Elder Abuse in Nursing Home: Bullying Nurse Walks Free (UK)

Bullying nurse walks free after terrorising OAPS in her care
By Simon Wright And Martyn Halle
6/07/2008

A care home nurse who subjected defenceless pensioners to a horrifying reign of terror has escaped jail despite a string of sadistic attacks.

Nina Strange, 48, dipped a toothbrush into bathwater which 72-year-old dementia sufferer Doreen Walsh had accidentally soiled - then used it to wash her mouth.
Strange also hit an 88-year-old wheelchair-bound woman on the the head, twice hit an 81-year-old man on the head and pulled an 81-year-old woman's hair.

Widow Doreen - victim of her most shocking abuse - died of a heart attack eight weeks after being admitted to Rutland Manor Care Home, Ilkeston, Derbys.
The incidents only came to light when a trainee bravely blew the whistle, despite Strange's threats.

Strange was last week convicted at Derby Crown Court of five counts of ill-treatment and given a three-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 200 hours' community service. Judge Andrew Hamilton described her as a "vile and unpleasant person" and said her victims were "defenceless people" whose families had trusted her with their care.

The home has been investigated three times in three years over the alleged mistreatment of residents, most of whom have Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia.
In 2004 nurse Dudu Bhembe failed to properly examine a resident who had fallen and injured his leg.
In 2006 nurse Pascale Scott was accused of causing bodily harm to resident Margaret Palmer. The case was halted because of lack of evidence. The court was then told Scott had been struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council for abusing patients at a home in Cornwall. Rutland Manor's operations director Edward Munslow said: "We are very disappointed Strange was not jailed. But we hope the judgement sends out the signal that behaviour like this will not be tolerated." The Commission for Social Care, which inspects care homes, said: "We have been working with management to ensure better screening."

Last year pressure group Action Against Elder Abuse found in a study covering nine local councils that 600 reports of possible abuse had been made. Just three cases went to police and no prosecutions were brought.

The charity's deputy chief executive Gary Martin said: "It is incredibly difficult to get cases to court. Children are more believed than older people. The actions of Nina Strange were horrendous."

There is no register of care-home workers, so they cannot be struck off or stopped from getting a job at a different home if they are sacked.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE
Action Against Elder Abuse wants:

• A national register for staff, who will be struck off if they commit abuse.
• A code of practice on recruitment and checks.
• Training for care home workers.
• Specialist police to investigate allegations.
• A campaign encouraging staff to report abuse.

Abridged
SOURCE: Sunday Mirror UK
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Elder Abuse Cases Difficult to Prosecute (Ky. USA)

Prosecutors: Elder Abuse Cases Difficult

Web produced by: Jessica Noll

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) – Police and prosecutors say elder abuse cases are among the most difficult they handle.

"When you talk about elder abuse, people say, This is terrible. We need to protect the elderly," said Tim Kaltenbach, McCracken County commonwealth's attorney. "When you get into the cases, you see why things happen the way they do. Even though they're horrible, it's not quite as simple as the term implies."

Perhaps the biggest problem handling these cases is that most of them involve family members. Kaltenbach said the cases resemble domestic abuse, in that victims often refuse to testify against a loved one, or do so only to later recant their testimony. The victims often cannot communicate, have diminished mental capacity or die.

The problem is growing.

Allison Martin, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Attorney General's office, said the state prosecuted about 10 cases last year. So far this year, more than 30 have been tried.

Financial exploitation is much more common, investigators say, but often more difficult to prosecute.

"It's complicated because when you have someone in a caretaker role and there's a guardianship, they're the one spending the money," said George Johnson, a Paducah police detective sergeant. He said bank records can show patterns of behavior, but it's difficult to prove any wrongdoing. "Maybe they need cash every day, but where does it go?
Kaltenbach said those familial bonds can dismantle a case.

"An elderly person enthusiastic about prosecuting a stranger is reluctant and oftentimes unwilling to prosecute a family member," he said. "They'll say, He's my grandson, I love him,' when it all comes down to going to court."

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SOURCE: Kentucky Post
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Elder Abuse: Seniors Need More Protection (UK)

Old people need more protection
6/07/2008 Sunday Mirror UK

The elderly can be as vulnerable as children. Yet, while a battery of laws and regulations controls who can work with youngsters, there is virtually no protection for senior citizens.
Today the Sunday Mirror reports on one shocking consequence - the appalling abuse meted out by Nina Strange to the inmates of the care home she ran in Derbyshire.

One elderly woman had her teeth forcefully brushed using the bath water she had dirtied because she was incontinent.

Others were hit by Strange, who violently pulled the hair of another woman. All the victims were in their 80s and defenceless.

Such behaviour is scandalous. Yet as Gary Martin of the charity Action Against Elder Abuse says: "There are laws to prevent cruelty to children and animals but nothing for the elderly." It is shameful that no protection is given to people in their twilight years. They are entitled to a little comfort and peace of mind after a lifetime of struggle, not to be exposed to the brutality of someone like Strange.

As it is, we only learnt about her because a trainee carer was so appalled by her behaviour that she went to the police.

Even so, this monster got away with a suspended sentence and some community work.
Action Against Elder Abuse is campaigning for laws to protect the elderly. These include a national register for care home staff, a code of practice and better training.
The Sunday Mirror not only supports these demands but we find it incredible that they have to be asked for.

Don't the politicians who run this country care about how the elderly are treated? There must be laws to prevent brutes like Nina Strange ever being allowed near vulnerable older people.

SOURCE: SundayMirror UK
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Elder Abuse: Elderly Encouraged to Use Hotline (South Africa)

Abusers, we’ve got your number
By MBONGISENI MASEKO
03/07/2008 12:03 PM - (SA)

If you ever think abusing your grandparents or taking their pension grant will help you, you have to think again as they now know the number to dial.

The old persons were on Thursday given advice and toll free number to dial to report any kind of abuse in their families and community, at Phakama secondary school, in Lower Crossroads.
0800 00 30 81 is a toll free number that can make you pay for your bad behaviour toward old people.

Old people were also told about 107 which is an emergency number that can help you for emergencies such as ambulance, police and fire fighters.

Winnie Dywili, a Halt Elder Abuse Line (HEAL) co-ordinator said: “There are different ways of abusing old people such as sexually, financially, emotionally, verbally.
They also get abused in their opinions, and sometimes they get beaten up.
Old people have rights like every one else.

“They must report whatever they do not like. You need to voice out and don’t assume that the situation will be okay if you keep quiet. We keep what you say confidential” she said.
A Ward 35 senior citizens gathering was organised specially for old persons by Boyisile Mafilika, a Ward 35 councillor; Bongani Mini, ward 34 councillor in Philippi and City of Cape Town police.
Mhlanganisi Siswana, an assistant professional facilitator of social development under City of Cape Town said: “We are aiming to highlight the violence against old people.

“Old people are like resources in many ways. Most of the time we get information from them which we cannot get from the libraries, so we need to give them respect as young people.”
Old persons can phone anytime and leave a message and address on weekends, then the officials will come and talk to them where they stay.

Old persons also got presents of key holders, pens, cups and socks all with toll free numbers.
Sarah Mahluko, a 72-year-old said: “I feel happy to know about the toll free number to dial when I need help, because we as old people get harassed most of the time.

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SOURCE: News24
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Ontario Nursing Homes: Poorly Staffed, More Likely to Use Restraints (Canada)

Ontario nursing homes poorly staffed, more likely to restrain residents: experts
5 July 2008

TORONTO — Ontario should look to the example set by Nordic countries and turn its understaffed, institutional long-term care homes, where residents are more likely to be restrained and medicated, into small community homes where staff have the time to drink coffee with their elderly charges, geriatric experts say.

In the wake of an analysis of nursing home inspection reports by The Canadian Press which found three-quarters of the province's homes are not meeting some of the province's 400 standards, some say it's time to fundamentally rethink how Ontario cares for its most vulnerable residents.
The provincial inspection reports, from April 2007 to March of this year, show some long-term care homes have been cited for failing to provide a minimum of two baths a week while other residents didn't own a toothbrush.
The majority of homes in Ontario were cited for violating the specific set of standards that ensure residents are well-fed, clean and free of pain, as well as dictating how homes care for incontinent residents and when they use restraints.
Ontario ombudsman Andre Marin said he is preparing to launch an investigation into whether the governing Liberals are holding homes to account and is calling for people to share their experiences of long-term care homes.

But geriatric expert Christopher Patterson said virtually all societies have been guilty of neglecting their elderly parents and grandparents, a trend his research suggests has not wavered since the Renaissance.

"It's really depressing," said Patterson, chief of geriatric services at Hamilton Health Sciences. "These are the people who have built our society, who have fought our wars, who have raised us and we don't appreciate them.

"They've paid their taxes and, at the end of the day, they're treated abysmally."
While Patterson said respect for the dignity of the elderly is hard to come by anywhere in the world, Ontario could learn from other jurisdictions to improve its nursing home care.
Ontario's long-term care homes are among the most short-staffed in North America, he said, keeping company with only a few of the southern American states.

The province's homes are also more likely to restrain residents leading to stress, injury and - sometimes - unnecessary deaths, he said.

"We certainly overuse them," Patterson said. "There is clear evidence that restraints don't actually save injuries but actually cause them."
A 2001 report by PricewaterhouseCoopers, comparing Ontario long-term care homes to those in other jurisdictions, found over one-third of the province's elderly residents were restrained and given antipsychotic drugs while only six per cent of them received therapy.
"Without exception, Ontario (long-term care) residents receive less nursing care than their counterparts," said the report, adding this might explain why Ontario residents are more likely to be restrained or given drugs.

"Generally, pharmaceutical approaches require less staff time than behaviour management and evaluation programs."

Abridged
SOURCE: The Canadian Press
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Interesting comparisons with Scandinavian countries. Please go to source.

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Financial Elder Abuse: Suspect Faces Up to A Year Jail (USA)

Financial elder abuse suspect faces up to a year in jail
By KAREN WILKINSON, The Eureka Reporter
Published: Jul 3 2008, 10:21 PM

A 44-year-old woman arrested in early June after allegedly stealing $4,000 from an elderly woman in Fortuna pleaded guilty this week to felony financial elder abuse and misdemeanor possession of methamphetamine. She faces up to a year in jail as part of the probation terms and will owe restitution to the victim, the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office reported.
Ronda Darnell Michlig was reportedly the former caregiver of a 90-year-old woman and allegedly tried to use one of her checks to purchase $842 worth of groceries at the Fortuna Safeway on June 6, the Fortuna Police Department stated. When the check was discovered, Michlig was identified as the person who allegedly passed it.
She was arrested on suspicion of financial elder abuse, forgery, possession of stolen property, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of hypodermic needles. Deputy District Attorney Ben McLaughlin said Michlig’s plea agreement is conditioned upon a grant of probation and payment restitution. She remains in the Humboldt County jail pending sentencing, which is scheduled for July 24.

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SOURCE: Eureka Reporter
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Elder Abuse Increasing (Canada)

Elder abuse increasing
By GWEN RUTLAND
July 2008

Elder abuse is a growing social concern, but it's not new. Too many older Canadians have suffered abuse and neglect at the hands of family members and caregivers for too many years. What is new is that we have a growing awareness and concern about elder abuse, putting a new face to this type of family violence.

Victims of elder abuse know and trust their abuser. Most victims of elder abuse depend on the people who hurt them, sometimes for food, shelter, personal care or companionship. Too often the abuse and neglect of older adults is not readily identified by service providers and community members.

Many older adults may believe that abuse by a relative is a "family problem" and are ashamed to disclose that a family member is abusive. No one is immune from elder abuse. The majority of abused older adults are in their 60's and 70's. Women are typically more vulnerable to abuse and experience more forms of abuse.

Today the number one crime against seniors is fraud. Fraud may include mail fraud, consumer fraud, insurance fraud, home improvement offers and door-to-door sales.

Never give out your personal information over the phone or Internet unless you have made the contact first. If a caller asks you to pay for an offer in advance or asks for your credit card number or Social Security number, tell the person you don't give out personal information over the telephone. Remember, if you are uncomfortable about the call in any way, simply hang up. If they continue to call or harass you, tell a trusted family member to call, or call 911 yourself and report it.

The local contact number for information and support regarding elder abuse is 1-800-363-7222 .
For information about abuse, please call Women's Shelter & Support Services (Bernadette McCann House for Women Inc.) 24-hour crisis line: 1-800-267-4930 ,or 613-732-3131 . Please visit our website at http://www.wsssbmh.org.

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SOURCE: The Daily Observer CA
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Former Preacher on Trial for Theft and Embezzlement (USA)

Porter trial: Porter used money from Craig’s accounts, witnesses say
By SUSAN HERENDEEN
Posted on Wed, Jul. 02, 2008 03:12 PM

Some of the money former pastor Howard “Doug” Porter used to move homes to a family compound in La Grange came from an account elderly rancher Frank Craig had set up to build an agricultural museum, according to testimony this morning in Stanislaus County Superior Court.

Craig’s relatives had filed a lawsuit to contest Porter’s control of Craig’s estate, and the ugly allegations prompted publicity that forced Porter to leave the pulpit after preaching for nearly two decades.

Porter, 57, is accused of embezzling $1.1 million Craig wanted to spend on the museum, then staging two wrecks to cover his tracks. Craig was crippled in a March 5, 2002 wreck when Porter’s Toyota Tundra veered off Lake Road and slammed into a tree. Craig drowned April 22, 2004, when his GMC Sonoma, which Porter regularly drove, veered off an access road and landed in the Ceres Main Canal east of Swanson Road.

Craig gave Porter control of his finances after he inherited $2.5 million from a brother and believed his dream of building a museum to showcase farm equipment collected over decades could become a reality.

Porter has been held without bail since his arrest Nov. 27, 2006. He has pleaded not guilty to murder, attempted murder, theft or embezzlement from an elder by a caretaker and elder abuse causing death.

The prosecution is heading toward the end of its case and likely will wrap up tomorrow, turning the trial over to the defense when the trial resumes Monday.

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SOURCE: KansasCity
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Florida New Law to Protect Seniors (Fl. USA)

Florida Has New Law to Protect Senior Citizens

Statement by Commissioner Kevin McCarty, WCTV.tv
July 1, 2008

News From the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation
Statement by Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty on

Gov. Crist Signing Annuities Bill into Law

“I am very pleased that Gov. Crist has signed this important legislation, SB 2082, creating a law that will enhance protections for senior Floridians who are considering the purchase of annuities.

“Annuity sales have become a big business in Florida, and seniors in particular often have fallen victim to unethical sales practices. This new law will give Florida the enforcement power it needs to better protect our vulnerable senior population.

“Thanks to the leadership of Sen. Bennett and Rep. Ford, Florida now will be a national leader in the effort to protect seniors when they purchase costly and complex annuity products.”

The new law, named the "John and Patricia Seibel Act,” increases penalties to as much as $250,000, up from $100,000, for specified willful unfair or deceptive life insurance and annuity sales practices. The law also requires an insurer or insurance agent to have an objectively reasonable basis for believing that an annuity recommendation to a senior consumer is suitable.

In addition, the law makes it a first-degree misdemeanor for the deceptive practices known as "twisting" and "churning" – making misleading representations in an attempt to induce a consumer to cash in funds from a current investment or insurance product in order to purchase another product; and, willfully submitting a false signature now is a third-degree felony.

SOURCE: WCTV
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Isolation Can Make Elderly Vulnerable to Abuse

Isolation can make elderly vulnerable to abuse
By CARL A. GIBSON
June 29, 2008

There's an elderly neighbor you've chatted with at civic meetings and block parties for years. When you see her coming to get her mail as you walk up the street, you slow down and greet her at the mailbox. She says hello but seems wary, as if she doesn't quite recognize you. You ask her about a nasty bruise on her forearm. Oh, just an accident, she explains, the car door closed on it. She says good-bye quickly and returns to the house. Something isn't quite right about her. You think about the bruise, her skittish behavior. Well, she's getting pretty old, you think; maybe her mind is getting fuzzy. But there's something else - something isn't right.

This scenario, while extracted from www.helpguide.org/elder, is oft repeated in this country and worldwide. Elder abuse is a problem that hits you hard when someone you know experiences it.

In Calhoun County, there is an Elder Abuse Coalition that meets regularly to shine the light of day on these problems and bring them to a halt. June 15 was declared Elder Abuse Awareness Day in this county. You are the "eyes and ears" for recognizing the isolation and abuse your family member, friend or neighbors may be experiencing. Don't be afraid to speak out; let authorities know. A first step is to call 211 for further direction or call Adult Protective Services at 269-966-1342.

If you would like to support this coalition of service agencies which meets to address elder exploitation issues, contact Carrie Taft, Area Agency on Aging, at 269-441-0920. It comes together to document issues, develop strategy for addressing the types of abuse, empowering agencies and community members to identify problems and then become part of the solution.

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SOURCE: BattleCreekEnquirer
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