Linda Kincaid Reports: NCPEA forum discussed social isolation as psychological elder abuse

On October 1, 2013, the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (NCPEA) held its first Forum on Polyvictimization in Later Life. The event in St. Paul, Minnesota was attended by elder abuse experts from around the country. This Examiner had the honor of being invited to participate.

The team solicited research and practice examples from a range of experts. The Oct 1 Forum deepened the team’s understanding of the research findings.

A common theme throughout the discussions was that elder abuse rarely occurs as single incident or as a single form of abuse. As with child abuse and domestic violence, abuse patterns repeat. Multiple forms of abuse occur together.

Social isolation is often an indicator of more broad ranging elder abuse. Perpetrators with designs on an older person’s assets will often isolate the victim from family and friends.

Social isolation is itself a form of elder abuse. Preventing an elder from having visitors or phone calls, telling callers that the elder is not available is a common tactic to separate the elder from loved ones. Social isolation is recognized as a form of psychological abuse.

In California, isolating an elder is a crime under Penal Code 368. On August 19, 2013, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 937, clarifying that conservatees retain the right to visitation, phone calls, and personal mail.

Investigators attending the forum were encouraged to “look beyond the surface.” They will often find that psychological abuse is accompanied by financial abuse and perhaps physical abuse or sexual abuse. By “digging deeper” investigators can find the forms of abuse that are not as readily seen.

Full Article and Source:
NCPEA forum discussed social isolation as psychological elder abuse

Michigan Scheduling Statewide Elder Abuse Summit in June

FLINT, MI — Genesee County will host a statewide summit exploring elder abuse — a problem that officials say is only expected to get worse.

Catherine A. Emerson, from the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, said Genesee County was selected to host the summit in part because of the success of an elder abuse task force headed by Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell.

Pickell said his program, which is funded through a county millage, has obtained more than 400 felony warrants, including about two dozen so far this year.

The sheriff added that his elder abuse program has the time and manpower to handle incidents that local police agencies may not have the time or specialized skills needed to properly investigate.

Emerson said the issue of elder abuse is a growing problem, particularly as a large number of Baby Boomers age.

“There’s a perfect storm out there,” said Emerson, noting the aging population and continued financial hardships felt by many in the state.

Full Article and Source:
Genesee County to Host Statewide Elder Abuse Summit in June

Attorney Leads Effort to Educate Minnesota About Elder Abuse

A once-small group that Anoka County Attorney Tony Palumbo started to confront elder abuse is about to unleash an arsenal of resources to help educate Minnesotans about the problem.

With nearly $50,000 in donations, Minnesota SAFE Elders has created a tool kit that includes a video and training materials that it will provide free to interested groups; it is expected out next month.

The group also developed an app for first responders to guide them through such cases and a community resource list they can immediately offer to victims.Another piece of the initiative is a “prosecutor’s trial notebook,” a collection of abuse cases that attorneys can use as a reference when developing their own cases.

A statewide help number and website also will be available.Minnesota SAFE Elders, which grew out of the group that first met in 2011, now includes county attorneys and others from across the state.

The SAFE stands for Stop Abuse and Financial Exploitation.While the topic of crimes and neglect against seniors has been examined by various groups over the years, Palumbo is excited because this program can systemically reach a statewide audience with practical information that will increase awareness while putting more perpetrators in jail.

Full Article and Source:
Anoka County Attorney Leads Effort to Educate Minnesota About Elder Abuse

Florida Launching Project S.A.F.E.

In honor of Older Americans Month in May, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater is launching Operation S.A.F.E., a new initiative to “Stop Adult Financial Exploitation” and turn the tables on fraud artists who target Florida’s seniors. CFO Atwater is seeking to combat statistics that estimate at least one in five seniors has been a victim of financial fraud.

Initial workshops will be held this month in Cape Coral, Venice, Delray Beach, Clearwater, the Villages and Miami, with other locations to be scheduled throughout the year. “Our seniors contribute greatly to Florida’s economy and as a result many have built a nest egg that makes them targets for fraud,” CFO Atwater said. “It is my mission to ensure that they can better enjoy their retirement knowing they are armed with information to safeguard their finances.”

The workshops, titled Be Scam Smart, are part of CFO Atwater’s On Guard for Seniors initiative that he launched last year to educate seniors on specific financial products such as annuities, identity theft, reverse mortgages and long-term care insurance. Operation S.A.F.E. will focus on frauds and scams, such as fake lotteries and repair scams, and how these scams work on the psyche to convince seniors to take a chance on something that is too good to be true.

The Operation S.A.F.E. workshops are being provided by the Department of Financial Services, which CFO Atwater oversees, and will be presented by representatives from the Department’s Division of Consumer Services, Division of Agent and Agency Services and Division of Insurance Fraud; U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s office; the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office; the Lee County Sheriff’s Office; the Miami-Dade Police Department; the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office; and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

Source:
CFO Jeff Atwater Launches Operation S.A.F.E. to Stop Adult Financial Exploitation

Florida: Operation S.A.F.E. (Stop Adult Financial Exploitation)

On Friday May 10, 2013, the Department of Financial Services, overseen by Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater will present OPERATION S.A.F.E. (Stop Adult Financial Exploitation) at the South County Civic Center, Jog Rd., Delray Beach beginning at 1:00 pm. CFO Atwater’s office is partnering with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to present this program and to ensure that our Palm Beach County residents get the latest on local frauds and scams and who to call and what to do if they are a victim.

Details on numerous scams and frauds including identity theft, insurance and health care fraud, reverse mortgage scams, investment scams, contractor fraud and lottery and sweepstakes scams will be presented and you will learn how NOT to become a victim and how to protect your information and yourself. Representatives from the Department of Financial Services and PBSO will be there to answer your questions and assist you with any problems. Also at the event will be representatives from AARP, Elder Affairs, Consumer Affairs and other senior advocacy groups and agencies.

Current statistics show that one in five seniors has been a victim of financial fraud yet only one in 44 will report it.

Source:
Operation S.A.F.E. (Stop Adult Financial Exploitation) to be Presented

Attention California Advocates – Free Seminar: Elder Abuse and The Courts

November 15 – 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM
3800 Walnut Avenue
Freemont, CA 84538

Cleveland Forum on Financial Exploitation of the Elderly

The head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s effort to protect older Americans will speak in Cleveland next week.

Hubert “Skip” Humphrey III will give the keynote speech at a free forum on financial abuse and the elderly.

The forum explore ways that the professionals who come into contact with senior citizens can help protect them, said Richard Browdie, president of the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging.

With the passage of the Elder Justice Act (which was tucked into the federal health care reform bill) and the establishment of the CFPB’s Office of Older Americans, Browdie said it seemed like a good time to put bankers, social workers, financial planners and lawyers together to talk about the financial exploitation of seniors.

“Because the financial marketplace has become more complicated, the intervention is more complicated,” Browdie said.

The forum, “Financial Protection for Older Adults,” runs from 1 to 4:30 p.m. July 25 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1100 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland. It includes sessions on reverse mortgages, medical fraud and financial exploitation.

Full Article and Source:
Cleveland Forum on Financial Exploitation of the Elderly

Experts Speak at FISH Crime Prevention Workshop

In the past six months, the Friends In Service Here or F.I.S.H. organization has noticed an increase in its clients being approached in person or online by solicitors asking for money. This prompted the setting up of a recent workshop to help seniors learn practical ways in which they can guard against this growing problem crimes against the elderly.

More than 30 interested islanders gathered at the Sanibel Senior Center 4 Life last week to hear Detective Joe Roubicek, who has investigated more than 1,000 exploitation of the elderly crimes over the past 25 years. He spent 20 years as a detective with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.

“I am honored to be on Sanibel talking about preventing crimes against the elderly,” Roubicek said.

In a lively debate, Roubicek answered questions from the audience and addressed concerns Sanibel residents had, particularly relating to online banking requests for money and other forms of phishing scams.

“There are two types of crimes,” explained Roubicek. “There is fraud and exploitation.”

The definition of fraud, according to the law, is deception. Of all the fraud crimes, phishing is the most common with Americans of all ages using the Internet to bank, pay bills and shop.

The second type of crime against the elderly, and one Roubicek has worked to improve laws against, is exploitation. This crime differs from fraud because it involves a person 60 years or older who has been taken advantage of due to a physical or emotional dysfunction.

In 1994, Roubicek testified before the Florida House and Senate to improve laws designed to protect the elderly and he contributed to the writing of Florida Statute 825.103: Exploitation of an Elderly Person or Disabled Adult.

“It’s a great law because it brings the charges up to felonies, much like grand theft,” explained Roubicek, who was joined by Lt. Michael Cooper at the workshop.

Full Article and Source:
Experts Speak at FISH Crime Prevention Workshop for the Elderly

See Also:
FinancialAbuseOfTheElderly

“Dementia Care Without Drugs:A Better Approach for Long-Term Care Facilities”

Medications can be a powerful tool in combating the effects of dementia, but when used as the only source of treatment the effects can be toxic. Join us for a discussion on the effects of these dangerous drugs and learn what you can do to stop it.

Where:
Holiday Inn Capital Plaza
300 J Street, Sacramento, CA

When:
October 26, 2011, 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Speakers:
Anthony Chicotel
Staff Attorney, California
Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.

Tina Alonzo
Director of Research
Beatitudes Campus
Phoenix, AZ

Christopher Cherney
SNF Administrator
Berkeley, CA.

Source:
Dementia Care Without Drugs: A Better Approach for Long-Term Care Facilities

Recommended Program – The Truth: Exploitation Laws Protecting Seniors

Vulnerable older adults who live alone without the assistance of a strong social support network may be at greater risk of being exploited. They often look forward to a friendly voice on the telephone or visitor at the door — someone who will spend time listening to them.

Unfortunately, that friendly voice may not have good intentions and can lead to having the elder become the next victim of financial exploitation.

All of us can help prevent fraud and exploitation by reminding elders to be wary of scams and encouraging them to ask for help before a situation escalates.

The good news is that our community has a strong network of professionals and human service providers focusing on offering services and programs to assist older persons and their caregivers. These partners joined together last year to form Lee Elder Abuse Prevention Partnership, which is an elder abuse coalition serving Lee County.

LEAPP will host an informative event at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in Fort Myers on Sept. 14. All of us can take action by participating in this upcoming program.

This program entitled “The Truth: Exploitation Laws Protecting Seniors” will be presented by Joe Roubicek, economic crimes detective with Broward County State Attorney’s Office. Detective Roubicek is the author of the book “Financial Abuse of the Elderly: A Detective’s Case Files of Exploitation Crimes,” which serves as a criminal justice educational tool throughout the country.

According to Detective Roubicek, “Florida’s exploitation law (FSS 825.103) states that when someone maliciously takes the property of an “elderly person,” they are committing exploitation.” While that seems like a simple definition, he will further explain that the law requires that the “elderly person” be someone 60 years of age or older who is suffering from the infirmities of aging to the extent that their ability to adequately care for and protect themselves is impaired.

In other words, “It requires that the victims suffer disabilities that make them more vulnerable. And when the victim is more vulnerable, the victim impact is far worse.”

Full Article and Source:
Aging Gracefully – Friendly Voices Frequently Exploit

See Also:
FinancicalExploitationOfTheElderly.com