Seniors Learn How to Prevent Financial Abuse (CANADA)

By  Rick Drennan
Feb 04, 2014

MISSISSAUGA

Seniors are vulnerable to abuse at many levels, including financial.
That's why the Peel Elder Abuse Prevention Network (PEAPN), in partnership with the Canadian Association of Retiring Persons (CARP), is hosting a conference for older adults called Money $mart$ For Seniors.

The daylong event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 4 at the Mississauga Convention Centre (75 Derry Road W.).

Guest speakers include Peel Regional Police Chief Jennifer Evans and barrister and solicitor Judith Wahl, who is also executive director of Advocacy Centre for the Elderly (ACE).
The conference provides older adults with information, resources and tools to protect and grow their nest egg. It will also bring attention to common scams that target seniors living in Mississauga and Brampton, and provide residents with strategies and tips to protect them from becoming victims.
One of the most common forms of elder abuse is financial. The daylong expo hopes to highlight how seniors can protect their assets and not fall victim to mistreatment, often at the hands of a loved one or caregiver.

Several workshops will be offered on topics including wills and estate planning, understanding powers of attorney, wealth management strategies, tax planning tips, understanding housing options as you age, and downsizing your home and preparing to sell.
There will be 40+ exhibitors from the financial services industry, government, police, non-profit organizations and businesses that provide a wide variety of services to older adults.
The event is sponsored by RBC, SunLife Financial, the Investor’s Group and Right at Home Realty. All funds raised will help support PEAPN’s Safe Housing Program for abused seniors in crisis. It will be launched later in 2014.
PEAPN’s third Public Service Announcement called “Scams Wow 3”, which brings attention to common Internet scams, will also be launched on this day. It has been produced in partnership with Peel Regional Police with the support of Peel Crime Stoppers.
More than 300 seniors are expected at the expo, whichis funded by the federal government’s New Horizons for Seniors Program.

The Expo is free for older adults 55+, and lunch can be purchased online for $10 at www.peapn.ca, or at the door for $15.
PEAPN is a collaborative of 50+ community agencies that are working together to stop and prevent the abuse of seniors in our communities.

For more information, go to www.peapn.ca

SOURCE:      MISSISSAUGA
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Know the Signs of Senior Abuse

By Matilda Charles
February 5, 2014

Sometimes it takes watchful eyes to keep seniors safe. Whether it’s physical, emotional or financial abuse, or any other kind, those who come in contact with seniors can look for signs that all is not well.
In banking, if you spot a senior who seems distressed and who repeatedly takes large sums of money out of an account (or changes his or her routine), that senior might be a victim of abuse or a scam. (Seniors, don’t use the drive-up teller window. Go inside so staff can get to know you. Sign a new signature card every six months so your handwriting sample is current.)
If you spot personality changes in a senior, the cause might be physical — or it might be a result of abuse. Ask what’s going on. If a senior who used to dress immaculately is now wearing the same clothes for days in a row, ask. If a senior is no longer as sociable or doesn’t participate in previous activities, ask. If you spot bruises or injury, ask.
In a caregiver or hospital situation, you might see lack of care or physical abuse. A neighbor who has had relatives move in might suddenly change his or her routines. At home, the senior might be denied food or medicine or mail.
If you want more information to help seniors, go online to the National Center on Elder Abuse (www.ncea.aoa.gov) or call 1-855-500-3537. Learn about the signs of abuse and what you can do when you suspect it’s taking place. Check eldercare.gov, or call 1-800-677-1116. You’ll find information on getting help for housing, in-home services, long-term care, nutrition ... and abuse.
Seniors, if you think you’re being abused in any way, call the police. You don’t have to put up with abusive treatment.

SOURCE:      The Seminole Voice
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Survey: Half of Delhi's Elderly Would 'Sue Their Children' If They Faced Abuse (INDIA)

By HEENA KAUSAR
24 January 2014

Fifty per cent of the Delhi's senior citizens are willing to take their children to courts if they face abuse at their hands, according to a recent DU study.
A majority of them, however, maintained that they will prefer to sort out the issues within the family.
Conducted by Professor NK Chadha and Assistant Professor Sarabjit Kaur Sran, the study revealed 86 per cent of the surveyed people found it difficult to approach the police and courts due to their "insensitive nature".
A mere 30 per cent were aware about the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act and its benefits.
While 90 per cent of the respondents said they have come across an elder abuse case, none of them have ever come across anyone who benefitted from the Act.
According to the study, the Act was seen an attack on the traditional Indian family system by 96.67 per cent of the citizens.
As per the Act, tribunals are empowered to fix a monthly maintenance allowance up to Rs 10,000.
Failures can lead to a fine up to Rs 5,000, or threemonth jail, or both.
"As many as 75 per cent of the surveyed people said the reasons for children not taking care of their parent are change in the social fabric, influence of western culture and increase in individualistic approach towards life," Chadha said.
One of the reasons why cases of abuse go unreported is because parents do not want to go against their children.
"Ninety eight per cent of the elderly who face abuse do not file any complaints against their perpetrators as they are not aware of their rights or are unable to communicate their plight due to their poor physical condition," he said.

 A total of 300 respondents had participated in the survey.
Three age groups – (60- 80 years), (30-45 years) and (18-22 years) – consisting of 100 respondents each participated in the exercise

SOURCE:       The Daily Mail, UK
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Elder Fraud: One Woman's Story, A Nationwide Epidemic (USA)

January 27, 2014
By:Lizz Schumer 

CHICAGO — Rosalind “Joy” Walker died without her daughter or grandchildren by her side. The Alzheimer’s patient had been a victim of elder fraud, in which the woman’s attorney, Janet Colton, next-door neighbor Joanne Turner and Betty Miller, a supermarket clerk, had conspired to obtain power of attorney and guardianship of the elderly woman, estranging her from her daughter, Glynnis Walker.

After learning about fraud against the older, more vulnerable segment of the population and the legal system, through her own personal experience, Walker wrote “Stealing Joy: A True Story of Elder Abuse and Fraud” to illuminate the risk and ruin of what she said has become a national epidemic.

“These seemingly everyday people were the ones who targeted my family. During their association with my mother, they abused her – psychologically, emotionally and financially, isolated her from her family, defrauded her, changed her will, stole her identity and mine,” Walker said. “In the end, they arranged for her death.”

The Older Americans Act of 2006 calls elder abuse “exploitation,” and defines it as “the fraudulent or otherwise illegal, unauthorized or improper act or process of an individual, including a caregiver or fiduciary, who uses the resources of an older individual [generally accepted as anyone over 60] for monetary or personal benefit, profit or gain or that results in depriving an older individual of rightful access to or use of, benefits, resources, belongings or assets.”

In 2011, the last recorded statistic, victims of elder fraud lost more than $2.9 billion in the United States alone. This was an increase of 12 percent over 2008. In spite of the frequency of the crime, with one in 20 older adult’s indicating that they have been victims of financial abuse in the recent past, only one in 44 cases of elder financial abuse is ever reported.

“It’s like years ago, when child abuse was a topic no one talked about,” Walker explained. “It’s not like it wasn’t happening; it just wasn’t being talked about. Elder abuse is like that, now. When people are older, they often don’t have a family or are far away from that family. They’re vulnerable, just like little kids, and we have to fight for all of them.”

Springville Concord Elder Network-SCENe:
For more information about the Springville Concord Elder Network contact: SCENe at 592-7599 or Ginny Krebs at 592-9885.

Abridged

SOURCE:     The Springville Journal
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Elderly In villages suffer More Abuse (INDIA)

Elderly in villages suffer more abuse
Swati Shinde Gole, TNN
Jan 20, 2014

PUNE: Abuse is one of the most common problems faced by the elderly (60+ years) in the state, says a study done by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and the United Nations Population Fund.
The survey, conducted on a sample of 1,435 elderly men and women above 60 years of age, concluded that the number is higher in rural areas when compared with cities and towns. The elderly were subjected to different kinds of abuse including physical, verbal, economic, disrespect and neglect.
A similar study was conducted by the two groups in six other states namely Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Odisha and West Bengal.
The study was conducted in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Odisha and West Bengal, which are the most populated states for elderly in the country. While the reports of Punjab and Kerala were released in December, the Maharashtra report was released on January 16 in Mumbai at TISS.
One of the findings of the report that worried most experts was that the prevalence of elderly abuse in Maharashtra is triple that of pooled estimate of the elderly surveyed in the six other states.
The report also suggests that the prevalence of abuse was relatively higher among older elderly (80+) and those with low education and poor economic status.
S Siva Raju, dean of School of Development Studies, TISS, who was part of the study, said, "Sensitization of families and persons from other age groups (in schools/colleges) in order to prevent discrimination and abuse of the elderly is necessary. There is also a need to encourage the identification of elderly found to be facing abuse and plan interventions to handle such situations."
The study aims to give an outline of socio-economic and health status of the elderly in the state. It also provides an idea about the extent of their interaction and their status within the family and the society. The collaborating institutes would be using this evidence-based knowledge to work with elderly in the seven states.
Frederika Meijer, country representative of UNFPA said, "The statistics on elder abuse are worrisome for the state. An immediate solution could be to make sure the youth are educated about respecting the elders and that a constant contact between the youth and the elderly is created through events."
While verbal abuse was the most common, the perpetrators were either family members or outsiders. Women were more likely to face abuse meted out by the family and face more disrespect and neglect from outsiders.
G Giridhar, another UNFPA representative and a member of the study team, said, "The situation of elderly in India is so bad that living longer is adding to more problems. If youngsters are at a risk of dying, the older are at a risk of living. In order to eradicate abuse of the elderly, there is a need to create positive image of elderly through active involvement of political leaders, NGOs, community events and bringing generations together."
Sujaya Krishnan, joint secretary of the Union Ministry of Health Family Welfare, who was present during the release of the report, said, "Special attention would be given to issues of women that have been highlighted in this report. The issues that have been raised of the elderly will also be looked into and appropriate steps would be taken to aid this vulnerable population."

SOURCE:    Times of India

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Doormen On Front Lines Fighting Elder Abuse (NY, USA)

22 January, 2014

Video

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The Elderly Are At Risk of Being Financially Abused - By Their Children

By Philomena Horsley
2 December, 2013

Australians are living longer and living richer than at any time. While some older people are enjoying their wealth - travelling the world, their luggage broadcasting that they are ''spending their children's inheritance'' - others live in aged care facilities, with their children keeping their eyes peeled on the ''Bank of Mum and Dad''.
As economic conditions worsen, this second group is at greater risk than ever of being financially abused. And research has found that adult children, particularly sons, are the most common perpetrators.
State Trustees Victoria has recorded a spike in the numbers of older Victorians who are financially abused as well as the amount of money involved. A research paper it commissioned, management of older Victorians' found that women over the age of 80 are most at risk of financial elder abuse, often by someone in a position of trust - their children.
Children with ''early inheritance syndrome'' feel a sense of entitlement to their parents' assets. They are not prepared to wait until their parents die. These impatient children seek ways for their parents to ''gift'' them money, or interfere in the management of their parents' assets to protect what they see as their entitlement.
Financial elder abuse involves taking or misusing an older person's money, property or assets. It also includes persuading an older person to change their will through deception or undue influence.
Financial elder abuse may begin with the best intentions - with an elderly parent asking a child to act as their power of attorney and thereby manage their finances. This can quickly progress to a sense of entitlement, particularly when adult children have mortgages or debts. They often justify their actions by saying: ''Mum doesn't need money now, and it's going to be mine anyway.''
Studies confirm that financial abuse is the most common, and fastest-growing, type of abuse of older people. The most vulnerable include those with diminished capacity due to dementia and depression, and older people who rely on others to manage their finances. However, there is little reliable data on its extent. It is often a silent crime - unreported, unacknowledged.
Earlier this year the banking industry tried to raise awareness of financial elder abuse by announcing initiatives to help prevent this silent crime. But like all silent crimes perpetrated mostly on women - domestic violence, sexual assault, bullying - financial abuse will be difficult to police.
Children with early inheritance syndrome often make ageist and sexist assumptions that devalue the rights of their elderly parents. A common one is that older people, particularly women who have not been the family's breadwinner, find discussions about financial issues complex and stressful. Not only is this patronising but also it disempowers older women. Another is that having a large amount of money does not improve an older person's quality of life. Most of us take comfort in the security of having savings. Why would older people be any different? The generation that experienced the Depression may take even more comfort from having a safety net than their children.
The third assumption is that a parent is no worse off after gifting money to their children. This is absurd. The less money they have, the less able they are to make decisions about how their money is spent.
Reducing an older person's income also reduces fees at an aged care facility - helpful for beneficiaries, but older people may appreciate the care they receive from staff at the facility. They may feel an aged care facility that provides daily care deserves their money more than children who visit infrequently with flowers and chocolates.
The final assumption is that an older person's current will is their final one. Most people change their wills throughout their lives as circumstances change. Why would older people be different? After spending several years in an aged care facility, parents may change their mind about who should receive their money. They may once have wanted their assets shared equally among their children. But later in life, when their children are financially secure, some older people may prefer to give money to Doctors without Borders, The Lost Dogs Home, or even a kind nurse at the aged care facility. This is surely their decision, not their children's.
As the vulnerability of older people increases, their dependence on family members also increases. Often they do not want to say ''No" to their children's requests for money or asset transfers for fear of upsetting these relationships. Sadly, at a time when they most need their children's love and support, the love of money can trump a person's love for mum or dad.
Dr Philomena Horsley is a research associate at Research Matters in Melbourne.

SOURCE:     The AGE

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Age-Friendly Seniors Project Gets Funding Boost

BY TERRENCE MCEACHERN
LEADER-POST
NOVEMBER 30, 2013

As our population continues to get older, so too is the desire to get elderly people more active in the community and raise awareness about elder abuse and ageism.
"As they age and no longer go to work, people sometimes get the impression that their best-before date has passed, and we don't need to pay any attention to them or include them in things that are happening in the community," said Kerrie Strathy, division head at the University of Regina's Lifelong Learning Centre. "But in an age-friendly community, there will be opportunities for older adults to remain active through social and recreational programs (and) volunteer activities," she added.
"This initiative is based on the knowledge that older adults in Regina have a wide range of skills and abilities to offer their community."
On Friday, the centre's Age-Friendly Community Project received $24,750 in funding from Richmond MP Alice Wong, minister of state for seniors.
By having elderly people engaged in the community through social and volunteer activities, the goal is to help improve their health and well-being and deal with issues such as isolation and lack of opportunities. As well, the project aims to raise awareness about elderly abuse and try to eliminate ageism by bringing young adults and elderly people together.
"We're hoping that by younger people working together with older people they can eliminate the myths of ageism from both ends and everyone will be in a stronger position in the community," said Wong.
The one-year project ends in April. Moving forward, Strathy said she would like to funding continue and issues such as better sidewalks and housing available for seniors be addressed.
"I think (Regina) City Council has heard some of these issues before, but to make sure that they really do come across clearly. So, when the city is planning what it is going to do, both in terms of infrastructure repair but also looking at new (construction), that it takes into consideration things that will make it easy for people to get around," she said.

SOURCE:        The Leader Post
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Organization Wants To Stamp Out Elder Abuse

Cherokee Triad - S.A.L.T. will hold an information session on elder abuse on Thursday in Woodstock.
 by Kristal Dixon (Editor)
November 18, 2013
An organization dedicated to advocating for Cherokee County's senior citizens will touch on an issue that's often overlooked by the public.

Cherokee Triad - S.A.L.T. will hold an information session and discussion on elder abuse at 1 p.m. Thursday at the William G. Long Senior Center in Woodstock.

Alice Irving, a member of the organization's board, said a representative from the Canton Police Department will speak on the topic. The event is designed to target not only senior citizens, but also adults children of seniors.

The session will go over the warning signs of elder abuse, which can encompass emotional, physical or financial abuse, and discuss what can be done to stop the abuse.
"Most people don't realize this occurs," she said of elder abuse. "We hear a lot about child abuse, but often elderly abuse is something that's swept underneath the rug."
The event is free and open to the public.
Cherokee Triad - S.A.L.T., or Seniors and Law Enforcement Together, is a collaborative effort among local public safety agencies and other organizations that work to educate and inform older residents about resources that can help them live a better quality of life.

SOURCE:      The Woodstock Patch
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Hebrew Home At Riverdale Celebrates Advocacy Award

November 18, 2013
By Daniel Reingold

The Hebrew Home at Riverdale received the 2013 Outstanding Advocacy Award from LeadingAge at its national conference in Dallas last month. I had the honor of accepting the award on behalf of the organization. This award, which recognizes our leadership role in the field of elder abuse prevention for the past decade, meant a lot to us.
The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention at the Hebrew Home is dedicated to helping elder abuse victims in many ways, from providing emergency shelter to educating the community to advocating on Capitol Hill and on the state and local levels.  We are facing a national epidemic – and it will only increase as the Baby Boomer population ages.  We must take action and never stop advocating for those who cannot.
The Hebrew Home at Riverdale successfully advocated both the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the New York State Department of Health to expand and alter their policies to prioritize senior housing applicants who are victims of elder abuse. As a result of this unwavering advocacy, we secured state funding to open The Terrace, an assisted living program on our Riverdale campus. Today, we offer long-term housing for elder abuse victims in a comfortable, home-like environment that provides healthcare, social opportunity and a safe place to call home. For some, this safety is a first in their lives.
On the federal level, the Hebrew Home advocated for HUD to permit elder abuse victims to have priority admission to our federally subsidized  low-income 202 apartment building, Hudson House. Hudson House provides apartments with amenities – close proximity to shops, nicely decorated living space and a built-in social system.
While attending the Dallas conference, I sat in the auditorium, watching the photo montage and video before accepting this award.  Each image provided a glimpse into our work and the people in our care. The photo of a woman getting her blood pressure checked. The video of another woman surrounded by the smiling and reassuring faces of our staff. Photos of elected officials visiting the Hebrew Home and learning of our mission. All of these images were gratifying and inspirational. Every day, the Hebrew Home, and the staff of the Weinberg Center, advocates.  We speak up. We take action. Ultimately, we make a difference.
I am so proud of our accomplishments, but the fight is far from over.  Our greatest hope with the receipt of this award is that long term care organizations throughout our nation will replicate our successful shelter model so that together, we can help end elder abuse.  Older Americans deserve our collective commitment.

(Daniel Reingold is the president and CEO at Hebrew Home at Riverdale.)

SOURCE:      McKnights
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