Securities and Exchange Commission Republican Commissioner Daniel Gallagher and Democratic Commissioner Luis Aguilar urged the agency to beef-up elder financial protection efforts. Gallagher criticized the SEC for letting anti-elder fraud activities fall away since the start of the financial crisis. “It’s time to step up again,” the Republican Commissioner said. On the Democratic side, Aguilar said the agency should do more. For one, it should establish a working group on senior fraud composed of representatives from the enforcement, examination, and investor education sections, he said. He added senior issues should be included in the agency’s rulemaking across the board. “Elder…
The Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services recently released a report showing self-neglect is the most common form of abuse in the elderly or disabled. Assistant Director of Henrico County’s Social Services, Shawn Rozier, says self-neglect is where “adults are losing the capability of meeting their day-to-day needs.” From July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013, Adult Protective Services in Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield received over 2,000 reports of abuse, neglect or exploitation of the elderly. In Henrico alone, two-thirds of their cases could be attributed to self-neglect. Unfortunately self-neglect is an issue that is kept hidden from the…
The Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services recently released a report showing self-neglect is the most common form of abuse in the elderly or disabled. Assistant Director of Henrico County’s Social Services, Shawn Rozier, says self-neglect is where “adults are losing the capability of meeting their day-to-day needs.” From July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013, Adult Protective Services in Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield received over 2,000 reports of abuse, neglect or exploitation of the elderly. In Henrico alone, two-thirds of their cases could be attributed to self-neglect. Unfortunately self-neglect is an issue that is kept hidden from the…
The Centers for Disease Control reports that over 500,000 older adults are abused or neglected each year. This number is probably low because many victims are unable or afraid to report it. Also, professionals and family members may miss signs of abuse. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that one out of 10 older people experienced abuse—not including financial abuse, which is the most prevalent form of elder abuse. The annual loss from victims of elder financial exploitation was estimated to be nearly $3 billion in 2009. Elder abuse is a growing problem with devastating…
The month of October is a time to recognize residents across all long-term care settings. The theme for 2013 by the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care is “Speak Out Against Elder Abuse.” The Consumer Voice hopes to empower and educate residents around the issue of elder abuse. Learn more about the events for Residents’ Rights Month.
San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and two local state senators urged Gov. Jerry Brown to sign three bills aimed at helping to prevent elder abuse, including financial elder abuse. “The changes to the law included in these bills will make a real difference as our Elder Abuse Unit works to hold defendants accountable when they abuse senior citizens in our community,” Dumanis said. She was joined by Sens. Mark Wyland (R-Carlsbad) and Joel Anderson (R-San Diego), in encouraging the governor to sign the legislation. SB 543, which is sponsored by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, would…
In a move intended to help elderly victims of financial exploitation, federal regulators today told banks and money managers that they can report suspected financial abuse to authorities without fear of violating privacy laws. Financial abuse of the elderly is an epidemic, according to the recent Government Accountability Office, draining $2.9 billion from seniors’ accounts in 2010 alone. Bank and credit union tellers "may be able to spot irregular transactions, abnormal account activity, or unusual behavior that signals financial abuse sooner than anyone else can," said Richard Cordray, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. But banks and money advisors…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states there are about 16,100 nursing homes in the U.S., with about 1.5 million residents. Meanwhile, according to the National Center on Elder Abuse, over 20,000 complaints of abuse, gross neglect, and exploitation on behalf of nursing home and board and care residents were reported in 2003. Now, according to a new state-by-state report by Families for Better Care, a Florida-based nursing home advocacy group, there is widespread abuse and neglect in our nation’s nursing homes, with an abundant lack of staffing. While Alaska, Hawaii, and Maine scored “superior” grades and ranked…
The American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging, with other ABA cosponsors, is presenting a webinar entitled “When Adult Guardianship Crosses State Lines: A Uniform Act to Address Jurisdictional Issues.” The webinar will be on Tuesday, July 30 at 1:00-2:30pm ET. The webinar will cover the basics of the Uniform Adult Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Jurisdiction Act passed by 37 states, DC, and Puerto Rico. The Reporter for the Act, along with a prominent probate attorney, will explain the Act’s provisions on initial jurisdiction, transfer of cases to another state, and out-of-state recognition and enforcement of orders; as…
NPR launched a five-part story on elder abuse. Topics covered over the course of the week include: · Part 1: Elderly Couple's Tale Of Abuse Not So Uncommon · Part 2: Adult Protective Services Fight Against Elder Abuse · Part 3: Tackling Nursing Home Complaints With Ombudsman Programs · Part 4: Financial Exploitation Of Elderly Difficult To Detect · Part 5: House Calls A Better Option For Some Elderly Access the broadcasts.
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