agency staff the Policy Guidelines on responding to suspected Elder Abuse, and staff are required to comply with this policy, its principles and procedures.
The Attorney-General, Mr Wightman, is preparing amendments to the Powers of Attorney Act 2000-, and the Guardianship and Administration Act 1995 to strengthen the protection for older Tasmanians.
There will also commence later this year, a state-wide service provider training on Elder Abuse for all government and non-government services providers that work with older people
Ms O'Connor said the helpline will collect data on elder abuse in Tasmania to inform the Government's ongoing elder abuse prevention efforts.
For further information on the Government's Elder Abuse Prevention Strategy, visit www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/elderabuse.
Contact the Tasmanian Elder Abuse Helpline on 1800 441 169.
SOURCE: Website of Premier of Tasmania
_____________________________________
Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search LABELS for More Resources
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