Stealing From Easy targets : Fastest Growing Category of Elder Abuse

Dean Mosiman608-252-6141 dmosiman@madison.com

They have cash and property.

Some are alone and frail. Others are sharp and socially connected.

And they're being robbed, sometimes losing small sums, sometimes life savings, to family, friends, caregivers and scam artists.

Stealing is the fastest growing category of elder abuse in Wisconsin, government data show.

Thieves are exploiting gaping holes in the public safety net, the Wisconsin State Journal found in an eight-month investigation of elder abuse in the state. Among the newspaper's findings:

• The state doesn't force financial institutions to alert police to suspicious transactions.

• Too few police and elder abuse investigators have expertise and training in financial crimes, which can be time-consuming and hard to prove.

• Crooks can use the same laws and financial tools — power of attorney, quitclaim deeds, joint bank accounts — that let a good-hearted caregiver or guardian manage a faltering elder's financial affairs.

As few as one in 25 financial crimes against elders is ever reported, one study estimated.

Most of it goes undetected, unreported or unprosecuted, experts say, because the victims are often too ashamed to speak up. They don't want to report family or caregivers who steal but also help them stay independent. Or they're afraid of the perpetrator or the court process.

"By the time we see it, $20,000 to $30,000 is lost," said Scott Martin, one of Dane County's three elder abuse investigators. "We see at least five a year this size."

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Crime Of The Future

An estimated one to two million seniors suffer abuse in the United States every year ,and in coming years, the aging boom generation is likely to increase the problem and further tax social services, police and court resources.

Elder abuse is often invisible to the community and authorities. It's most often committed by family members or others caregivers. It's most often committed by family members or other careegivers.

Woman Sentenced for Elder Abuse

By: North County Times - Wednesday, November 7, 2007

FRENCH VALLEY -- A woman was sentenced Friday to 150 days in jail and ordered not to accept employment in the elder care industry after pleading guilty to felony elder abuse.

Lillie Mae Stewart, 42, of Murrieta, will serve the sentence on consecutive weekends, court records show. The sentencing at Southwest Justice Center in French Valley stemmed from her conviction for the abuse of a 70-year-old man who was discovered in July living in an unventilated garage as temperatures topped 100 degrees outside.

Stewart was arrested when police were called to a home on Mayfield Union Way and discovered the man living in the garage with a cot to sleep on and a portable toilet to use. Police said they believed the man, who was malnourished and could not walk without help from officers, had been in that situation for about a month.

Police found that Stewart had been caring for the elderly man for five years and had been receiving monthly compensation checks of $2,000 from the state for his care.

Source: North County Times

A Silent shame.- How Could This Happen?

Wisconsins,-USA Dean Mosiman608-252-6141 dmosiman@madison.com

• An elderly recluse starves to death.
• A con man bleeds nearly $250,000 from two women in their 90s.
• A nursing home aide sexually assaults a 73-year-old Alzheimer's patient.
• An eccentric 88-year-old woman with $50,000 in her handbag is shot to death and left in a farm field.

The stories, all from Wisconsin, outrage us and capture our attention — for awhile. But thousands of senior citizens here, and millions nationally, are suffering silently at the hands of family, caregivers and even themselves.

The social service and justice systems can barely handle reported cases of abuse. They miss the majority, which go unreported, and are unprepared to help the aging baby boomers who will soon flood the system, the Wisconsin State Journal found in an eight-month investigation. After conducting more than 150 interviews, and examining of scores of county, state and federal documents and databases, the newspaper found:

How many victims?

No one knows how many elderly Americans are abused, neglected or exploited. The National Elder Abuse Incidence Study of 1998 found more than 500,000 Adult Protective Services reports across the country, but surveys of front-line responders indicated that only one in five cases are reported. Later studies have estimated that perhaps one in 14 cases in domestic settings are reported, and that one in 25 victims of financial exploitation come forward.

Police agencies often don't train officers to investigate elder abuse, and don't always insist on arrests when senior citizens are victims of domestic violence

"It's a tremendously serious problem," said Sharon Merriman-Nai, who runs the National Center on Elder Abuse managed from the University of Delaware. "I think we're about to hit critical mass with the aging of the population. I think we're looking at a crisis."

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Seniors Choose NOT to Report Incidents of Mistreatment

DOVER –USA Associated Press- State Attorney General Beau Biden's Office is scheduled next week to convene what is being billed as a Senior Summit to focus on abuse of the elderly.Biden's office says the gathering in Dover is intended to educate the public and solicit comments and opinions from seniors, advocates and law enforcement.The state's Adult Protective Services program has received nearly 900 reports of elder abuse this year, that's as many as all of last year.Officials say one of the biggest problems is that many seniors are either not capable or choose not to report incidents of mistreatment.

Son Charged With Neglect in Mother Death

UTICA - USA .The man accused of neglecting his mother by letting her live in filth was in court this morning. David Auchmoody. 61, was unable to enter a plea this past Friday because he did not have an attorney present.

Auchmoody is charged with second-degree murder after an autopsy revealed his mother died of a bone infection and improper nutrition. Police say his mother was trusted in his care.

According to police reports she weighed less than 50 pounds when she died. In court today, Auchmoody's attorney, Christopher Pelli, entered a not guilty plea on his client's behalf.

Video High

RELATED STORIES:
*Prosecutors: "worst case of elder abuse" they've ever seen
*Man accused of leaving mother in filthy conditions before death

The Other Side of The Story

UTICA - A Whitestown man told investigators that his elderly mother stubbornly refused his help as he tried to care for her in the weeks leading up to her death earlier this year, according to police reports filed in Oneida County Court.

“My mom seemed to lose concern for her day-to-day life,” David Auchmoody told Deputy Jeffrey Worthley. “I have continued to feed and care for my mother to the best of my ability.” But Edith Auchmoody was a “difficult woman” and she often rebuffed his efforts, Auchmoody told deputies.

“He stated that she would not allow him to help with her toileting needs or to bathe her,” sheriff's Sgt. Christine Reilly wrote. “She insisted on taking care of that herself.” She also did not like doctors and had not gone to see one in about 30 years, Reilly stated.

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Of course there is two sides to Elder Abuse, Ugly and Uglier, if it gets where you are burned out or un able to care for an elder, you have to take the responsibility for that elder, excuses are often NOT enough and allow for a respite or step down totally when you are un able to carry out your duty to care for that elder as you would an infant.

If you take on the responsibility to care for an elder you have to take that responsibility serious and rather than leave the elder alone subject to falls,neglect or injury, you have better be prepared to put your personal life aside in the elder's best interest, otherwise you could find yourself in serious trouble as Mr. David Auchmoody and other abusers by neglect are finding out the hard way.

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Remember My Name

By AUSTIN CUNNINGHAM

"My story must be told,

Must remain in constant memory

So my daughters won't cry my tears,

Or follow my tortured legacy ...

Love ain't a tricky thing if it's coming

From a healthy place ...

Maybe I should have loved him a little less ...

Maybe I should have not believed he'd

Never hit me again;

All those maybes will not bring me back again."

That's a prose poem by a dying woman and I've taken liberties in compressing the words of a final victim of domestic violence -- repetitive, relentless, domestic violence, a war between the sexes. We're aware of its presence, going on behind those walls we walk by, drive by every day. Maybe we're tired of hearing about it, bored by it because of its propinquity (nearness). Behind expensive walls but mostly behind dirty, littered walls. It's as old as Genesis but as current as the next 15 minutes, a strong body beating on a weaker body with fists, furniture, whatever's handy. The reasons are multiple, no single pattern. A man (most often) with the self control of a child. In his mindless fury taking his revenge on adults like those others who may have abused him when he was weak, helpless and tiny.

Shortage of Family Caregivers Will Have Major Ramifications for Elders And Their Families

To access services in Rock County,Wisconsin contact the Rock County Council on Aging Information and Assistance Specialist at (608) 758-8455. Or go to the Council on Aging Web site . You also might refer to the Rock County Senior Directory which is located on the Web site.

As the number of households providing care to older adults soars, families are getting smaller. The 1990 U.S. Census found 11 potential caregivers for each person needing care. By 2050, the number of potential caregivers per recipient is projected to plummet to four.

The shortage of family caregivers will have major ramifications for families, communities and health care providers.

Caregiver statistics

• 80 percent of all home care is provided by family caregivers.


• Caregiving is no longer predominantly a woman’s issue. Men now make up 44 percent of the caregiving population.


• Over half of all caregivers are in their prime working years. Fifty-four percent are between 35 and 64 years old.


• More than one quarter (26.6 percent) of the adult population has provided care to a family member or friend during the past year. Based on current census data, that translated into more than 54 million people.


• More people enter nursing homes because of caregiver burnout rather than an exacerbation of their own condition.

However, people do not readily identify themselves as caregivers. Unless a sudden accident or illness intervenes, the caregiver role evolves over time and gradually turns into a major time-consuming responsibility that can be (very)stressful.

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Why Are Cases of Elder Abuse So Grossly Under Reported ?

" Cases of elder abuse are historically under reported - only one in 25 nationwide, according to a panel of local experts who deal with matters of financial abuse and exploitation of the elderly. "

I used not be able to comprehend why someone would NOT report elder abuse.

Having spent three(3) years trying to get the truth out surrounding the horrific case of elder and elder financial abuse that Clara G. Fernandez was a victim of and events surrounding her family who has been the subject of seven(7) complaints to the DCF all of which have been UN founded and appear to be the product of retaliation from the perpetrators . There appear to be no limit on the number of false reports that can be filed by the same people who want to punish the “whistle-blower” on the case of my mother's abuse.

For three long years the victim and the victim’s family have been treated with skepticism. We are still been subjected to humiliation, oppressive tactics, including a forced guardianship against the victim’s family’s wishes. There is also the failure to recover the assets converted by the perpetrators.

All these, after the victim’s own money has been depleted by the perpetrators’ continuous ploy to mislead and confuse the courts.

Now I understand why only One (1) in twenty-five (25) cases of elder abuse are actually reported. This is a deplorable state of events that needs to be addressed.

Another way to read the statistics is that 24 in every 25 cases of elder abuse go UNREPORTED!

• What happen to those unreported victims? Are they getting the assistance to be removed from their abusive situations?
• Are those victims given counseling on how to survive the post-traumatic syndromes or ill-effects?
• Do we as a society really care?
• Do politicians really care?
• Where are support for people who dared to speak up for the vulnerable, ‘voiceless’ seniors?

Cases of elder and elder financial abuse are routinely labeled "Civilly Matter" condemning the victim’s families to Endless Court Hearings, and the total depletion of family assets in seemingly endless legal bills.

Only one thing you can be sure of is that after every hearing there is always a next one.Thanks to the Internet; cases like that of Clara G. Fernandez, Frank Punito and other elder abuse cases that can now get worldwide publicity.

It is our sincere desire to alert people to the dangers of growing old. We also attempt to disseminate all kinds of information to empower people who are growing older so that they WILL NOT go through the pains and sufferings that elder abuse victims had endured.Governments from around the world must take note of the evolving “Grey Power” .

We are now more informed and are united in our call for protection in our twilight years.

Sources: http://www.apa.org/pi/aging/eldabuse.html (American Psychological Association)

This Editorial Co-Writen by Andrew & Ray

Only One Case of Elder Financial Exploitation Out of 25 Reported Nationwide

COLONIE - Cases of elder abuse are historically underreported - only one in 25 nationwide, according to a panel of local experts who deal with matters of financial abuse and exploitation of the elderly.

They shared their expertise Tuesday with attorneys, health care workers, financial managers, social workers, nurses and physicians who gathered for a day-long financial abuse conference at the Marriott Hotel on Wolf Road.
Elder abuse is a growing trend as baby boomers reach retirement age.

Networking among professionals can help curb and hopefully prevent the abuse in its earliest stages, they said at the Senior Financial Literacy Training and Education Initiative in partnership with Citizens Bank Foundation.

"We're bringing together a lot of different professional perspectives so people can develop a better understanding of the role they and others play in protecting the elderly from this kind of abuse," said Philip McCallion, a UAlbany professor and director of the Center for Excellence in Aging Services.

Financial abuse includes misuse of powers of attorney and guardianships, illegal transfers of property, misuse of a position of trust and authority, consumer fraud, identity theft, among others. Senior citizens are particularly vulnerable, said Kathleen Boland, Albany County assistant district attorney.

"We want to educate the public, care givers, and anyone involved with the care of the elderly," she said.

"It's been mainly financial abuse," Boland said. She cited a case from 1998 involving a 92-year-old woman who was swindled out of $980,000 and left penniless to spend her last days in a county nursing home.

A woman posing as a home healthcare aid and members of her family sold the elder woman's house out from under her and ran up the balances on her credit cards. They likewise impersonated her and committed insurance fraud.

In some instances, abusing the trust that something such as power of attorney implies can be construed as a criminal act.

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Michigan Houses Passes Resolution to Fight Elder Abuse

Michigan -Posted by Kalamazoo Gazette - Citing statistics that indicate that thousands of elderly adults are victims of abuse each year, state Rep. Robert Jones (D-Kalamazoo) reported that the Michigan House of Representatives passed Tuesday a resolution that calls on Congress to enact the Elder Justice Act.

The act provide states more resources to prevent elder abuse, provide victim assistance and increase prosecution of those who mistreat seniors, according to information provided by Jones, who is chairman of the House Senior Health, Security and Retirement Committee, and who introduced the resolution.

"This is the right thing to do for our parents and grandparents, who deserve to feel safe and secure in their golden years," Jones said in a press release.

Adults age 60 and older accounted for 69 percent of some 9,300 cases of adult mistreatment that occurred in 2001, according to the Michigan's Adult Protective Services, the representative's office reported.

Hammer Used To Kill Elderly Man

A judge set bail at $2 million Friday afternoon for the woman accused of using a hammer to kill an elderly Riverbank man.

Kathy Bronzini, 47, pleaded innocent at her arraignment before Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Richardo Córdova. She remains in jail on charges of murder, elder abuse and violating probation.

Witnesses told Sheriff's Department investigators that Bronzini hit Joe Garcia, 82, several times in the head with a hammer Wednesday. He died 12 hours later of blunt force trauma.

Deputies found Garcia lying in a puddle of blood on his front porch in the 3600 block of Dakota Avenue. He had wounds on his face and head, but was conscious enough to speak to deputies.

Garcia family members waiting to hear Bronzini's plea Friday said Garcia was a giving, strong-minded man who found Bronzini next to a store with a sign that read "Will work for food." He invited her into his home and worked out an agreement in which she could live with him in exchange for cleaning.

Family members felt Bronzini was taking advantage of Garcia, said Monte Garcia, 42, Joe Garcia's nephew.

"Today we found out his accounts were out of money," Garcia said.

Family members said Bronzini would leave Joe Garcia when he refused to pay her, but she always returned. They urged him not to let her back into his house and even called police to ask for help keeping Bronzini away, but nothing worked, Monte Garcia said....

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