Nevada Legislators Debate Elder Abuse: Since 90 percent of Elder Abuse is Committed in Homes by Family Members.

By JOE MULLIN ASSOCIATED PRESS February 12, 2007

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - The Nevada Senate Judiciary committee voted Monday for a bill to let the state's elder abuse investigators get criminal histories of suspects from police agencies.

Division of Aging Services administrator Carol Sala said the change was necessary because some of her 12 her investigators, who are licensed clinical social workers, have been exposed to dangerous situations, and even threatened by family members.

Since 90 percent of elder abuse is committed in homes by family members, social workers sometimes must go to homes where they could confront suspects with histories of drug use or domestic violence. Often, elder abusers have problems with gambling or drug addiction, said Sala.

In those situations, she added, her division should be allowed to access criminal records to know whether or not to ask for law enforcement escorts.

The proposal, SB31, would add the Division of Aging Services to a list of government agencies authorized to get criminal records, including child welfare agencies, the Gaming Control Board, and the state Board of Nursing.

Senior Fiscal Abuse Fought

New law to protect the elderly requires banks to report their suspicions.

By Chelsea Phua - Bee Staff Writer Published Sunday, February 11, 2007

Story appeared in METRO section, Page B1

Financial abuse of the elderly -- whether by rogue contractors, caregivers, close family members, remote phone solicitors or lottery scams -- is on the rise, advocates and legislators say.

In California, the number of reported cases has increased by 55 percent, in 2005, according to the California Department of Social Services. Under the new law, also known as the Financial Elder Abuse Reporting Act of 2005, financial employees join nursing care and home health care workers, law enforcement officers, members of the clergy and other government officials required by law to report suspected financial abuse.

"Individuals 65 and older control over 70 percent of the nation's wealth," said Peggy Osborn, of the elder and dependent adult abuse prevention at the California attorney general's office. "That's not lost on people who want to take advantage of them."

"It's not like they can go out to work and recoup," Osborn said. "Anytime a senior loses the money that they have worked a lifetime to earn, it's tragic."

A Story Worth Telling - Proud Of Our Ancestry

Fran;
I renamed your link ' Advice That Could Save Your Parents' so that it would appear on the top of the list because I think that the advice that you are giving comes from experience, and even when you took so many precautions the quote; "They are very clever, very resourceful and they know how to trigger people's emotions."
Times Standard Comes to mind when reading your site. "An Italian American Family."

Thanks for the fascinating story of your forefathers history, I'll keep coming back to it.

God Bless You and Your Sisters,
Raul (Ray)

From: Fran [mailto:stopelderabuse@gmail.com] Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 1:49 PMTo: RaySubject: Re: I renamed your link

The quote from the Times Standard was interesting and very true.

The woman who abused my parents and murdered my dad was a genius in knowing how to control us, how to push all those little buttons that we all have, how to separate one of the sisters and use her and the youngest whom we had sent out of town to agitate the situation. When all around you is turmoil it is hard to see what is really happening.

The police who investigated the case told us that these abusers are very clever and it would be difficult to see what they are doing because they are practiced at hiding it. I looked up the % of sociopaths in the population -- about 4% which is a huge number. That is 4 out of every hundred people you meet! For a good book about the issue see "The Sociopath next Door" by Martha Stout.

I am very proud of what these people were able to do, of how courageous they were. I am grateful for what they gave to us and very glad to be part of them. Thanks for reading that part of the site. I know you are overwhelmed with what you are trying to do.

God bless you too.
Fran

February 10th 2007

Fran,

I think that we have so much in common , our fathers came a long ways looking for the American dream. Our stories are so different yet so similar.

In your valiant and determined effort to tell the story of your brave father, that risked it all for a dream, so that you could live a better life you has inspired and given me courage to tell the story of my father.

-The Story of Dr.A.J.Fernandez-Sosa -A Story Worth Telling >>

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.

Editorial by Blog Administrator -

As you know from reading my posts , there are people all around the country , that create wealth by plundering elders, some are experienced and zero in on wealthy widowers with little family, "It's amazing how creative some perpetrators are, and the complexity of how they can create a situation that they benefit from,” Hufft said. “They are very clever, very resourceful and they know how to trigger people's emotions.” Times Standard

"This stuff is happening all over the place." Cases that are reported often aren't prosecuted because police and prosecuting attorneys historically have viewed them as civil matters, Dimitrov said. They go under the radar screen . People don't want to recognize it. They don't want to hear about it. ... Sometimes it just takes a long time before it permeates the psyches and people say, “Oh, wow, that really does happen” . " Sarah Flohr, Trust officer for Cowlitz Bank.

And hence the purpose of our elder abuse blogs is to convince people that this is happening, and that sooner is better than later to stop the people that are doing this . If you think I am exaggerating, you are not alone, most people are in denial, kind of where we were on child abuse 15-20 years ago, we are pioneers breaking new ground, because of your efforts and the efforts of people like you in 5 years there will be new laws in Florida to protect the elderly, pretty much as other estates are scrambling everyday to appoint new prosecutors, and pass new laws to protect their elders.

I will close this post with a quote from an article published in the AICPA Wealth Managament Insider on January 24 2007 .

'As Willie Sutton is famously known to have said, when explaining why he robbed banks: "That’s where the money is." It seems that a number of individuals, and some organized gangs, have realized that many single elderly persons have that in common with banks: they have money, and it is all too often available for the taking.'

By Ray Fernandez

Man accused of elder abuse turns himself in

By ABBY FOX-DN Staff Writer Article 02/07/2007

REDDING - Friday, a Redding resident turned himself in to Shasta County on a felony warrant for elder abuse and neglect, according to the Redding Police Department.

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Sentence less than eight months

By Layla BohmNews-Sentinel Staff Writer Last updated: Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 - 07:01:01 am PST

She could have faced up to 13 years in state prison for charges of elder financial abuse, but Jan Ann Pestana instead accepted a deal with a judge Tuesday that will put her behind bars for no more than eight months.

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OTH wrote on February 07, 2007 8:51 AM:"I get the impression this lady still does not take responsibility for what she did. Perhaps some of her time can be spent reading about Karma. It does exist."

Bewildered wrote on February 07, 2007 7:42 AM:"How does she continue to get away with this type of behavior? Honestly, eight months?!! She exhibits no remorse and will continue to be a threat to our community."

'Half a million old people suffering abuse' in the UK alone

By Sarah Womack, Social Affairs Correspondent updated Last Updated: 07/02/2007

Abuse of the elderly must be treated with the same seriousness as child abuse, with police receiving special training to protect older people from what has become a "national scandal", a charity said today.

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Couple beaten; grandson sought

"My nephew just tried to kill his grandparents – and he was going to kill me, too," Ms. Boan, 52, told a 911 operator about 4:30 a.m. Friday. "You might want to bring an ambulance, too, because he hit my mother and she's down on the ground and she's got osteoporosis real bad."

read the story here >>

Letters to the Editor

What kind of people are victims of elder abuse ? the short answer is OTHER PEOPLE - in an effort for readers to meet some of these ' other people' I have received permission from Fran to print the moving letter she wrote us, this letter shows that the other people that are victims of this horrible crime are people just like you ........ Blog Administrator

Ray,

I have re-read your email several times. You have been through a horrible experience and from the text of your letter, the pain continues for you. I know how difficult it is to work with the legal authorities, but it is well worth the effort. My sisters and I worked for almost a year before we had any resolution to our parents' case. The sentence given by the court was not sufficient, in my mind, but I believe that life itself will provide the ultimate justice to the perpetrator.

I wish that there was something that I could say that would be a help to you. The only thought that helps me keep my sanity is that my parents had a wonderful life. In this world where so few people find real and lasting happiness, my parents found that special someone who made their life complete. From the pictures on your blog, it appears that your parents found that special someone too.

Though I have three sisters, only one of my sisters and I are caring for our mom. Another sister is disabled and the other -- well, we called the police and had her thrown out of town because she was abusing our parents and stealing the money mom and dad had saved for their "golden years." It is unthinkable to me that this sister could have been raised in the same home with the same parents as I had. She was loved "to distraction" just as I was. Why did she consider it her right to take what my parents had saved? You must be asking yourself the same question about your brother!

The most that I can do right now is keep my website going "An Italian-American Family" and tell everyone I know what happened to my family. I hope that the information I have learned will help others. It appears that your website is well read and though you may never know how many or who you have helped, I believe that you are helping others. Your parents would be proud of your efforts and they love you more than you will ever know. Though our fathers are gone from this life, I really believe that they are still here with us, still loving us as they always did.

If you think it would be helpful, I could put a link from my site to your blog. My experience is very different than yours and it might be helpful to others to link the sites to one another.

Please keep in touch with us. I believe that someday our efforts will be rewarded.

Fran

stopelderabuse@gmail.com

Bloomingdale Man Admits to Attacking Elderly Women; Victim's Family Speaks Out

Savanah Georgia
Etta Dickey surrounded by four generations of women in her family, from a family photo.

William Dixon pled guilty in a Chatham County court today to beating an elderly woman to death with a brick and attacking another with a frying pan.

First, he attacked 77-year-old Evelyn Page, his wife's grandmother. His second victim was 82-year-old Etta Dickey.

Read the whole story here >>

County commissioner backs move to establish Cowlitz Vulnerable Adult Task Force

County commissioner backs move to establish Cowlitz , Longview Washington Vulnerable Adult Task Force By Amy M. E. Fischer Feb 03, 2007 - 11:57:39 pm PST

In her role as a trust officer for Cowlitz Bank, Flohr has seen disturbing cases of financial exploitation, abuse and abandonment of elderly and/or vulnerable adults --- but little in the way of prosecution. If agencies that deal with such victims communicated, pooled resources and learned more about elder abuse laws, perpetrators of such crimes against vulnerable adults might be brought to justice, she said.

About 95 percent of the cases Dimitrov sees involve family members who illegally use power of attorney and quitclaim deeds to plunder the assets of vulnerable elderly relatives, she said. The formerly financially secure victims are often left penniless and reliant on state-provided services, she said.

"This is not uncommon," she said Thursday. "This stuff is happening all over the place." Cases that are reported often aren't prosecuted because police and prosecuting attorneys historically have viewed them as civil matters, Dimitrov said.

"It's going to be such a huge issue in years to come," she said. "We're like 30 years behind child abuse and 20 years behind domestic violence. People don't want to recognize it. They don't want to hear about it. ... Sometimes it just takes a long time before it permeates the psyches and people say, 'Oh, wow, that really does happen.' "

"A lot of time it was a senior citizen population calling us for help," Swanson said Thursday. "We saw lots of people get taken for lots of money. It's so sad."