Elder Abuse Elder Abuse I dedicate this page to Victims of Elder abuse. To tell their story in the hope that other elders, their families, or perhaps yourself, can be spared the incredible suffering and devastation of elder abuse. Articles
'Elder Torture' Alive and Well in the USA
2008-03-20 12:00:00 While we are concerned with the torture of enemy combatants , our own elders are being tortured everyday in America, some face a slow death by starvation, other are stripped of their wealth , their dignity , their families are destroyed and they are held prisoners in their own homes. This was a disturbing case of elder abuse caught on tape? a 90 year old Baltimore man beaten by his caretaker. The victim?s daughter is now pushing for a law in her dad?s name that would stiffen elder abuse penalties.The victim?s daughter, Jaki Taylor, made the discovery thanks to cameras she had put in her home. The caretaker Anastacia Oluoch was arrested and charged in the beating. But she was able to make bail and eventually flee from the law. Taylor says, ?It makes me really irate that she bailed herself out with the money I had been paying her to take care of my dad.Eight days before the trial, she flees the country and goes back home to Nairobi, Kenya.? The caretaker never stood trial. That prompt... More About: Reform , Elder Abuse , Torture , Alive
Senator Alesi,R-Perinton Want to Make Reporting Elder Abuse 'Mandatory'
2008-03-19 12:15:00 Elder abuse is an escalating and often neglected problem in the United States, as highlighted by a recent Lifespan report that documented 1,300 cases in the Rochester-Finger Lakes area alone.Many of our families rely on institutions or specialized care at home for aging family members, and it is essential that safe, professional care be available at all times.To combat this growing issue, I have again introduced legislation (S.1916) that would require individuals treating or caring for people with physical or emotional symptoms of abuse to report this crime to authorities.Those who knowingly or willingly fail to report abuse shall be civilly liable for the damages caused by such failure and will be guilty of a Class "A" misdemeanor.This legislation has now passed the Senate five years in a row but has languished in committee in the Assembly.However, by holding nursing homes and caretakers responsible for reporting symptoms of abuse, we can help protect our vulnerable citizens.Alesi,... More About: News , Abuse , Reform , Elder Abuse , Make
Abuse of The Elderly Under Reported
2008-03-19 12:10:00 At a conference on the Neglect and Abuse of the Elderly in Brussels, Belgium, it was reported that more than 80% of abuse of the elderly is not reported and not well researched. Surveys carried out in a number of European Union (EU) countries indicate that the vast majority of abuses, either physical or financial, are committed by family members or caregivers. Speakers called for this 'hidden' abuse to be highlighted and for the elderly to be granted the same level of human rights and dignity as the rest of society. Source=>> More About: News , International , Elder Abuse
Tell the FDA to Stand Up to Drug Companies
2008-03-19 12:06:00 TV drug ads are bad enough. But now drug companies are fighting against requests for 1-800 numbers and websites that would allow people to report the side effects from these drugs. They just don't want to hear it.Tell the FDA that drug companies need this feedback »The most commonly advertised drugs are the new drugs - and not all of the side effects may be known. It's a simple fact, and the drug companies need to accept it. If we can't count on them to make our drugs safe, who can we count on? These TV ads make a person believe that the latest prescription drug can alleviate their problems, raising expectations of what a particular drug can and cannot do. So, the users of these drugs deserve to be able to report any side effects.TV ads should help patients report critical side effects -- not gloss over problems. Sign the petition today! More About: Companies , Drug , Stand Up , Stand , Stand-Up
State Breaks up Alleged Sub-Prime Fraud Ring
2008-03-19 12:00:00 By Marc Lifsher and Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times Staff WritersCalifornia authorities said today they cracked a mortgage fraud ring that allegedly victimized thousands of Californians, some of them elderly and some who lost their homes.The San Bernardino County district attorney's office this morning arrested five people and were waiting for two more to surrender to face charges of conspiracy, grand theft and elder abuse as part of a crackdown on alleged sub-prime mortgage lending scams with the California Department of Justice.A related lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court accuses six companies of using predatory lending practices to trap homeowners in illegal and expensive loans."As the mortgage crisis worsens, a growing number of fly-by-night companies are employing utterly brazen tactics to push homeowners into illegal and unconscionable loans," Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown said. "The illegal sales practices of these companies . . . included psychological pressure, f... More About: Fraud , Financial , Exploitation , Scams , Ring
Elder abuse ? ageism ? The silent shameful crime of America
2008-03-19 11:37:00 By JOAN BURGE WNESJW.ComElder abuse has long been called the ?The Silent Crime ?, when in fact it is anything but. Research and data show the millions of elderly citizens in America are victims of abuse, neglect, and exploitation each year.It is difficult and uncomfortable to consider ourselves becoming frail and vulnerable. The uncertainty of our future and the loss of our own independence and youth cause us fear. Fear is a normal emotion that we all have, especially about our aging process.But we must recognize and not avoid the issues of elder abuse and ageism in America.In 1964, the last year that you could be born to be a ?Baby Boomer? the Civil Rights Act became a law.Provisions include Title VII, which bans workplace discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, and national origin, but not age? Congress requested that the U.S. Labor Department study whether age bias laws were needed.On July 14, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Older American Act, wh... More About: Abuse , Reform , Elder Abuse
THE SKY IS FALLING: One Third of Boomers May be Victims
2008-03-18 12:00:00 Irene A. Masiello / author: PARADISE COSTS--We?re living in a voracious society with predators lurking in lending and in legislation not to mention a plethora of predatory offenders ready to lash out at the vulnerable.In nature, predatory animals stalk the weak in order to survive. They slither along the brush on the plains or in the shadows of forestry ready to devour their prey. While humankind considers itself more "civilized," too many do likewise.In life, business or politics, if common decency or, God forbid, human life gets in the way of profit margin, people are viewed as the expendable commodity. The bottom line for too many: get all they can and when an escape from the plundering is needed let?s delve into the compelling social issues of the times.Observe the media frenzy about how much weight the celebrities gained or who's in which rehab, what major league baseball players are alleged to be involved with steroids and Congress? interest in less than 100 professional athl... More About: Resources , Elder Abuse , Warning Signs , Boomers , Victims
Seniors Golden Years Turn Into Golden Fears
2008-03-17 12:05:00 Yakima, WA . USA by Leah Beth Ward Whenever Moleen Cline remembers the neighborly knock on her door two years ago, she still gets a shudder of anxiety. Duane Lee Ortiz put on a good show, talking his way into Cline's condo in Yakima by offering to wash her windows inside and out. While he was at it, he'd shine up the mirrors, too. He was down on his luck, he told her, and just needed to make a little money. "You have this kind of maternal feeling toward him. I just let him have the run of the house," she said. Sure enough, a day later when Cline went to put onthe diamond ring her husband had given her two years before he died, it wasgone. Yakima police immediately suspected Ortiz, who two years earlier hadswindled more than $100,000 from a retired machinist living in aYakima mobile home court. For that crime, prosecutors had to plea bargain and ended up with only a seven-day sentence."The punishment did not fit the crime," recalled Therese Murphy, deputy prosecuting attorney for Y... More About: Financial , Elder Abuse , Warning Signs , Years , Golden Years
Police Point finger at Social Services, DSS points finger at ?
2008-03-17 12:00:00 South Carolina. USA by Patricia Burkett S.C. Now.ComMary Terry. She died in February as a result of severe malnutrition. Police say she had not been fed for at least 30 days when they found her. Two family members were in charge of her.However, other family members have sued the State Department of Social Services , the Darlington County Department of Social Services, caretaker Lisa Gibson and social worker Ada Antoine, who were assigned to the case.On Friday, Darlington Police arrested a social worker in the Terry case. D.S.S. employee Lisa Gibson turned herself in. Police say she checked on Terry and eventually Terry's mother, and did not report when Terry was near death. Her charge is a misdemeanor.Police say Terry's son, Timothy Sims, and his cousin, Less Williams, were Terry's caretakers.Authorities say the two men essentially starved her to death. Both men are charged with abuse of a vulnerable adult resulting in death. Family members Andrew Gurley and Clarence Sims filed a ... More About: News , Elder Abuse
Check Out Our Week End Edition
2008-03-15 12:00:00 All In a Days Work -Culture Mediating Elder-Care Disputes- Education Hybrid Gas Efficient Car- TechnologyFlorida to Maine - Blog Review Stem Cell Transplant May Improve Survival Among Elderly -HealthGovernment is sleep while president..... - Humor Today is the Last Day to File IRS Returns Online Here=>> Are you trying to file a tax return SOLELY to claim your Economic Stimulus Payment? If you normally do not file a tax return but need to file a tax year 2007 return solely to receive your economic stimulus payment, you may now select from the list of companies on the Free File - Economic Stimulus Payment page. More About: Check , Week , Edition
Letters to Editor- "Petitioners" It Not Always About the Money!
2008-03-14 17:01:00 The following article is an insult to me and I don't deserve a word of it! As much valued information that Dianne has provided; the shoe does not fit all cases. I gave up everything to fight for my mother's quality of life and her life. Please don't insult me. You don't have a clue.I filed the petition to save my mother. I totally respect Dianne. I don't like the implication that everyone who petitions for guardianship is after power and money.Far too many complain about being robbed of their inheritance. I was not interested in inheritance. I valued my time with my mother, her smiles, and I didn't want her abilities to be taken away with drugs. I have read many complaints about the money, the property; well, my mother's health and rights were more important to me.I spent my own money and gave up my career to try and stop these tortures. I filed for guardianship to save my mother from nursing home abuse and completed torture. I found corruption at every level of government. I... More About: Money , Letters , Editor
Dept. Social Services Subject of Wrongful Death Lawsuit
2008-03-14 12:05:00 South Carolina, USA Jamie Rogers SCNow.Com thanks to E Malone for tipA wrongful death lawsuit has been filed in 4th Circuit Court against the S.C. Department of Social Services by the brother of Mary Terry, a woman who died in February after Darlington investigators found her starving in her home.In a complaint filed Monday in Darlington County, Terry?s brother, Clarence Sims, and Andrew Gurley are named as plaintiffs and the personal representatives of Terry?s estate.Their attorney, William J. Tuck of Darlington, would only confirm by way of his secretary that he has filed a lawsuit against a state agency when contacted by the Morning News on Thursday.The complaint alleges that two DSS workers visited Terry?s home to care for her mother and did nothing after they saw Terry lying on a couch in her own excrement and dying.DSS handles reports of abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult in communities throughout the state.According to the complaint, the DSS workers visited the home at ... More About: Lawsuit , Death
"Motives of Petitioners in Contested Conservatorships and Guardianships"
2008-03-14 12:00:00 by DIANE G. ARMSTRONG, PH.D.Prepared for the Senate Special Committee on AgingIn discussing the motives that drive these involuntary conservatorship and guardianship proceedings, I am speaking for the hundreds of thousands of men and women whose retirement years have been destroyed by them. Our states designate these proceedings as "non-adversarial" in nature, brought out of the goodness of a petitioner's heart to help an elderly person in distress.It is a powerful term, and it is almost always incorrect. These are court battles, fought over money, power and control. Sadly, the elderly lose almost 94% of the time, often in proceedings that take only minutes. Their cases are rarely appealed.Let's begin with a brief discussion of the motives guiding family members. The majority of these petitions are Filed by adult children who are seeking some form of control over the personal and/or financial affairs of their aging relatives. They are sibling battles rooted in issues of inheritanc... More About: Education , Resources , Quotes
County Coroner to Investigate All At-Home Deaths
2008-03-13 12:15:00 Longview,WA,USA The Daily News by Leslie SlapeThe Cowlitz County Coroner's Office is now evaluating all at-home deaths, even if they appear to be from natural causes, due to growing concern about elder abuse.In addition, they're now responding to nursing home deaths if death resulted from an accident or underlying circumstances other than natural causes.Coroner Tim Davidson and Chief Deputy Coroner Brett Dundas said by looking at deaths when they occur, they can rule out abuse right away - or begin an investigation."It's something that has needed to happen in this community," Dundas said. "We have so many people being cared for in back bedrooms of people's homes. Ninety-nine percent of those are cared for with the best intentions and good care. But if even one person is mistreated or doesn't receive care they deserve, they need a voice. I've always felt we are a voice for those who can't speak themselves. They deserve that voice, and this is one of the best ways we can do tha... More About: Resources , Home , Reform , Deaths
Letters to Editor - "Some Days are Diamonds.."
2008-03-12 12:05:00 "Some Days are Diamonds , some days are stones! Some days the hard times won`t leave me alone!"-John DenverI just want to say that in recent days I feel much better! With the help of Lori, Elaine; NASGA, Ray at ElderAbuseHelp.Org, Annie... so many others....Yea! I feel better!The stories of guardianship abuse by Fox, CBS are RIGHT ON! And people are talking! More people that once felt intimidated to speak openly about their guardianship experiences are now speaking out!Thanks, you guys!William Roberts More About: Letters , Editor
Six Civil Servants Will Be Honored
2008-03-12 12:00:00 Six Civil Servants Will Be Honored New York Times - United States. These people have worked with isolated, older New Yorkers ? some of them victims of elder abuse ? and started or expanded programs to pre-screen cases, ... More About: Resources , People in the News
The People vs. Michael Chertoff - An Elder Fights Back
2008-03-12 12:00:00 Brett Story The Nation New York USA The circumstances were different the last time the federal government visited Dr. Eloise Tamez's family property in the Lower Rio Grande region of South Texas. It was 1936 and her grandparents, descendents of the Lipan Apache with ties to the land going back centuries, were poorly educated and spoke no English--little match for a state government on a mission to build flood levees. "The government took half our land and then left whole families on the south side," says Tamez angrily. The latest threat to Tamez's land comes in the form of a proposed eighteen-foot steel and concrete wall, to be built through her property as part of the controversial US-Mexico border fence. Determined to fight the seizure, the 72-year-old Apache elder launched a class action lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Michael Chertoff. Last week, a federal judge ruled in favor of Tamez and her co-defendants, agreeing that Chertoff violated fed... More About: News , People , Fights , Back
Justice Often SLOW For Elder Crimes
2008-03-11 12:05:00 Raleigh , North Carolina. USA by Thomas Goldsmith, thomas.goldsmith@newsobserver.com or (919) 829-8929 Staff Writer for News Observer.ComCLINTON - So far, Mary Morris has spent three years and $73,000 to get back just part of the $475,000 that was withdrawn from her mother's accounts by the relative who was overseeing the elderly woman's affairs.Morris' mother agreed, three years before she died at age 96 in 2004, to give legal power of attorney to a grandnephew. It's a step that many advocates for older people say should be considered when people begin to show signs they are having difficulty managing finances, selling property, making acquisitions and buying insurance.But a caution always accompanies that advice: Be careful whom you trust, and be careful about giving total authority to one person."You need to make sure that you either thoroughly trust your agent or you have some kind of controls on the agent's abilities to move assets," said Bob Mason, an Asheboro lawyer and ... More About: Family , Justice , Reform , Elder Abuse , Exploitation
Judicial Blogs Exposing Corrupcion in Courts
2008-03-11 12:03:00 By Julie Kay The National Law JournalIn May, Dale Ross, chief judge for the Florida circuit court in Broward County for 16 years, stepped down following a year of embarrassing scandals, gaffes and bad behavior by his judges.Although pressure was building for Ross to resign for years, many legal observers say it would not have happened if not for the new Broward courthouse blog, JAA Blog.The JAA Blog was started in August 2006 by a group of criminal defense lawyers fed up with the way things were being run in the Broward courthouse. They believed that it operated like a "good ol' boys network" rather than the second-largest county court in Florida.The blog's founders include criminal defense attorney Bill Gelin of Tribune Legal Services in Fort Lauderdale and assistant public defenders Brian Reidy and Vivian Gariboldi.The Broward blog is one of a handful of legal blogs that have started in South Florida in the past two years that have shone a spotlight on the justice system."The [J... More About: Reform , Blogs , Courts , Judicial
Alberta Elderly Left To Die
2008-03-11 12:00:00 OTTAWA, ONTARIO-"The president of NUPGE, the National Union of Public & General Employees, accused the Alberta government today of systematically stripping the elderly of their rights.""Most of these assisted living facilities are unlicensed, unregulated and unmonitored. It means the elderly are left essentially on their own. It's simply unacceptable that in this day and age in a country as rich, in a province as rich as Alberta, we can't do more for them."Clancy says the change in legislation began 30 years ago and has left the elderly without the protection afforded most Canadians. Ruth Adria, president of the Elder Advocates of Alberta Society, says there is extreme pressure placed on the guardians of the elderly to sign non-resuscitation consent forms when the elderly are admitted."As a result when an elderly person becomes ill, particularly in a locked unit where there's often little or virtually no staff, the elderly person is often just left to die and there's no inte... More About: International , Elder Abuse , Left , Elderly
Grave Problems Ahead: Looting Assets of the Dead and Disabled
2008-03-10 14:00:00 By Lou Ann Anderson EstateOfDenial.ComGrave robbers. Tomb raiders. Cronies who plunder and rape estates. These are characterizations used to describe experiences in probate systems across the U.S. Guardianships, trusts and wills are vehicles commonly used to perpetrate Involuntary Redistribution of Assets (IRA) actions. Trusts and wills can lead to modern day grave robbing, guardianships can allow looting of an individual?s assets during their lifetime.Whether outside a legal venue or with full oversight of the courts, age and/or incapacitation increases the potential for IRA targeting. IRA practitioners can be a known, trusted family member or friend or a stranger who works their way into a person?s life gaining their confidence along the way. It can involve lawyers, accountants, ?professional? administrators or guardians, caregivers and others.People knowledgeable of the probate business tell how making a living off the extraction of estate assets is an organized industry. How tra... More About: Fraud , Reform , Exploitation , Scams , Corruption
ElderAbuse.Org Introduces Week End Edition
2008-03-08 13:00:00 To All Readers and Victims of Elder Abuse and their Families we dedicate our Week end Edition to all of you .
Advocate Volunteers to Document Elder Abuse with Videos and Photos
2008-03-07 13:10:00 I would like to offer to make you tube videos for free for any one involved in guardianship or conservatorship issues. Just send me the footage and I can edit it. If you only have photos we can make something out of that also.You can write the text that you would like it to say, and I will add it to the video.just E mail Annie for more info here =>>and make sure you foward your story to us here=> More About: Videos , Abuse , Photos , Resources , Elder Abuse
"God Bless the Idealists Where Ever They Appear."
2008-03-07 12:55:00 Irene A. Masiello / author: PARADISE COSTS--A Victim's Daughter Fights Back Against Elder Abuse...the first pro-active, grassroots REALITY WRITING book urging Americans to help STOP ELDER ABUSE NOW / Elder Advocate & Member of the Elder Justice Coalition / Founder: Starlight Network News / Certified: Holistic Counselor, Stress Management Consultant & Adult Educator / NYC-based magazine columnist authoring a holistically based, spiritual self-help & personal empowerment column since 1998 More About: Quotes , God Bless
Seniors Beware of Tax Season Scams!
2008-03-07 12:54:00 BOSTON ? USA - By Sue ScheibleWhile looking out for their federal rebates, Massachusetts seniors are being warned to look out for scam artists trying to filch their money as they wait.Still, the federal rebate scam drew special attention because it is universal: Individuals will receive $600, couples $1,200, from the Internal Revenue Service as part of an economic stimulus bill. But there is no way to speed up the rebate other than filing a tax return.Yet people claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service or a bank have been telling elders they can their one-time rebate sooner by relaying personal information.?People are being called and told, ?Give us your Social Security number and we?ll send you the checks early,?? Coakley said.The headlines focus on physical abuse, because it shocks the conscience,? Festa said. ?But other types of abuse -- emotional, sexual, and financial -- can sometimes leave longer lasting effects. ?A senior who is beaten may recover faster than one who ... More About: Financial , Season , Scams , Beware , Seniors
For Many, The Golden Years Aren't So Golden
2008-03-07 12:50:00 Elder abuse is widespread, yet few resources are directed toward combatting it. One Senate committee, for example, found that less than 2 percent of federal money targeted for abuse prevention is spent to help elders.But the Baby Boom generation, now heading into its senior years, is focusing attention on the issue, as Jennifer Fernandez's story in the News & Record on Sunday pointed out.That story also showed that the problem isn't just substandard care in nursing homes. It's also financial abuse. Studies show that the elderly are the ones most often falling victim to these scams. Aware that many older people have substantial savings, and aware that aging may have left the elderly isolated or diminished their faculties, scammers see them as prime targets.Clearly, the nation must target the abuse and exploitation of elders or else the elderly will keep getting targeted. The elderly must not be preyed upon by anyone ? from family members to Internet scammers. More About: Elder Abuse , Exploitation , Years , Golden Years , Golden
The Price of Abusing an Elder; "Not even some Lawyers are immune!"
2008-03-07 12:45:00 Judge to Lawyer: "Get a Shovel, Get Job"!AUBURN, Maine ? A former lawyer convicted of stealing from clients has been told by a judge to get a job, even if it means shoveling snow off roofs.John Frankenfield appeared before a judge in Auburn after being accused of violating a condition of probation. The judge told him to report back next month with a plan for paying back $219,000 in court-ordered restitution. So far, Frankenfield has paid back just $50.Justice Thomas Delahanty II took Frankenfield to task Wednesday. Delahanty told him to get a job and noted "there are a lot of roofs out there to be shoveled."!Frankenfield served about two years in prison after being convicted of skimming assets from his grandfather's estate. He also pleaded guilty to stealing $55,000 from clients. More About: News , Family , Fraud , Judge , Lawyers
Elder Abuse - F.B.I. Law Enforcement Bulletin - "Protecting the Elderly fro
2008-03-06 16:17:00 Investing in the future:"Protecting the elderly from financial abuse."The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin -"©2007 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission." Over the years, a shift in law enforcement priorities, as well as an increase in general awareness, has made most officers familiar with the concepts of spousal abuse and child abuse. Still, the term elder abuse raises questions among even the most seasoned law enforcement officers. From physical, emotional, or sexual abuse to financial exploitation, approximately 818,000 elderly individuals are victimized annually.Furthermore, experts estimate that only 1 in 10 cases of elder abuse gets reported.(1) Many elderly citizens must contend with a variety of health problems that limit their physical or mental functioning. Some become bedridden and cut off from normal contact with the rest of the world. At the same time, mental limitations leave many older citizens highly vulnerable to various forms of abuse.In Tennesse... More About: Abuse , Judge , Financial , Elder Abuse , Police
Elder Guardian Abuse Channel 13 Reports
2008-03-06 13:15:00 A Life Hijacked : Must See Mary Jane is Terrified, She can't believe this is happening ! If you suddenly found someone elses's name on your accounts and taking apart your life, your mail re routed, your Social security taken over, your family villified and considered a threat , This is Happening With Alarming Frecuency ..... and reckless abandon...What's Happen To Our System? What a Nightmare! Fox News Minnesota Exposes More Probate Court Abuse sFox News 5 : Esta Varon- Guardian Abuse Secret is Out -Must See! We need you to Contact Fox News and encourage them to do more stories like these here =>> Also log on to Fox News and E mail the story to everyone you can think of, let the Fox executives know Americans are concerned about this alarming trend ....... More About: Video , Channel
Elders Getting Hit From all Sides - Elder Drugs Prices Races Ahead of Infla
More articles from this author:2008-03-06 13:00:00 By Kevin Freking Contra Costa Times WASHINGTON -- Drugmakers increased their prices last year by an average of 7.4 percent for brand-name medicines most commonly prescribed to the elderly, according to the advocacy group AARP.The increase was about 2.5 times overall inflation, continuing a long-standing trend."Unfortunately, many manufactures have taken the absence of an outcry as a green light to go ahead and raise prices even more," said John Rother, AARP's policy director.All but four of the 220 brand-name prescriptions in the study had price increases during 2007. Nearly all exceeded the rate of general inflation.Abridged and Edited for E.A. =>> More About: News , Drugs , Sides , Races , Ahead 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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