Families in elder abuse case are using online networks

Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, blogging spread message By Sarah Stultz Albert Lea Tribune

The families of the alleged abuse victims at Good Samaritan Society of Albert Lea are reaching out on social networking Web sites to spread the message of reform in long-term care facilities across the country.

The families, who have formed under a group called Families Against Nursing Home Abuse, have pages on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. They also have videos on YouTube. One writes a blog.

At these sites, people can read reactions to elder abuse and get to know the alleged victims of abuse in words and photos.

Jan Reshetar, co-founder of the group, said she and the others decided to branch out to these Internet sources to enact changes on the local, state and national level.“We’re trying to get the community involved,” Reshetar said. “We’re trying to get the attention of our local people.”
Then, hopefully, once people get involved, they will call their state and national representatives and senators and voice their concerns.

At her blog, Reshatar wrote: “It’s been over one year since we first got the phone call that Mom ‘may or may not, be a victim of what may or may not be abuse.’ It’s been over 12 months … over 365 days … over 8,760 hours … over 525,600 minutes … over a lifetime ago.”
A description of the group on Facebook states Families Against Nursing Home Abuse is “committed to providing information and resources for the continuum of long-term care — from successful aging, to aging in the home, to assisted living, to hospice care, as well as nursing home care.”

They formed around the same time charges were filed in Freeborn County District Court in December 2008 against Albert Lea High School graduates Brianna Broitzman and Ashton Larson.

Broitzman and Larson, former Good Sam nursing assistants, each face at least 10 charges related to the alleged abuse of multiple residents at the nursing home over several months.
Amid the pain the families experienced knowing their family members could have allegedly been victims of this abuse, a few of them started seeking out the other families to gain strength from each other.

They’ve since met regularly at local establishments to talk about their experiences and the strategies they’re taking to contact state and national leaders.
They’ve also worked closely with A Perfect Cause, an Oklahoma-based advocacy group, and are diligent in attending Broitzman and Larson’s hearings.

“There are many laws, policies and procedures that need to be changed,” Reshetar said.
She said it’s hard for her to realize that in the last 40 or 50 years, laws for other age groups have moved forward. But to her, it seems like laws for the elderly have been forgotten, she noted.
“We want people to understand what this does,” Reshetar said, of the alleged abuse. “It doesn’t just hurt one person or one son or daughter. It affects everybody’s lives. The numbers are countless.”

Reshetar has blogged, or journaled, about her own feelings of the case on Blogspot.com.
“We need to get people to understand this is not a one-time situation,” Reshetar said.
The Facebook page can be found at Facebook.com

The Twitter, MySpace and YouTube pages can be found by doing a search. In most cases people have to be a member of the Web site to access them.

The next Families Against Nursing Home Abuse group meeting will be July 23.
People interested in joining can call Reshetar at 402-4749 or Myrna Sorensen at 383-6963.

Announcement ; Power of Attorney Abuse

Two new “channels” on AARP’s website share information and resources on elder abuse and, more specifically, power of attorney abuse. AARP’s TV show, Inside E Street, aired an episode last week called “License to Steal.” You can watch the show and find links to many resources at:

http://www.aarp.org/aarp/broadcast/Inside_E_Street_License_to_Steal/

The show focuses on addressing power of attorney abuse, using the Brooke Astor case as a graphic example and featuring research and law reform efforts. Guests include Lori Stiegel, author of the AARP Public Policy Institute report Power of Attorney Abuse: What States Can Do About It

http://www.aarp.org/research/legal/legalrights/2008_17_poa.html

Linda Whitton, law professor and Reporter for the Uniform Power of Attorney Act; Bob Blancato, Elder Justice Coalition; Congressman Joe Sestak; and Meryl Gordon, author of Mrs. Astor Regrets.

Ken Onaitis, LMSW
Director, Police Relations & Elder Abuse
Carter Burden Center for the Aging
1484 First Ave.
New York, NY 10075
212-879-7400 x116

onaitisk@burdencntr.org

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We had our own experience wih POA's when our mother Clara G Fernandez who suffered from Dementia and Alzheimer's was "questionable removed" from her home and husband of 59 years . A.J. Fernandez , and made to sign a new POA which was used to close her CD's,Stock accounts,Bond accounts,transfer her Real Estate out of her Trust and otherwise raid her Trust.

The matter ws considered a "civilly matter" and authorities refused to take action and save Clara from losing most assets in her Trust, except for her social security income.

When family pointed out to the authorities that her the new POA that she gave at 87 years old
after having the onset of dementia and alzhaimers, the answer from the authorities was that the POA had a newer data and that was all that mattered, regarless of the circumstances under which it was obtained!

'The Glow (of Money)' AARP and Ageism

by Marian Van McCain Saturday, February 24, 2007

Someone has just drawn my attention to an article in the latest AARP magazine about skin care in the second half of life. Forwarding the link: http://www.aarpmagazine.org/health/skincare_erase_ten_years.html she wrote: "It gives a lot of info about caring for our skin as we age -- with illustrations showing women in their 50s, 60s, 70s -- along with product names. Titled "Go with the Glow," it is about care of the skin, not about staying young, and it illustrates the point with some beautiful aging women. A specific dermatologist gets a big plug as the scientific/medical expert, and a number of specific products are recommended. … it is an illustration of an issue that pertains to many of us. No promises to stay young, but info on keeping our skin healthy. It does place a lot of value on spending for skin care products at the same time it addresses basic protection measures of caution about sun, not smoking, eating healthy, etc..."Hey, that’s great, I thought. If the world’s highest-circulation magazine for ‘seniors’ can publish an article on skin care while avoiding ageism, well things are really looking up.

They are not. (sigh)

The article, I’m sad to say, is as full of ageism as any other article I have ever read about skin care for the over-fifties. The ageism is just a tad more subtle, that’s all, and overshadowed by the use of older models. Here are some ageist quotes from the article .

"Other changes aren’t as pleasant… freckles, fine lines, and wrinkles can become more prominent. But advances in skin-care technology mean many of these problems can be addressed, so long as you use the right products—and see a dermatologist regularly"
"…she hasn’t taken any preventive measures to ensure her skin stays youthful-looking."
"Beverly is lucky; her parents and grandparents looked much younger than they were, so she has some genetic protection. Doctors aren’t sure what genes are at work, but if your parents looked young, chances are you will, too"

"Seventy years later, those preventive measures—and a lifelong diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and fish—have paid off: Joan looks years younger than she is"

"She could also use a facial cream that prevents sagging, which is a concern at her age."
Yes, it is the same, tired premise: looking young is better than looking old. And that, my friends, is ageist.

Totally. But ageism is so deeply woven into our culture that most of the time we don’t even notice it. The person who forwarded the article obviously didn’t notice it. Although she asserted that the article is ‘not about being young', as you can see from the link its actual title is ‘Erase Ten Years’!! I don’t want to erase ten years. I like being 70. Why should I pretend to be 60?

...advertisers, instead of saying ‘moisturise your skin with this if it feels too dry’, say ‘buy this, it will keep your skin looking young’.

To cap it off, the natural changes of aging, such as freckles, age spots, wrinkles and crows’ feet, instead of being seen as badges of honour for elders, are now neatly redefined as ‘blemishes’ in order to put more money in cosmetic manufacturers’ pockets – and the massive chemical corporations who supply their raw materials.

We are being conned, folks. The con gets cleverer and subtler but it is still a con. We are now being conned into needing supplements to combat Vitamin D deficiency because we’ve been so busy slathering ourselves with the sunscreen they managed to convince us we needed. We are being conned into spending millions on fancy products to moisturise our skin when simple, traditional things like olive oil and shea butter (and washing our faces just with water to preserve the natural oils) would serve us just as well – in fact better because they aren’t full of dodgy chemicals like parabens.

Above all, we are being conned into believing that looking exactly like the old women we are is not OK.

read it all >>

The "Problem" With Elders

[EDITORIAL NOTE: Cowtown Pattie of Texas Trifles has been "podcasted" by John Lindner at The Baltimore Sun for his Blogography presentation. You can listen to her gorgeous Texas twang right here.]

A Tylenol PM commercial has been running for several months. Encouragingly, it opens with an older woman, passed her 50th birthday, who is not made up to appear younger. Then, unfortunately, she opens her mouth:

“Aging doesn’t happen one problem at a time,” she says. “First, there was high blood pressure. Then came arthritis…”

That, apparently, is how the owners, executives and creative types at Tylenol view the totality of aging – as one problem after another.

The company is not alone..... It is perpetrated by most product advertising and pervades all media influencing everyone – young and even the old – into believing that aging is the worst thing that can happen to a person.

Commercials are the one place on television where elders are numerous and in plain view. However, unlike beautiful young men and women, they are not driving shiny new automobiles.

And even the latest AARP commercials ............But who speaks for elders?

by Roni Bennet here >>

AARP's Ageism is Showing

AARP sells a lot of different kinds of insurance to its age 50-plus members and some critics argue that its lobbying efforts (it supported the Medicare – Part D prescription drug coverage legislation) have less to do with benefiting members than maintaining and increasing its product revenue.

It is not unreasonable to assume from that mission statement that it is in AARP's DNA to respect aging and elderhood, and that they hold themselves up as an advocate for elders, a bulwark against ageism.

It is the same old ageist language that appears all over the media every day perpetuating the same cultural insistence that age is bad and everyone must do everything within their power to look as young as possible unto the grave. But this time it is worse coming, as it does, from an organization that says it represents elders. Or maybe they represent only youthful-looking elders.

Florida Legislators AARP are Slow to Respond to the Need for Elder Abuse Protection

by Irwin Perr, MD, JD, the former president of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law (AAPL).

There is no support from groups like AARP.

Such objections ignore the endorsements given the Ohio Physicians' Elder Abuse Prevention report, and the endorsement which these ideas have received from Bentley Lipscomb, Florida's former secretary of elder affairs, while he was director of AARP in that state, but there is no refuting the fact that most other legislators and most other AARP representatives have done nothing to address this problem. In fact, one of the most disturbing facts is that the people's representatives in the legislature and other organizations like AARP have not addressed this issue to their constituents.

Such proposals have been communicated to legislators for nearly a decade. Your help is urgently needed to persuade legislators to do something about this problem.

To share this information with family members, friends, neighbors, legislators, and other acquaintenances. Write a public official to express your concern.

Bookmark this page and be part of the solution.