The Suspected Involved in a Shocking Elder Abuse Video May Never Face Justice

The suspected involved in a shocking elder abuse video may never face justice. Baltimore Police now say the woman responsible for beating a 90-year-old man hopped a plane and left the country. ABC2 Investigator Joce Sterman has more on how the victim's daughter is reacting.

Anastacia Oluoch is believed to be the woman in the shocking video thats grabbed national attention of the beating of 90-year-old John Taylor. Now city police say this accused abuser is a fugitive from justice. Sterling Clifford with the Baltimore City Police Department says, "Shortly after she failed to appear for her court appearance, the warrant apprehension task force went to look for her. They checked her home, spoke to her neighbors and family and discovered she has fled the country and returned to Kenya."

The news about Oluoch is most upsetting to Jaki Taylor, the daughter of the victim seen in that disturbing abuse footage. She says, "I'm very angry, very disappointed. I feel like it's a slap in the face to my father." Taylor feels Oluoch's $5,000 bail was too low and she's upset no one ever confiscated the woman's passport to keep her in the United States. She says, "They let her come here, beat on my father and they pretty much escorted her to the airport and said 'Thank you for coming' and they let her go."

But a spokeswoman for the State's Attorney's Office says prosecutors are not generally involved in the initial bail review of a case like this. Margaret Burns also said it's up to a judge to decide whether someone's passport should be seized. As for this case, Burns says, "The system does not allow prosecutors to have a voice at the stage of the proceedings where Miss Taylor feels like we should have acted."

But Jaki Taylor wants action now. That's why she's writing to local, state and federal lawmakers - pushing for tougher laws and stiffer penalties for elder abuse. And she's hoping one day Oluoch will be returned to Baltimore for trial. She says, "There's been no justice for John Taylor. They need to show my dad the respect he deserves and get her back here."

Getting Oluoch back into the country for trial may be tough, in part because extradition laws are complicated to navigate. But if prosecutors decide to move ahead with that plan, it would be up to the U.S. Marshal's Service to make the arrest.

ABC channel 2 Reporting >>

Editorial Opinion

"The Suspected Involved in a Shocking Elder Abuse Video May Never Face Justice" this should not comes as a surprise to our members and readers at E.A. who are used to reading about social worker who sentences are suspended and companies found guilty of defrauding elders for years and is fined, but the Amount Will not be Collected and abusers not investigated because it falls under a civilly matter designation.

"The news about Oluoch is most upsetting to Jaki Taylor, the daughter of the victim seen in that disturbing abuse footage. She says, "I'm very angry, very disappointed. I feel like it's a slap in the face to my father." Taylor feels Oluoch's $5,000 bail was too low. "

Mrs Jaki Taylor welcome to the club, our elders many which cases have been well documented in this web site have all been slapped in the face, that is the reason for this website, until you feel the sting of that slap, many will not wake up and heed our warnings and work with us in reforming the system.

Sure the bail was too low 10% is $500 hardly an incentive to stick around, and a cheap price for a stay out of jail free card. That's what we been talking about. How do these people do it to get this preferential treatment ?

Or perhaps the message that the authorities are putting out is that elder abuse is not such a bad crime, it's s a business and a very lucrative one at that !

Related posts: Massive Fraud takes in $191 Million ! or Woman in Florida Pockets 2 Million in Elder and minor abuse scam.

Ranks of the Un-insured Rises by 2.2 million in 2006

By Julie Appleby, USA TODAY

New numbers from the Census Bureau will likely fuel political debate in Congress and statehouses about the growing problem of the uninsured: Their ranks rose by 2.2 million in 2006.
Overall, 47 million people lacked health insurance last year, the Census numbers released Tuesday showed, up from 44.8 million in 2005. The percentage of the U.S. population lacking health insurance last year rose to 15.8%, the highest level since 1998. In 2005, 15.3% were uninsured.

MORE CENSUS NEWS: Poverty rate drops

The addition of more than 2 million people to the uninsured comes as Congress and the White House wrangle about whether to expand a program to insure children of low-income families. The Census figures showed the percentage of uninsured children hit 11.7% last year, up from 10.9% in 2005.

The House and Senate are working to reconcile two bills that would expand the program by up to $50 billion over five years so more children could be covered. President Bush has proposed a $5 billion increase over five years and threatened to veto any larger expansion.

Already, many states are moving to enact their own versions of health reform. Some, such as Illinois, have broadened coverage for children and are now looking at expanding government programs to include more adults. Massachusetts passed a law last year requiring everyone to have insurance, and a similar proposal is under debate in California.

Fueling the rise in uninsured in 2006 was a continuing drop in the percentage of people who get their insurance through their jobs. Job-based health insurance, which is the way most people get their coverage, began falling in 2001. The percentage covered by job-based insurance fell to 59.7%, from 60.2% in 2005.

Many jobs, particularly low-wage ones, don't come with insurance. An additional 1.3 million full- or part-time workers were uninsured last year compared with 2005, the Census found.

Reasons for the decline in coverage among workers include fewer employers offering coverage and fewer workers enrolling, even if their employers do provide insurance. Premiums rose 7.7% last year, hitting $11,480 for a typical family plan offered by employers, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

"Workers are struggling with the cost, and they're declining (coverage)," often because the cost of premium increases is rising far faster than wages, says Paul Fronstin, with the Employee Benefit Research Institute, a non-partisan group in Washington.

While low-income households have the highest uninsured rate, the rate rose fastest among those living in households with annual incomes above $75,000, hitting 8.5%, up from 7.7% in 2005.

The Census Bureau also reported:

•19.3% of children in poverty lacked insurance.

•Hispanics had the highest rate of no insurance, with 34.1%, or 15.3 million, uninsured in 2006. The rate for African-Americans increased to 20.5% from 19% in 2005, while the rate for whites was statistically unchanged at 10.8%. The rate among Asians fell to 15.5% from 17.2%.

•Among the foreign-born population, the uninsured rate for naturalized citizens was statistically unchanged at 16.4%, while the uninsured rate for non-citizens increased to 45% from 43.1%.

Surprise : One Out of every 20 People Can Expect to be a Victim of Elder Abuse

Ashland Daily Press Spooner Advocate

It’s a surprising statistic, but in the United States one out of every 20 people can expect to be a victim of elder abuse – to be either physically or psychologically harmed, or be exploited in some way. Often those perpetrating the abuse are in the role of caregiver, either a family member or a caretaker at a home health or long-term care facility.

One predictor of who may abuse when it comes to paid caretakers is to look at past histories – persons with past criminal histories that include abuse or fraud are more likely to be future perpetrators.

In an effort to provide a national tool for cross-checking potential employees for warning signs, the Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act has been introduced in both the Senate, with Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., as a sponsor, and the House. The act, based on a seven-state pilot program, would provide all 50 states with the financial resources to check applicants for state criminal histories and access a national FBI data base.

Wisconsin was one of the seven pilot states, and from February of 2007 to March of 2007 checked 9,950 persons and excluded 265 of those from employment, or 2.7 percent of the applicants. The seven states together excluded an average of 2.9 percent of applicants.

The bill would allow employers to bill Medicare and Medicaid for the cost of background checks, allow some flexibility in allowing persons to work while the check is being done, provide cleared workers with a certificate good for two years showing they have passed the check and imposes penalties on employers who ignore background check results in hiring.

Caring for our nation’s older population is a clear responsibility we have. This bill is one way to ensure those caring for the elderly are less likely to do them harm.

The DOPA Act a Dopey Knee Jerk Reaction

by Danah Boyd

By a vote of 410-15, the US House of Representatives has passed the Deleting Online Predators Act (DOPA).

If approved by the Senate, this resolution will force schools and libraries to block social networking sites and chat rooms else lose their federal Internet subsidies.

Online activists decry what such a measure will mean for social networking sites such as MySpace. We recall the words of danah boyd, who posted these comments about the bill in May: "This legislation will not protect minors, but it will continue to erode their (and our) freedoms. There are so many amazing things that teens do with social technologies.

To lose all of this because of the culture of fear is terrifying to me. I found out about my alma mater talking to strangers online in the 90s. I learned about what it means to be queer, how to have confidence in myself and had so many engaging conversations. Sure, i found some sketchy people too, but i learned to ignore them just as i learned to ignore the guys who whistled and honked from their cars when i walked to the movie theater with my best friend.

We need to give youth the knowledge to know the risks of their actions, the structures to be able to come to us when something goes wrong and the opportunity to grow up and connect to their peers. Eliminating cultural artifacts because we don't understand them does not make our lives any safer, but it does obliterate so many positive interactions." At the 2006 SXSW Interactive Festival, boyd moderated the "Designing for Global and Local Social Play" panel.

titled by EA article provided by SXSW Interactive.

KOHL’S STATEMENT ON THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF HURRICANE KATRINA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, released the following statement today on the second anniversary of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy:

“During Hurricane Katrina, 71 percent of those who died were over the age of 60. Two years later, our country still lags far behind on the issue of emergency preparedness for older Americans. I am encouraged that provisions attached to the recently passed 9/11 bill will soon require all state and local mass evacuation plans to include specific procedures to inform the elderly before and during an evacuation. However, many other challenges lie ahead. Most urgently, I believe we must strengthen the federal standards for nursing home emergency plans, and this fall I intend to introduce a bill to do so.”

For more information on the provisions Chairman Kohl successfully added to H.R. 1, Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 Conference Bill, please click here: http://aging.senate.gov/hearing_detail.cfm?id=279941&

Most Abused Elderly People Will Not Report the Abuse Because Often it is a Family Member Involved.

Albany -- Prosecutors say abuse of the elderly is a crime that could grow dramatically in coming years as the population ages.

Last week a Dougherty Grand Jury indicted Robert Hooks for felony murder. Prosecutors say his neglect of his 83-year old mother Jewel Hooks led to her death. Prosecutors say it is illegal of course to beat an elderly person, but it is also just as much a crime to neglect an older person dependant on care. Dougherty Chief Assistant District Attorney Greg Edwards said "not providing sustenance, not providing medical attention. Also financial abuse of elderly persons. Those are the two primary causes of crime in that regard."

Ombudsmen say most abused elderly people will not report the abuse because often it is a family member involved.

Abridged >>

-----------------------------------------------

The only thing that I have to add to this article is " Most abusers of elderly people will not be prosecuted because often the abuser is a family member.
Being a family member often entitles the family member to immunity from prosecution in some perverse way. The subject abuse is then often referred to by the police as family matters as police and local estate atttorneys do not want to get involved in these types of cases and they are routinely labeled " Civilly Matters."

Society Must Change The Way it Looks at Domestic Violence

Taking Off the Blinders - another woman butchered - no help for the victim.

No community is immune to domestic violence. It's a crime that doesn't discriminate. It can happen to anyone, regardless of age, race, religion, gender or education background. Leontyne "Tina" Partee-Elder is the latest victims in this community. Her estranged husband was charged with stabbing her to death last week.

Society must change the way it looks at domestic violence in order to deal with the problem more successfully. Instead of averting our eyes and closing our ears, we must be willing to get involved and act in ways that protect and support those in need. That includes reporting domestic violence and encouraging victims to speak up and seek the help they need to break free of abusive relationships.

Neighbors heard Ms. Partee-Elder screaming during the attack in her Grand Rapids home but didn't call police. It's that kind of hand's off response that must change.

The shame associated with domestic violence on the part of victims needs to end, too. People suffering abuse can't be embarrassed to ask for help -- for their sake and that of their children. Studies show that children exposed to violence are more likely to commit or suffer violence when they become adults. Breaking that cycle is important.

Abridged >>

“Financial Abuse is Catching Up.”

Barstow, California.- “financial abuse is catching up.” Hackleman estimated that about half of the elder abuse cases the DA’s office deals with involve financial abuse. An example of a scam that targets the elderly is one in which someone offers a free “roof check” and then claims he or she found the need for repairs. The scammer then skips out with several hundred dollars.

However, he said, it’s usually someone the person knows who rips him or her off. For example, a scammer might befriend an older person and then gain access to the victim’s bank account.

Hackleman gave California credit for being ahead of most states as far as “paying attention to the problem.” In San Bernardino County, three specially trained prosecutors focus on elder abuse cases. Hackleman, who was involved in pitching the idea of specialized elder abuse prosecutors to the Board of Supervisors, said it was “one of the saddest realizations” when the DA’s staff realized the extent of the case load these prosecutors would tap.

“We had a full case load rather quickly,” he said.

To report Elder Abuse in San Bernardino County call 1(877)565-2020

taken from article by By STEVIE ST. JOHN published in the Desert Dispatch

Massive Elder Fraud Takes in $191 Million

By: JOHN HALL - Staff Writer The Californian

For the next two to three months, a jury will hear testimony from close to 50 alleged victims as the long-awaited trial of three men in the largest fraud case against the elderly in Riverside County history begins.Daniel William Heath, 50, of Chino Hills; his father, John William Heath, 81, of Covina; and Denis Timothy O'Brien, 53, of Yorba Linda are accused of running a massive pyramid scheme in which an estimated $191 million was raised.

A Carlsbad man, Larre Jaye Schlarmann, pleaded guilty in November 2005 and received a 15-year prison sentence in exchange for his plea. Prosecutors said Schlarmann, who was an investor in a now-leveled golf practice range on Antelope Road in Menifee, was one of the lesser participants in the alleged schemes.

The three remaining defendants face a variety of felony charges, including selling unqualified securities, elder abuse, violating a court order to stop selling securities, selling securities by misrepresentation, grand theft, burglary and money laundering.

Victims' stories Many of the victims invested their entire life savings, prosecutors say. Authorities have estimated that any money victims may be able to get back will probably be in the neighborhood of 15 cents on the dollar.When called to testify at the trial, witnesses will tell the jury how they met and then were allegedly scammed by the defendants.In an article published in The Californian shortly after arrests were first made in the case, a Wildomar woman described what happened to her and her husband.Joyce Lee Brown, then 67, said she and her 72-year-old husband Dave invested more than $100,000 in 2002, then saw nothing but small interest checks.

"He sounded so sincere, and the (sales) pitch was great. He talked like a legitimate family man who was eager to really help us out."Instead, Brown said, they are left with nothing and have had to substantially alter their lifestyle. She and her husband can't just decide to go golfing, to a movie or out to a nice dinner on a whim like they could before the loss of their money."And now we're afraid to trust anyone anymore," she added.

Contact staff writer John Hall at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2628, or jhall@californian.com.

-------------------------------------------

To follow our earlier theme, please notice how if anyones else steals the money it becomes theft, if Financial Elder Abusers are involved then it is referred to " Money they Raised." I would not be surprised if they are given Jail time but their sentence is suspended or given Fines that they Don't have to pay!

Related Posts: Former Social Worker from Dept of Health and Human Services Joins the Fray Stealing from Elders : Albert Bouchard, 47, of Limestone, who pleaded guilty to theft, was sentenced Friday in Aroostook County Superior Court to two years in prison, with all but 30 days suspended.

Other related posts : Bilking the Elderly, With Corporate Assistance

A Pennsylvania Homeward Bound company is found guilty of defrauding elders for years and is fined, but the Amount will not be collected

Social Worker Do What?

And if anyone is wondering why they took $191 million before anyone decided to act , do your math, 10% of the take, simply put these types of businesses pay 10% as overhead (Protection money) Have you any idea how much protection or influence 10% or $19.000,000 million dollars can buy? Does that explains how the organizations last for decades sometimes before they are taken down, hey Elder Financial Abuse is alive and well and it is Big Business.

Related Posts: Woman in Florida Pockets 2 Million in Child and Elder Abuse Operation that lasted 14 Years and Bilking the Elderly, With Corporate Assistance

Social Workers Do What ?

Revised by E.A. on 8/24/07 .- To avoid any confusion I am going to explain this to you the same way it was explained to me by the Wachovia Bank Officer who printed out these statements.

First . -Social worker closes elders certificate of deposit #013102041118003 issue date 08/14/2000 with a maturity date of 02/14/2005 on 09/20/2004 at an out of town branch incurring heavy early withdrawals penalties for the incapacitated elder.

Second. - Social worker opens a new account at Wachovia Bank # 1010106897025 and deposits the fund of the now liquidated certificate of deposit belonging to the elder in a newly opened account in both the elder and the social worker's name.

Third.- The social worker now ties in the elders account to his own personal account at the same bank, his personal account # 1000367162654 with overdraft protection from the elders account and into his.

Fourth.- The social worker now overdraws the account on a daily basis incurring heavy bank fees for the elder and sweeping the money from the elders account and into his own account

Fifth.- The elders Trustee caches on to the scam and closes the elders now depleted account

......and deposits what's left of the Certificate of Deposit ($468.42) in an account in Clara's name

Sixth.- The elders trustee,friends and family file a complaint with the local Sheriffs Department who calls it "civilly matter."

Seventh.- The elder abuse hotline is called and a complaint is filed with the Florida Dept of Children and Family on 10/28/2004 with Karla complaint #5291

Eight.- Case worker Clay Kellam - Adult Protective Services Investigator for District 14 calls the elders family on December 24,2004. She does not see anything wrong with the social worker's behavior and closes the case.

Ninth.- A second complaint is filed with the DCF by the elders close friend and confidant ,family and friends regarding elder financial abuse and the social workers action- They never hears back from the DCF.

Ninth.- Concerned friends and family write Congresswoman Ronda R. Storms chairperson of the Florida Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs storms.ronda.web@flsenate.gov
Chair: Senator Ronda Storms (R) (850) 487-5072(850) 487-5072


Tenth.- She writes to Inspector General Steckler , Robert Butterworth and newly elected secretary of the DCF Mr. Douglas Beach and ask that this matter be investigated and a response provided to the elders family and to her office. (See letter)


Tenth.- The Inspector General writes back " Based on the information provided , we did not identify any issues that warrant further involvement from this office." (See response)


Eleventh.- The DCF writes back " I assure you that any allegations reported to the Florida Abuse Hotline is thoroughly investigated and appropriate action taken. However, if an additional report is received regarding the same allegations, the duplicate report is not re-investigated." (See letter from Robert Butterworth)

Certificate of Deposit in Clara G. Fernandez name Matured on 2-14-2005 was closed early on 9-22-2004. The account paid a penalty for early withdrawal and the funds are used to open a joint account with overdraft protection linked to the social worker's personal account.

7-27-2005 to 8-05-2005
Four (4) overdrafts swept into social worker's personal account from the elders account.

7-21-2005 to 7-26-2005
Three (3) overdrafts swept into the social worker personal account from the elders account.

7-14-2005 to 7-19-2005
Two (2) overdrafts sweep into the social worker's personal account from the elders account.

7-08-2005 to 7-13-2005
Three (3) overdrafts sweep into the social worker's personal account from the elders account.

6-28 -2005 to 7-7-2005
Two (2) overdrafts sweep into the social worker's personal account from the elders account.

6-15-2005 to 6-27-2005
Five (5) overdrafts sweep into the social worker's personal account from the elders account.

8-11-2005 Balance of the certificate,including her social security income which was diverted to this account is now $40.39 .

The U.S. Administration on Aging defines financial abuse as “the improper act or process of using an older person’s monetary resources without consent, for another’s benefita person who is in a relationship of trust with a vulnerable adult to obtain or attempt to obtain ... the vulnerable adult’s money or property for his/her own benefit ... through fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, or unjust enrichment.”

Your New Badges and Banners Are Ready

Here are some badges for the initiative Bloggers against Abuse. For any and all information about the project Go to : You Can Be Part of Blogging History

Instructions: Copy and Paste the code in the box next to the badge you've chosen, in order to insert it into your website.

Spread the word among all the bloggers you know!

and link them to the page relevant to the abuse that you want to document and have on record .....

--- and be sure to link your posts to You Can Be a Part of Blogging History.

I don't know how to thank Zazzà enough so I am not even goin to try ....to tell you how good that was, the new Banners and Buttoms, that is. Zazza you Rock !


Thank You Zazza your work on the design of the new badges !

And reading your Blog in your native language the daddy of the Romance Languages, Italian.. it doesn't get any better than this Folks !

To be perfectly fair thanks to all the graphic designers who put their time into this , please Email me and I will link you.

The American Psychological Association Estimates 2.1 million older Americans are victims of Physical, Psychological Abuse.- 1 out of every 20 Seniors

And for every case reported, there may be many that are not.

But the psychological association says that most incidents of elder abuse occur somewhere other than in nursing homes and involves members of the abused person's household or paid caregivers.

And the issue also has political dimensions... Eugene Keeler, a former county DA and the Democratic Party nominee for the post in the November election, charged this week that "for the last 12 years there have been instances of elder abuse that have not been investigated." Oh Really !

He cites the case of a man he describes as a "well-connected" local contractor who was accused of scamming $480,000 from 19 individuals in Columbia County, including one senior who paid $50,000 for a modular home that she never received. The state attorney general at the time, Elliot Spitzer, called for a judgment in the case, said Mr. Keeler. "I want to know how this matter was ignored in terms of a criminal case."

Mr. Spitzer if you really want to know, look for the answer No More ! I will tell you Cases like this are routinely labeled 'Civilly Cases" .

Related Posts : Contractor Rips Off 88yr Old(My Mother) in Florida Gets Away with it !

Advocates must continue to work with legislators to close loopholes in prosecuting cases and in conducting investigations of complaints of elder abuse.

"The people with whom I have spoken during my campaign are against plea bargaining for offenders in matters of elder abuse. They want the offenders prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law so that they cannot get out of jail early and re-offend."

To contact reporter Diana Ladden, email dladden@IndeNews.com.

Abridged and Edited for E.A. from IndeNews.Com

Letters to Editor

Thad said... Regarding: Fla Keys Man Gets Several Tries to Kill Girlfriend Until He Succeeds

Inasmuch as I agree with you that the system did a horrible job here, if you do a little research you'll find that the girlfriend (the deceased) was far from blameless here.

She had a rap sheet too, including an arrest for assault with a deadly weapon and several arrests for drug possession. In addition, when she called police to the home on the previous evening, claiming that Beckner had tried to kill her, she refused to press charges against him. He was reportedly not at the residence at the time, so we must assume that she was of free will to press charges if she had desired.

I know, I know... In most cases of abuse, the woman is afraid of what the man might do, but she had her opportunity to put him right back in jail... and she didn't. Don't place the blame on the police here. She could have saved herself... and did not.

----------------------------------------

Thank you for writing in and bringing up some excellent points, very poor judgement on the part of the victim I'd say. She obviously wasn't thinking clearly, and this happens to a lot of victims who could be afraid.

I do not know of the victim's history , and it is not clear to me if warding off an assault with a knife constitute 'assault with a deadly weapon ' or 'self defense' but regardless what mistakes she might have made in judgement in the past she didn't deserve to end up in a body bag.

According to the report the killer was exhibiting a weapon on the porch the night he tried to strangle her , this coupled with the two prior domestic assault charges on the woman, makes me wonder if the officers being a little more aggressive in thinking outside the box would have averted this tragedy.

I admire our officers that are out there putting their lives on the line every day, and after every tragedy there lies a lesson that needs to be properly applied towards a positive change that makes the victim's sacrifice not be in vain.

Trial Delayed For Woman Charged In Bludgeoning Death

ELLSWORTH -Web Editor: Patricia Pelosi

The trial of a Southwest Harbor woman suspected of bludgeoning an 83-year-old woman to death with a ceramic gargoyle is being delayed.

Court documents filed in Hancock County Superior Court indicate Michelle Mills will undergo a forensic evaluation to determine her competency to stand trial. That means she won't stand trial as originally scheduled on Sept. 4th.

Defense lawyer Jeffrey Silverstein isn't saying whether he'll use an insanity defense, but he says he's keeping all doors open.

Mills was arrested in June after she was secretly indicted by a Hancock County grand jury. She's accused of killing Jacqueline Evans of Southwest Harbor. Evans had hired Mills to take care of an elderly friend.

The "M" Generation (Multitask Generation)

A blog entry from Derek Powazek makes it into the August issue of Wired. According to Powazek, mid-30s tech professionals such as himself should be tagged as Generation M:

"The 'M' is for Multitask. We like to do two things at a time, minimum. We listen to music while surfing the web and having four IM conversations at a time. We check our email on crackberrys and hiptops under the table during meetings.

We don't feel fulfilled unless there's more than one thing going on. The closest thing my parent's generation had to this kind of multitasking was reading the paper on the toilet.

The 'M' is also for Mashup, my favorite example of multitask culture. What's the appeal of a song that mashes together the Scissor Sisters, Beatles, Aretha Franklin, and George Michael into 5 minutes of seamless ear candy? I have no idea. I just know that I can't get enough of 'No One Takes Your Freedom' by the amazingly talented DJ Earworm, which does exactly that.

Finally, the 'M' is for Media, with emphasis on the 'me.' My generation, we make media. From the Xeroxed zines of the 80s, to the homepages of the 90s, to the blogs of the 00s - there is no corner of our lives that goes undocumented. No niche topic gone unexplored. And as a result, we know how to talk, to think, to find connections with like minds, no matter where they are." Powazek participated on the "Bloggers in Love: Intimacy, Technology and Mask-Making" panel this year's SXSW Interactive Festival.

Les Grandes Médiévales d’Andilly

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A Convicted Child Molester Was Arrested Today On Suspicion of Elder Abuse.

By David Castellon Staff writer

Leonard L. Smith, 51, was arrested after members of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement team conducted a compliance check of the home where Smith, a registered sex offender, was living.

A Sheriff’s report did not publicly disclose where the home was, but it did say that the deputies found a 74-year-old woman there with physical injuries to her face, and the report states that they suspected she had been threatened by Smith four days earlier.

The reporter can be reached at dcastell@visalia.gannett.com

Fla Keys Man Gets Several Tries to Kill Girlfriend Until He Succeeds

Florida Keys, Florida .- Andrew Beckner, arrested 11 times since 2002 , Beckner's rap sheet includes four arrests for domestic battery, including two on his girlfiend Morgan: one in March and one in May.

Just the night before, deputies had responded to the same residence at South Emerald Drive near mile marker 96.5 of US 1. A caller saw Beckner on the front porch with a gun in his hand. He had been released from jail on Aug. 14.

When deputies arrived Thursday, August 23 2007 Beckner had left but Morgan was there. She told police Beckner had tried to strangle her with a towel but apparently he did not succeed that night and would have to come back the next evening when they were less police around .

Beckner finally got it right, According to the police report when they arrived at 7:30 the next evening the woman Morgan was dead.

Charges are pending

Sources: Miami Herald
-------------------------------------
I was going to avoid talking about abuse this weekend and about convicted criminals/abusers being free to roam the land at will , but how can I not talk about it when it's happening all around me and that's all you hear about.

It used to be specialized, child, or elder or gender abuse , now abusers have free lay of the land and if the cops show up, just come back tomorrow to finish the job!

How Worrisome should that be? Police have been trained that until the body is delivered no crime has been committed for a lot of people like Morgan that a little too late. Somehow I feel We let her down , how many times must this story be repeated? We need better coordination with aid agencies , and more aggresive intervention.!

Thad said... Anyway, for anyone who wants more details about the case than what the Miami Herald printed, a more thorough story is located here >>

Thank You Thad

Key West Man Beats Woman for Failure to Clean Properly

Key West,Florida.- An unclean microwave appears to have been the catalyst in a Thursday morning argument involving a knife at a Petronia Street apartment.

A 48-year-old artist was arrested and charged with battery after allegedly punching a woman in the face and stomach because she didn't clean the microwave to his satisfaction, the woman told officers.

She said she grabbed a knife from the kitchen to protect herself, and officers noted she had bruises on her arms and neck and her eyes were swollen, reports state.

According to the Sheriff's Office Web site, the man also was arrested in 2005 on charges of battery, and in 2001 for theft and burglary charges.

source: Key West Crime Report

I hope the police gave that woman a stern warning , about leaving that microwave dirty again! and cleaning it as if her life depended on it. It might !

European Union’s Appeal that Texas Enact a Moratorium on the Death Penalty:

Statement by Robert Black, spokesman for Texas Governor Rick Perry, concerning the European Union’s appeal that Texas enact a moratorium on the death penalty:

“230 years ago, our forefathers fought a war to throw off the yoke of a European monarch and gain the freedom of self-determination. Texans long ago decided that the death penalty is a just and appropriate punishment for the most horrible crimes committed against our citizens. While we respect our friends in Europe, welcome their investment in our state and appreciate their interest in our laws, Texans are doing just fine governing Texas.”

Elder Financial Abuse Isn't such a Bad Crime! It's a Business

HARRISBURG - A Pennsylvania Homeward Bound allegedly deceived elderly Pennsylvanians into purchasing a non-medical home health care service program by marketing it as a long-term care insurance policy.

"Homeward Bound deliberately deceived elderly Pennsylvanians living on a fixed income by selling them a product they believed would keep them from entering a nursing home or assisted living facility," Corbett said. "It is appalling to believe that a company could prey on the fears of some of our most vulnerable citizens to line its own pockets."

Corbett said Homeward Bound allegedly used current and former insurance agents to market and sell its non-medical home care program to elderly consumers who did not qualify for or were looking for a cheaper alternative to long-term care insurance.

Homeward Bound and its affiliates have been fined $249,000 for Consumer Protection Law violations. This amount will not be collected, provided Homeward Bound and its affiliates comply with the AVC; conduct no trade or commerce within or from Pennsylvania on or before Dec. 31, 2007; and surrender or withdraw all charters, certificates of authority, etc. within six months.

Source: Pennsylvania Attorney General

Related Posts: Former Social Worker from Dept of Health and Human Services Joins the Fray Stealing from Elders : Albert Bouchard, 47, of Limestone, who pleaded guilty to theft, was sentenced Friday in Aroostook County Superior Court to two years in prison, with all but 30 days suspended.

Other related posts : Bilking the Elderly, With Corporate Assistance
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You got love this a social worker who worked for the state pleads guilty to robbing elders and he is sentenced to jail and all but 30 days of his sentence is suspended. - A Pennsylvania Homeward Bound company is found guilty of defrauding elders for years and is fined, but the Amount will not be collected!

Who do these people know ? How do they become eligible for preferential treatment ?

Can you imagine if a mother of four is found guilty of drugs but her sentences is not carried out ! Seventy-five (75%) of imprisoned women across the country are mothers! The federal Bureau of Justice Statistics announced recently that the nation’s prison and jail population grew 2.8 percent from midyear 2005 to midyear 2006, the largest rise since 2000, and that the number of incarcerated women grew at almost double the overall rate, to a total of 111,403.

The Department of Justice found that women were over represented among low level drug offenders who were non-violent, had minimal or no prior criminal history, and were not principal figures in criminal organizations or activities, but nevertheless received sentences similar to “high level” drug offenders under the mandatory sentencing policies. From 1986 to 1996 the number of women sentenced to state prison for drug crimes increased ten-fold. Nationally one in three women in prison and one in four women in jail are incarcerated for violating a non violent drug offense.

The number of women sentences to state prison increased ten-fold. Elder abusers are given prison term but it is suspended, Companies that defraud elders are fined, but they don't have to pay, Killers like the one that murdered Florida police officer Ronald Harrison are given $150.00 bail and put out on the street, causing their girlfriends to call 911 and beg for the police to put these guys in jail! Yet the number of women , 75% of which are mothers sentenced to state prison increases ten fold!

As a Group , How do They Do it to Get this Preferential Treatment-?

Perhaps the signal that some lawmakers want to send out is that elder financial abuse isn't such a bad crime! It's a business and a very lucrative one at that !

Florida Senator Ronda Storm "Very Concerned" Authorities in Florida Soft on Criminals

American crime and lack of punishment. There is a murdered police officer as a result. Seven days ago, 24-year-old Michael Phillips, a career criminal, murdered Florida police officer Ronald Harrison.

Shortly after that, SWAT officers killed Phillips. Now yesterday, Sergeant Harrison was buried. And it never should have happened. That's because the killer Phillips had 19 arrests and a violent history. He should have been in prison. After he shot Sergeant Harrison, his girlfriend called 911...

MICHAEL PHILLIPS' GIRLFRIEND: I am his girlfriend and he's calling me and shooting that gun off and threatening me and I don't want to be involved, is what I'm scared of and why I called, because I think he's drunk and doing crazy stuff and he called me — he told me that he shot a cop three times.

O'REILLY: So what was Michael Phillips doing out on the street? Well, Judge Manuel Lopez put him there. Prosecutors wanted no bail on an assault beef. But Lopez let Phillips out. So we sent "Factor" producer Jesse Watters down to talk with Judge Lopez.

JESSE WATTERS: Hey, judge, why did you give that guy such a low bail? Hey, judge, why did you give Michael Phillips such a low bail? Judge, you have an obligation to talk to us here. You're a public official. Why was the bail so low?

MANUEL LOPEZ, FLORIDA CIRCUIT JUDGE: I'm not going to answer any more questions about this case right now. I've already given my statement to the media. And I'm not going to collaborate any more on this.

WATTERS: Well, a lot of people are saying that your statement was insufficient.

LOPEZ: That is the public's right to reach that opinion. I've given the only statement I'm going to give, sir. Can I make it any clearer than that? Anything else you'd like to say? I'm not going to respond to your comment.

WATTERS: Why was the bail so low? The guy had 19 arrests. Burglary, battery, witness tampering, drug possession, it was a mile long. The guy was obviously a violent criminal with no respect for law enforcement. Wasn't there a red flag? Do you want to come on "The O'Reilly Factor?"

LOPEZ: Absolutely not.

O'REILLY: Joining us now from Tampa, Florida State Senator Ronda Storms

RONDA STORMS, FLORIDA STATE SENATOR: Well, first of all, this has been very traumatic for our community. It's been traumatic for the law enforcement family. And it's been very
traumatic, I believe, for the judge. People are holding him accountable.

the fact of the matter is this killer was 12-years-old when he started his career. And he had a mile long...

O'REILLY: No, there's no question about it. I mean, that's why...

STORMS: Battery...

O'REILLY: Right.

STORMS: Right.

O'REILLY: Every...

STORMS: Assault...

O'REILLY: And not only that...

STORMS: Everything.

O'REILLY: ...he — not only was he a criminal with multiple convictions and a violent man, but he was a Nazi. Did you know that?

STORMS: Right.

O'REILLY: This is an Aryan guy who made statements, anti-black statements, this, that and the other thing. So you got a guy on an assault beef. And the prosecutors come in in Hillsboro County. And they say to Judge Lopez, don't let the guy out.

STORMS: Right.

O'REILLY: The guy's too erratic. He's violent. He's a racist. We've got him now. Keep him in. And not only does Judge Lopez, Senator, say I'm going to give him bail, he gives him some $150 bail. Come on. I mean, you know, fine — everybody makes mistakes, including judges, but this is a colossal mistake. Inexplicable mistake, is it not?

STORMS: Well, it's a huge mistake. And the result is blood is spilled of an innocent law enforcement officer. And that's terrible.

STORMS: Well, I think what we need to take a look at in the legislature, and I believe Florida senators and Florida House members are very concerned. We were there at the funeral. We went to the wake. We sat there. We offered our condolences with the family. And so I think that they really care about it. We have two retired law enforcement officers in the Florida Senate. And I think they care about...

Edited for E.A. read the entire interview on Fox News here >>

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Good for you Senator Ronda Storms, we are glad finally some's there to speak up for the victims and their families. We admire your gumption in standing up with your constituency and saying ENOUGH!

Let this be a warning to others , if you are soft on criminals, when they go out and hurt others you will be accountable, think twice before you release these monsters out to pillage ,rape and murder otherwise you might find a Television Camera and some very UN happy people in your own backyard.

Please take a minute and send Senator Ronda Storms a note of appreciation for speaking up for the victims and their familes , Senator Storms you Rock!

storms.ronda.web@flsenate.gov

Letter From Inspector General to E.A.s Editor

Please click to enlarge

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Mrs Bradley with all due respect, stealing from an elder in such a blatant manner is wrong, and you should be involved or at the very least honor congresswoman Ronda Storm's request and investigate.

Financial Exploitation of Elderly is Common

TRACI L. WEISENBACH, The Huron Daily Tribune

When most people think of abuse, physical abuse is often the first thing to come to mind. However, there is another kind of abuse that isn’t as easy to see, but it can be just as devastating for the victim.

Perhaps some of the worst aspects of this kind of abuse are that it often goes undetected — and it is happening at an alarming rate across the nation to a very vulnerable portion of the population: the elderly.

This abuse is called financial exploitation. Unfortunately, it’s the most admirable characteristics of the elderly that make them prime targets for this exploitation.

According to information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation website, older Americans are most likely to have a nest egg. They’ve been saving for years so they can enjoy life in retirement. They own homes and usually have great credit. According to Consumers Digest, about 70 percent of all funds deposited in financial institutions are controlled by people age 65 and older. This makes senior citizens prime targets for fraudsters who are looking to make some easy money.

The elderly are more likely to be trusting of others. They believe others will do them no harm, and they want to be polite. This makes it difficult for them to say “no” sometimes — including at times when it’s vital.

This also can lead to being exploited.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 34.9 million people over the age of 65 in the U.S. in 2000. That number is expected to increase to 52.1 million by 2020. The number is expected to be 61.7 million by 2030.

Because of these aforementioned factors, it’s not surprising that an estimated five million elderly per year are victims of financial exploitation, according to the National Center for the Prevention of Elder Abuse. It’s being considered the crime of the 21st century.

These figures are troubling, especially considering many cases are never reported to authorities. According to a Consumers Digest article “The Fleecing of America’s Elderly” from the spring of 2000, a conservative estimate states one in 14 financial abuse cases goes unreported.

The Consumers Digest article also states financial abuse consistently ranks second in most states as the most prevalent form of elder abuse, behind physical abuse.

Of the financial abuse cases reported, few are investigated, and only a handful are prosecuted or reach the court system, the Consumers Digest article stated. The U.S. Administration on Aging defines financial abuse as “the improper act or process of using an older person’s monetary resources without consent, for another’s benefit.” Michigan law describes financial exploitation as “a person who is in a relationship of trust with a vulnerable adult to obtain or attempt to obtain ... the vulnerable adult’s money or property for his/her own benefit ... through fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, or unjust enrichment.”

In William Pickering’s case, a non-family member was the one who financially exploited him. However, 60 percent of those financially abusing the elderly are adult children, according to a 1998 National Elder Abuse Incidence Study. In-home care providers are the second largest group. Because the abusers often are quite close to the victim, the victim is often unwilling to report the abuser because he/she would feel guilty.

According to the Consumers Digest article, most financial abuse victims are women and most abusers are younger men. While William Pickering’s case was the exception to this, there is one aspect of his case that is quite common — having the “caretaker” abuse his/her power of attorney rights. This is common partially because of the ease in getting a power of attorney agreement.

There is no federal law covering financial abuse of the elderly. Each state has an Adult Protective Services agency designed to prevent and address problems of the elderly. These programs were mandated by the Social Security Act in 1974. These agencies focus on providing assistance to the abused, rather than punishing the abuser.

The more this crime is reported, the better this type of abuse can be prevented in the future.

Abridged >>

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We need to stop complaining that out of fourteen cases of elder financial abuse only one is reported and take care of that one that IS reported!

Hardly a week goes by where we don't report new cases of elder financial abuse on this site and the victims complaint that nothing happens, so rather than complaint that elder abuse is not being reported, lets take care of the ones that ARE being reported !

We have been reporting the case of Clara and Dr. Fernandez elder abuse for three years now at a great sacrifice and expense in costs and privacy to the family , many crucial witnesses to the abuse have yet to be questioned!

So how about it ! Authorities isn't time you started doing your job in protecting the victims? Especially the ones that have the courage to come forward and report it ?

Former Social Worker from Dept of Health and Human Services Joins the Fray Stealing from Elders

AUGUSTA, Maine --A former caseworker with the state Department of Health and Human Services has been jailed for 30 days for stealing more than $9,000 from elderly and incapacitated clients whose interests he was assigned to protect.

Albert Bouchard, 47, of Limestone, who pleaded guilty to theft, was sentenced Friday in Aroostook County Superior Court to two years in prison, with all but 30 days suspended. After his release, he faces five months of house arrest and two years of probation, a time in which he must perform 200 hours of community service.

Over a 15-month period in 2001 through 2003, Bouchard stole money from clients and used it to buy fine jewelry, electronics, gift certificates and furniture for himself, his family and his girlfriend.

"Albert Bouchard worked for the agency that is charged with protecting the elderly from predators like Albert Bouchard. He committed a gross abuse of the trust placed in him by the state to care for our most vulnerable citizens," Attorney General Steve Rowe said Tuesday in a statement detailing the thefts.

Bouchard charged a $300 digital camera to the account of an elderly woman with dementia and made several cash withdrawals from her account, Rowe said. While tapping another client's account to buy a $1,300 large screen television for his home, he delivered a used, 27-inch TV to the nursing facility at which the client was living.

Two other accounts belonging to clients with dementia were charged for several pieces of jewelry, including a $600 diamond anniversary ring and a $700 gold rope chain necklace. Bouchard delivered inexpensive substitutes to the clients, who were then living at nursing care facilities, Rowe said.

Gift certificates charged on three client accounts to the Aroostook Centre Mall in Presque Isle were given as Christmas gifts to Bouchard's then wife and children and his girlfriend and her children.

Bouchard entered his guilty plea in May, after a jury was selected and the day before he was scheduled to go to trial. He paid full restitution at the time of sentencing.

"What made this case especially egregious was the calculated and deceptive nature of the theft," Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin said.

She said the state has several elder exploitation cases in the prosecutorial pipeline, "but typically, these are not people who are licensed social workers for the state who are stealing from the elderly."

More common, she said, are cases involving theft by a family member or "someone who comes in as a housekeeper, and gets the person's trust -- and checkbook."

Robbin said she was unaware of any similar misdeeds by state caseworkers but noted that the Maine Bureau of Adult and Elder Services has initiated checks within its system to reduce that possibility.

"Bouchard's conduct unfairly tarnishes the reputation of the many other dedicated caseworkers who strive to care and protect the elderly," Rowe said

Titled and bold by blog master for emphasis

Glad the judges are getting tough on Elder abuse and he will serve time, I hope he doesn't get his old job back.

"typically, these are not people who are licensed social workers for the state who are stealing from the elderly."

Seniors in Double Crisis

CANADA .- By ANDREW HANON, SUN MEDIA

Those in temporary safe houses fleeing elder abuse now face accommodation crunch Officials at one of Canada's only safe houses for seniors fleeing abuse are bracing for a housing crunch of their own.

The safe house, which has seven beds in a secret location in the city, is one of only two such facilities in Alberta.

Seniors in crisis can stay there, free of charge, for up to 60 days. But with the rental market so tight in the city, officials say a growing number of people are having trouble finding a new home when it's time to move out.

"Housing is becoming a real issue,"

A social worker with the city's elder abuse intervention team said demand for such services is only going to escalate as public awareness of the issue continues to grow.

"(Elder abuse) is a good 10 years behind in recognition of other kinds of family violence," said Trina Schmidt.

The society's Ruth Adria says the process is too arbitrary and "totally flawed."
She said the current standards of determining a senior's competency are not well-defined and can lead to horrific cases of financial abuse.

She says in too many cases, perfectly competent people are having all their decision-making authority taken from them and placed in the hands of others.

Abridged >>

Region Ahead of the Game in Responding to Elder Abuse

CARTERVILLE - ILLINOIS .- BY JOHN D. HOMANTHE SOUTHERN

When it comes to serving and protecting senior citizens, Southern Illinois is working ahead of the curve statewide.

Last week, Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed House Bill 734 into law, ensuring that seniors always have access to critical elder abuse services when needed the most.

The bill, sponsored by state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, and Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, is also supported by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the Illinois Association of Area Agencies on Aging.

Although the Department on Aging runs a 24-hour Elder Abuse Hotline, many elder abuse situations are reported locally, where providers rarely have 24-hour, weekend or evening hotlines available. Such is not the case in this region, however.

Carol Aronson, director for Shawnee Alliance for Seniors in Carterville, said the agency, which serves 13 counties, has maintained a 24/7 access program since the late 1980s.

"We're way ahead of the game in that regard," Aronson said. "We have five management staff members who are part of an on-call rotation. Even if it's after hours or on the weekend, anyone can call and our answering service will pick up and relay the message to our on-call person."

Aronson said calls alleging elder abuse are prioritized. First-priority calls are those in which the alleged victim may be at risk of physical harm.

"In that case, we will send a case worker out to see the person before the end of the day."

Financial exploitation allegations, for example, are a lower priority, but case workers still respond in less than a week.

Aronson said her agency received 775 elder abuse calls in 2006, a number that continues to rise with each passing year. She said David Mitchell is director of the Protective Service Unit at Shawnee Alliance.

"Of those 775 calls, 62 occurred after hours," she said. "And about 47 percent of the total calls had allegations that were substantiated after we conducted an investigation."

Sadly, Aronson said nearly 14 percent of every 1,000 residents in the Southern Illinois region have either reported or been victims of elder abuse. That is nearly triple the state average of 4.9 percent.

"Elder abuse is a serious problem that demands an immediate response by elder abuse service providers, no matter when they occur," Bradley said. "To give seniors the protection they deserve, but hopefully never need, provider agencies must ensure that they are always ready to respond to reports of neglect or mistreatment."

Forby said every moment counts when responding to elder abuse.

"Rep. Bradley and I will keep working diligently with senior advocates and service providers to ensure that our older citizens never have to wait to receive assistance in their most vulnerable hour."

For more information on the bill, contact Bradley at 997-9697 or Forby at 439-2504. Shawnee Alliance for Seniors may be reached by calling 985-8322.

john.homan@thesouthern.com

351-5805

Elder Beaten While Walking His Dog,

Savannah-Chatham police say they are looking for one of two suspects accused of beating and injuring a 76-year-old man when he was walking his dog.

According to police, suspects Randolph John Bernard and Mitchell Barefield attacked Omar Boone at about 10pm on August 2. Boone was walking his dog in the 200 block of East 33rd Street when the attack occurred.

Police say the suspects shouted insults at Boone as he walked down the street. Witnesses say the insults eventually turned into a violent confrontation. Police say one witness tried to stop the beating.

Boone suffered bumps and bruises from the attack and required medical treatment.

Detectives from the Central Precinct arrested 19-year-old Barefield on charges in connection with an August 18 beating. He released on August 20 on a $3,900 bond.

Police are still looking for the second suspect, 20-year-old Bernard. They say he is a SCAD student, 5-feet-11, 150 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. Police say he lives in St. Clairville, Ohio, but could still be in Savannah.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to call police at 912.651.6934.

Medicare Will Not Pay for Preventable Conditions Acquired at Hospitals

Medicare no longer will reimburse hospitals for the treatment of preventable errors, injuries and infections that occur in the facilities under a new rule scheduled for publication this week, a move that CMS officials said could save lives and millions of dollars, the New York Times reports. Under the rule, Medicare no longer will reimburse hospitals for the treatment of certain "conditions that could reasonably have been prevented," and the facilities "cannot bill the beneficiary for any charges associated with the hospital-acquired complication" (Pear, New York Times, 8/19).

The eight conditions for which Medicare no longer will reimburse hospitals for treatment include: falls; mediastinitis, an infection that can develop after heart surgery; urinary tract infections that result from improper use of catheters; pressure ulcers; and vascular infections that result from improper use of catheters. In addition, the conditions include three "never events": objects left in the body during surgery, air embolisms and blood incompatibility (USA Today, 8/20).

The rule, proposed by CMS in April and mandated by a 2005 law, will take effect in October 2008. CMS officials said that next year they plan to add three additional conditions to the list (Zhang, Wall Street Journal, 8/20).

Hot Topic: Cryonics

Death is not a topic that people like to think about, and that is just as true of healthy life extension advocates as anyone else. We have to recognise, however, that the future of healthy life extension (regenerative medicine, stem cell therapies, understanding the biochemical processes of aging, and nanomedicine, to name a few fields) will not arrive soon enough to benefit everyone. Many people are too old, or suffer from other conditions that will kill them before cures can be developed. This is an unpleasant reality that we must face.

Do we just write these people off and forge ahead regardless? Of course not. Instead, we turn to the science and business of cryonics, a serious effort to solve this problem that has been underway since the early 1970s.

...................What is Cryonics?

Cryonics is the only option for life extension open to many older and seriously ill people: those who cannot wait for the promised therapies of the next few decades. It is the science of placing humans and animals into a low-temperature, biologically unchanging state immediately after clinical death, with the expectation that advances in medical technology may eventually enable full restoration to life and health. A small industry of cryonics providers exists to freeze or vitrify your body on death, in the hopes that future scientists (most likely using nanotechnology and nanomedicine) will be able to revive and repair you.

The practice of cryonics is an ongoing medical experiment with an unknown chance of success. Responsible cryonicists understand that cryonic suspension is an educated gamble. The chances are certainly better than zero, however, and as one wag noted, "the control group in this experiment isn't doing so well." By this, he was referring to the vast number of people who are cremated, buried or otherwise interred. The chances of any plausible future science restoring them is zero. Cryonic suspension is, after all, only the second worst thing that can happen to you.
The cryonics community is tightly knit, friendly and supportive. The community, and the industry it supports, have been ever-so-slowly growing since the early 1970s. To find out more about cryonics, you might want to peruse the following locations:

Alcor explains cryonics
Common myths and misunderstandings about cryonics
Cryonics at Wikipedia
The Cryonet community, archives and resources

In addition, an excellent article on the philosophy and practice of cryonics can be found here at the Longevity Meme:

Why Cryosuspension Makes Sense, Part I
Why Cryosuspension Makes Sense, Part II

Cryonics was in the news throughout 2003 and early 2004, largely thanks to the cryopreservation of baseball star Ted Williams and the ensuing high profile family fight over his will. This publicity led to local government efforts to regulate the cryonics industry, first in Michigan and then in Arizona, where the two largest cryonics providers are based. A new cryonics research group made headlines in Florida at the end of 2003, when the cryonics community rallied to try to prevent an unfavorable zoning ruling against the business.
In addition to the publicity, it is becoming clear that backers of cryonics like Saul Kent of the Life Extension Foundation are beginning to put more money and time into pushing the cryonics industry forward into the 21st century. This makes sense for them, based on the arguments I put foward at the top of this page. They have thought long and hard about the likelihood of living long enough to benefit from the technologies of the future, and decided to put more effort into cryonics. One result of this renewed funding is Suspended Animation, a cryonics company that focuses more on research than providing services. Another is the Timeship, an ambitious project to expand the cryonics industry: Visit the Timeship website

You can sign up for cryosuspension fairly easily - both inside and outside the US - through one of the established cryonics providers or cryosuspension groups. You can learn more at the websites for the companies. Alcor is the largest of the providers, has the most comprehensive online information. If you have questions, pick up the phone or e-mail and ask. Company staff will be happy to help.

Alcor Life Extension Foundation
Cryonics Institute
TransTime

Cryosuspension is expensive, on a par with major surgery, but can be paid for in a cost effective manner through life insurance. You purchase a policy that pays out to the provider on your death and they take it from there. This is far and away the most common payment method for those of us who are not fortunate enough to be wealthy baseball stars.

Visit the Longevity Meme Org site for more info >>

90 Year Old Recovers From Beating Aired on National TV

(WJZ) BALTIMORE by Mike Hellgren

Video of a 90-year-old man beaten inside his home by a caregiver has caused outrage nationwide since Eyewitness News broke this story.

As Mike Hellgren reports, a nurse accused of abuse is still on the run.

Surveillance video shows a home healthcare worker pointing her finger at, then striking, 90-year-old John Taylor. She hits him repeatedly over several minutes.

And now that worker, Anastasia Oluoch, is on the run facing a warrant after she failed to show up in court.

Taylor's daughter Jaki says her best move was installing those cameras in her home.

"The camera saw what I didn't. I'm so thankful for the cameras. He wasn't able to tell me what was going on," said Jaki.

Now, her dad is recovering at Levindale in Northwest Baltimore and Jaki wants to see Oluoch locked up. If found guilty, she faces a possible 100 years in jail.

"That's my greatest fear--that she would be employed by anyone else," Jaki said.

Since Eyewitness News first broke the story, media outlets nationwide are airing the video. That spotlights a growing problem. Elderly abuse complaints are up 20% since 2000, but eight in 10 cases are never even reported.
Levindale's doctor Susan Levy has cared for the elderly for decades.

"Frequently, the senior may be very uncomfortable or very fearful that there's going to be retaliation. Any time you see something that you can't explain, then you need to ask questions," said Levy.

Experts recommend doing a criminal background check on anyone you hire, so something like this does not happen to your loved one.

"He has such a strong will to live, so if he's fighting, and he's not giving up, I'm not giving up on him, and I will fight to the very end to get this story out there, and to save as many people as possible from this horrible situation happening to them," Jaki said.

See a Video of the Beating Here >>

More Heart Wrenching Letters Come in To E.A. over the Weekend -Elders Pleading for Help

Because Justice is not only blind to the desperation of the elderly who are being preyed upon by predators, but it is deaf to the cries of victims nationwide

Please click to enlarge

Hi,

I have tried, to no avail to get help from the Florida abuse hotline.
The situation is this:

I live in government subsidized housing for the elderly in Eustis, Florida.
There is a disgusting vulture named Bob Gardner, who also lives here.
To illustrate the type of character he is, just look under FDLE Sex offenders, and read his flyer.
This is his new pastime:

1. One of our residents, (Lucy Honican), got terminally ill, and eventually died. Bob "pretended" to be her friend, and wound up with all of Lucy's apartment contents, and her nice car.

2. Another resident, (Bob Nadon), had to go and get both legs amputated. Bob has Mr. Nadon's checkbook, and was given his TV.

3. Another resident, *Harold Griswald", also got terminally ill. Bob convinced Harold's family that he would take care of Harold. (Bob was heard to say "I don't even like Harold." Same results.. Harold died, and Bob got his van, apt. contents, etc.

(I have no idea of what is being done with their bank accounts.)

4. The latest victim, (Mr. Al Galdi), is about 90 years old. Bob got him to sign over "power of attorney!"

One look at Mr. Galdi would tell you that he is probably incapable of making such a decision! Mr. Galdi owns a beautiful car. I remember Mr. Galdi felling me that he has a daughter in Closter, NJ. Unfortunately, Hippa regulations prohibit the management here from giving me more info.
Can you please help to stop this maggot?

Florida statutes prohibit this type of exploitation, and he should be in jail.

Email the writer of this letter here >>

Link to F.D.L.A. here >>

See Related Posts : Elder Abuse - What to do When Authorities Refuse to Help

Who Are Public Agency Investigators Protecting: The Neglected Elder Or The Perpetrator of The Neglect?

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Dear Mr. xxxx;

I scribbled out your name because the person that is victimizing the elders in your building has a record and is clearly dangerous and if he finds out that your reaching out to us for help he could further victimize you and your neighboors who are problably too afraid and with good reason to speak up.

Thank You for having the courage to speak up I realize how hard this must be for you.

We will do everything in our power to call atention to your plight and get help for you and for the other elders that are being victimized, and yes we have a pretty good idea what's is happening to their bank accounts! It's usually the same pattern after an elder gives Power of Attorney in most places this is considered fraud under undue influence.

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Warning : Big Problems Ahead for Elders and Their Families

Sunday, August 19, 2007 By Jan Warner and Jan Collins

Question: My parents have been secretive about their finances ever since I can remember. As they aged (they are now in their late 70s), I would ask about powers of attorney because of my concern about handling matters for them if they became unable to do so. They would tell my husband and me (I am an only child) that everything was under control and, could they not handle their affairs, I would find everything in order.

My father has suffered a debilitating stroke from which he will not recover, and my mother broke her hip. I finally got a key to their home from her purse, and after hours of searching, my husband and I found their "everything is under control" package: a notebook containing a couple hundred pages of trust documents and instructions, some signature pages having not been signed or witnessed; and a number of deferred annuity statements and bank statements. No powers of attorney or wills. I called the banks and annuity companies, all of which refused to talk to me. I called the "trust network" responsible for this mess, and they hung up on me.

I have now been to a lawyer who tells me that I will basically have to sue my parents to gain court-appointed conservatorship and guardianship over both of them. In this way, he says, we can get to the bottom of this awful mess. I blame myself for not being more aggressive with my folks. They trusted the word of strangers who took advantage of them as opposed to trusting their only child. I hope you will print this so your readers will understand that seniors are indeed targets for abuse.

To learn more about expert advise on this dilemma click here >>

You can learn more information about elder care law and write to the authors on http://www.lifemanagement.com/nextsteps/