Gatekeepers are people who come into
contact with elders and other vulnerable adults
through their jobs and everyday activities. They
are crucial eyes and ears in our community, a
vital means of finding those most at risk of
abuse.
|
December
2010
Happy Holidays Gatekeeper
Readers!
The EAP would like to
thank you for all you do to protect the vulnerable
elders and dependent adults in our
community. This has been a year of fruitful
collaborations and inspired developments in our
field. From the passage of the Elder Justice Act to those little
conversations after meetings and everything
in-between, we have been astounded by what can be
accomplished by working together. Here's to
a new year of partnering in the pursuit of a safer
and more just world.
Warmly,
Talitha
Guinn
Elder
Abuse Services Manager
Mary
Grant
Institute
on Aging
(IOA) Volunteer |
 Dispatches
from the Field News
from the Elder Abuse Prevention Program
(EAP)
and Beyond
IOA
is Moving
Institute
on Aging (IOA) and BRIDGE Housing Corporation have
worked together to develop an innovative new
facility that will combine an array of supportive
services with affordable apartments for older
adults.
Located
at 3575 Geary Boulevard, the Senior
Campus will serve as the main location for IOA's
comprehensive health and social support
programs.
 The state-of-the-art facility
will also be home to the Coronet Apartments, 150 expertly
designed independent living spaces
for seniors of modest income and those with
special needs.
IOA
will be announcing an inaugural celebration after
all of our programs are integrated into the new
space.
To follow the Senior Campus
developments visit us online: http://ioaging.org/support/senior_campus_sf_senior_housing.html
Bring
in the New Year with an Elder Abuse In-Service
Training
The
Elder Abuse Prevention Program offers FREE
training on the topics of elder abuse and mandated
reporting, AND we can come to you. We will
tailor our presentation to the needs of your
staff, team, or community. Call or email the
EAP today to calendar your event.
415-750-4180
ext. 222 or tguinn@ioaging.org
California
Elder Justice Workgroup
Since its
launch at the end of 2009, CEJW has hosted a
Statewide Elder Abuse Summit, compiled
an environmental scan,
drafted a Statewide Elder Abuse Blueprint, and
became a robust resource for the field of elder
abuse. See the Legislative and
Policy Update Section for more information about
the Blueprint.
https://cejw.pbworks.com/w/page/12074491/FrontPage
In
The News
Secrets
in America: The Crisis of Elder
Abuse
A
documentary on elder abuse produced by Dave Jones,
Director of Communications and Legislative
Affairs, Stanislaus County, was recently picked up
by the National Educational Telecommunications
Association, and has been made available to all
Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) stations.
Advocates are encouraged to contact local PBS
affiliates to ask that it be shown.
Organizations that work with seniors or children
of seniors are encouraged to show the film locally
as an educational tool or as a training tool for
staff. To view the complete video, go to www.secretsinamerica.org
Elderly
Financial Abuse on the Rise
The
current generation of elders loses approximately
$2.6 billion from financial abuse each year due
chiefly to the fact that seniors often have more
assets than younger generations have had time to
accumulate. Unfortunately, most abuse is
caused by relatives or individuals who have
financial relationships with these victims.
While the Elder Justice Act addresses many of
these issues, the legislation has not been
funded.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-seniorexploitation_05bus.ART.State.Edition1.27084ea.html
Early
Clues to Elder Financial Abuse
Even
those closest to elder friends and family often do
not know when their loved ones are being
defrauded. Money troubles can often be an
early sign, as it was for Renee Packel of
Philadelphia when their HOA phoned asking for
unpaid dues, and even then a forensic accountant
could not locate the family money because it had
disappeared. The issue can be complicated,
involving numerous medical, legal, and financial
professionals, including varying state laws,
principles, and definitions of capacity. In
addition, most professionals agree that competent
seniors' decisions should be respected, but they
often have no recourse if diminished capacity is
suspected.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/health/healthspecial/31finances.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print
Health
Workers to Get Help in Spotting Elderly
Investment-Fraud Victims
Securities
regulators in 22 states are expanding a program to
teach medical professionals how to spot victims of
investment fraud among the elderly.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-17/health-workers-to-get-help-in-spotting-elderly-investment-fraud-victims.html
Dealership
Employee Under Investigation for Elder
Fraud
A
Manteca employee at Cabral Chrysler is being
investigated for selling a new pickup to a
dementia patient who subsequently was chased by
the highway patrol driving 90 mph. Donald
Davis (age 67) was taken to a local hospital where
he died shortly thereafter of a heart
attack.
http://www.modbee.com/2010/10/29/v-print/1405482/pickup-sale-may-lead-to-charges.html
| |
 Fraud and Scam
Alerts
Make
a Wish Phone Scam is Stealing Millions from
American Elders
The
Make-A-Wish Foundation of America on Monday
urgently renewed a nationwide scam alert warning
individuals not to believe anyone calling their
homes and posing as federal employees demanding
advance payment of taxes on fictitious sweepstakes
prizes supposedly awarded by the Make-A-Wish
Foundation.
These
calls are a scam. The Make-A-Wish Foundation does
not award sweepstakes prizes under any
circumstances, nor does it engage in telemarketing
to raise money. The foundation first issued an
alert on this scam in December 2009.
To
read the ABC News story:
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/massive-make-phone-scam-stealing-millions-american-elderly/story?id=11942534
Fraud
Alert from Make a Wish Foundation
http://www.wish.org/news/news_releases/fraud_alert
Real
Estate Investment Scam Spreading through the Bay
Area
An
new scam targeting homeowners is becoming more
prevalent throughout Silicon Valley and the
Peninsula. Homeowners are receiving
hand-written offers to buy their home, with an
unsigned check from a fictional bank.
The check is enclosed to suggest that the sender
is serious about the offer.
This
scam was discovered when several East Palo Alto
and Menlo Park homeowners came to Community Legal
Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA) for assistance
and advice. One family was confused about
the offer and was concerned they were being
targeted. "We are very concerned to learn
about this type of scam and we are working hard to
inform the public so other homeowners in
vulnerable situations are not taken advantage of,"
stated Leah Simon-Weisberg, managing attorney of
the Anti-Predatory Lending and Home Mortgage
Foreclosure Prevention Practice at CLSEPA.
"We have noticed that many of the homeowners being
targeted for the scam are non-English
speaking."
The
chief concern about these hand-written offers and
fake checks is that the senders are licensed and
active real estate agents who are preying on
homeowners with the apparent intent of buying
their homes for below-market prices. "The
agents are targeting people who are in desperate
situations and are willing to sell their homes at
drastically reduced prices, some for as low as
$10,000. It is illegal for real estate
agents to be participating in this kind of
marketing," commented Jennifer Tasto, 2010
President of the San Mateo County Association of
REALTORS (SAMCAR). This kind of marketing is
illegal because offers are not genuine
and the advertising is false. This is
criminal behavior because agents are distributing
fraudulent checks for a substantial sum (some up
to $5,000).
For
more information contact:
Community
Legal Services in East Palo Alto
Leah
Simon-Weisberg, leah@clsepa.org
Office
(650) 326-6440 x 306
|
 Spotlight
Home
for the Holidays:
What to look for during your
annual visit to elderly
relatives
By
Mary Twomey, MSW Co-Director,
Center of Excellence in Elder Abuse &
Neglect
For
many of us, the holidays offer a once-a-year time
to visit with elderly relatives who live at a
distance. These holiday visits are a good time to
assess any assistance parents or other elderly
loved ones might need.
There
are many issues to consider. Does an elderly loved
one require help with chores or housekeeping,
personal care, shopping and meal preparation,
money management, transportation, medical
checkups, or medications? Are they isolated or do
they live with others? If living with another, are
they dependent on that person for care? Is that
person an appropriate caregiver? During your
visit, keep an eye out for warning signs of
self-neglect, or abuse or neglect by others. If,
before you make your trip, you suspect that your
loved one needs extra assistance, plan a longer
stay so that you can visit local aging service
organizations during regular work hours. Allow
enough time during your visit to accomplish
necessary tasks.
Make
the most of your visits by taking some private
time with the elder to discuss future planning.
Allow time for them to express anxieties. You can
decide together what needs to be done and who can
help. Be observant while you are visiting. Realize
that you may need to arrange a visit to a doctor
for a full evaluation.
Remember
that 75%-90% of elder abuse is committed by family
members. Don't let denial become an obstacle to
planning that could prevent future emergencies.
This is not the time to hide your head in the
sand, setting the stage for future regrets.
Warning
signs of elder abuse
Self-Neglect
If
the senior lives alone and does not have anyone
providing assistance, self-neglect may become an
issue. Some things to look for include:
- Senior
appears confused
- Senior
is no longer able to handle meal preparation,
house cleaning, laundry, bathing, or timely bill
payment
- Senior
seems depressed
- Senior
is drinking too much or is overusing drugs
- Senior
is falling frequently
- Senior
appears undernourished, dehydrated, under
medicated, or is getting care for problems with
eyesight, hearing, dental problems, continence,
etc.
Neglect
or Abuse by others
If
the senior lives with others or ostensibly has
people helping with care, neglect or abuse may
become an issue. Some things to look for
include:
- Presence
of a "new best friend" who is willing to care
for the senior for little or no cost
- Recent
changes in banking or spending patterns
- Caregiver
isolates older person from friends and family
- Caregiver
has problems with drugs, alcohol, anger
management, and or emotional instability
- Caregiver
is financially dependent on the older person
- Family
pet seems neglected or abused
- You
find an abundance of mail and/or phone
solicitations for money ("You're our lucky
winner!")
- Senior
seems afraid of the caregiver
- Senior
has unexplained bruises, cuts, etc.
- Senior
has "bed sores" (pressure sores from lying in
one place for too long)
- Senior
appears dirty, undernourished, dehydrated, over
or under medicated, or is not receiving needed
care for problems with eyesight, hearing, dental
issues, continence.
What
should you do?
- If
you suspect your older loved one is at risk,
call your local Adult Protective Services or
Office on Aging. In San Francisco that number is
415-355-6700.
- Seniors
may not be aware of any gradual decline, and may
be reluctant or unable to plan for needed care.
Support and guidance from family members can
help prevent serious accidents and/or future
health complications. Noticing and correcting
problems can help keep seniors safely in their
homes.
- Learn
more about common geriatric conditions,
medications and markers of abuse. Refer to the
Geriatric Pocket Doc, a compact guide book for
non-physicians. For more information, visit www.centeronelderabuse.org and
click Geriatric Pocket Doc in the bottom right
corner.
- Introduce
yourself to responsible neighbors and friends.
Give them your address and phone numbers in case
of an emergency.
- Ask
your elderly loved ones directly if they are
afraid of anyone, if anyone is taking things
without their permission, if anyone is asking
them to do things they are not comfortable with,
or if anyone is putting them
down.
|
 Legislative & Policy
News
Senate Bill No. 110
Passed
This
bill makes a series of clarifying and
noncontroversial changes to statutory provisions
relating to elders who are victims of crimes,
abuse, or neglect to include nonelder dependent
adults. Among these changes,
this bill (1) provides that local law enforcement
agencies, and state law enforcement agencies with
jurisdiction, have concurrent jurisdiction to
investigate elder and dependent adult abuse and
all other crimes against elder victims and victims
with disabilities. (2) law enforcement agencies
retain exclusive responsibility for criminal
investigations involving elder and dependent
abuse. (3) changes "interagency elder death teams"
to "elder and dependent adult death review teams"
and expands the authority of those teams to
include dependent adult abuse and neglect, as
specified. (4) provides that when new
materials are developed or updated for law
enforcement elder and dependent adult abuse
training courses certified by the Commission on
Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), POST
shall consult with the Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud
and Elder Abuse and other subject matter experts.
(5) clarifies that the appropriate law enforcement
agency to which a developmental center for people
with developmental disabilities must report
resident deaths and serious injuries of unknown
origin is the appropriate local law enforcement
agency, and provides that such reporting
requirements are in addition to any reporting
requirements of mandated reporters.
Read
the Chaptered Bill here:http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/sen/sb_0101-0150/sb_110_bill_20100930_chaptered.pdf
CEJW
Seeks Input on Draft Statewide Elder Abuse
Blueprint
The
California Elder Justice Workgroup (CEJW) has been
developing a blueprint titled: Improving
California's Response to Elder Abuse, Neglect, and
Exploitation. A draft of the blueprint is now
available for review. The blueprint is not
definitive; rather it is a first step in
developing a more comprehensive approach to elder
abuse in our state. When completed, the blueprint
will be made available to local, state, and
national program developers, policy makers,
foundations, and other stakeholders to assist them
in planning future policy, program, and research
initiatives. We would very much appreciate your
suggestions and comments. Please feel free to read
the full report or those sections that pertain to
your work or interests.
Please
send your comments by email to CEJW at calejworkgroup@gmail.com by
December 13, 2010.
To
download the draft of Improving
California's Response to Elder Abuse, Neglect, and
Exploitation: A Blueprint, visit https://cejw.pbworks.com/w/page/24382138/CEJW-Positions-and-Publications |
 Calendar
of Events
Consortium
EventsThe
Consortium hosts educational and networking
meetings detailed below. For further information
please contact the EAP program eap@ioaging.org or
415-750-4180 ext. 222
Multidisciplinary
Team Meeting (MDT)
Professionals from
the fields of aging meet to review complex elder
and dependent adult abuse cases and to learn about
new services and resources. Since our
meetings have merged with the San Francisco Elder
Abuse Forensic Center case review meeting our
members now include community service providers, a
civil law attorney, a psychologist, and a
geriatrician, as well as representatives from
Adult Protective Services, San Francisco Police
Department, The Public Guardian, and the DA's
office. If you are a service provider
dealing with a difficult case of elder abuse, feel
free to contact us. We will consult with you
to determine if presenting your case at the next
MDT may be of benefit to you and your
client.
Where:
1650 Mission St. 4th
floor
When: 1/6/2011,
3/3/2011, 4/21/2011
We are excited to
announce that our second MDT meeting of 2011,
3/3/2011, will be hosted at IOA's new Senior
Campus located at: 3575 Geary Blvd. More
information will be provided in the meeting
reminder emails.
Elder
Abuse Prevention Training
The EAP is available to
provide in-service training on topics of elder
abuse and neglect and mandated reporting. We
also provide a quarterly training series located
at the IOA offices.
Institute on Aging
(IOA) Events
IOA's
Education Department provides numerous
professional trainings, seminars, and continuing
education (CE Credits) opportunities each year.
For more information go to: www.ioaging.org/education.
IOA
Annual Coat and Canned Food
Drive
We are
off and running with our IOA Annual Clothing (not
just coats this year!) AND Food Drive. Please look
into your cupboards and closets for any items you
would like to donate to the poor and homeless of
San Francisco this year. All items gathered will
be donated in the name of theInstitute on Aging to
the clients we serve directly who are in need of
clothing or food, or to St. Anthony Foundation,
which provides direct service to the poor and
homeless of San Francisco, or to some other
organization within San Francisco.
Drop
off locations are currently at 3600 and 3626 Geary
BlvdFor
more information contact Rudy Armijo rarmijo@ioaging.org
LGBT
Holiday
Gayla & Resource Faire LGBT Community
Partnership presents the Holiday Gayla and
Resource Faire. Given that many seniors,
especially those in the LGBT community, experience
isolation and depression at the holidays, the
Partnership is collaborating with a large variety
of community service providers and advocacy
organizations to offer a festive and informational
social occasion. To be held at the LGBT Community
Center on Market Street, the Holiday Gayla will
include food, health screening, a dance, raffle
prizes and informational tables. Along with IOA,
agencies sponsoring and participating in the event
include the Jewish Home, OnLok/Lifeways,
DisabledCommunity.org, Gay Asian Pacific Alliance,
Freedom in Christ Church, Openhouse, DAAS and many
others. When:
Saturday,
December 11, 2010, 11AM - 3PMWhere:
San
Francisco LGBT Community
Center1800 Market Street - San
Francisco, CA 94102 For More
information: Download a flier
hereDinner a la
Heart Enjoy an evening of dining
with the Bay Area's finest restaurants. A
fundraiser benefiting IOA programs.
When:
Tuesday,
February 8, 2011
Where:
Various
Bay Area restaurants
Visit:
www.dinneralaheart.org for more
information.
Other Community
Events
Please
contact event host individually for more
details.
San
Francisco Mental Health
Association
Hoarding
and Cluttering Conference
Pathways
Through the Maze: Practical
Approaches
Keynote
Speaker Christiana Bratiotis, Ph.D., LCSW
Breakout
topics for this year's conference include animal
hoarding, legal and safety issues, motivational
interviewing, hoarding and cluttering in the
media, starting a support group and treatment
group, and a workshop for family and friends.
When:
Thursday,
March 10, 2011 - 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Where:
St. Mary's
Cathedral
1111 Gough Street, San
Francisco, CA 94109
To learn more, visit www.mha-sf.org
 Elder Financial Protection
Network
Call
to Action
7th
Annual National Summit on Preventing Financial
Exploitation of the Elderly
Call
to Action brings together hundreds of
professionals representing financial institutions,
law enforcement, social services, elder justice
advocates and the legal community to share best
practices and express our collective determination
to prevent elder financial abuse.
When:
March 31, 2011
Where: Mission
Bay Conference Center
UCSF
For
more information or to register visit: http://www.bewiseonline.org/
The
Impact of Trauma on Women and Girls Across the
Lifespan
What
every health and social service provider needs to
know about the importance of providing
trauma-informed services to women and girls across
the lifespan.
The
impact of violence, abuse, neglect, disaster, war,
and other harmful experiences continues long after
the traumatic event has ended. Exposure to trauma
is a pervasive issue that has significantly
impacted the health and well being of millions of
Americans and nearly everyone seeking services in
the public health and social services systems.
Understanding how trauma affects the emotional,
behavioral, cognitive, social, and physical
functioning of the people we care for can improve
our services.
When:
December 14th, 2010 at 2:00 PM
Eastern
Where:
Webinar
Speaker:
Dr. Valerie J. Edwards
For
more information or to register visit:
https://services.choruscall.com/links/womenshealth.html
|
Elder
Abuse Resources The
EAP has put together a list of resources that we
find valuable when working on issues of elder
abuse. While this is not an exhaustive list, we
hope you will find it useful. To view
these resources visit:
| |
| |
|
Gatekeeper
Submissions
Gatekeeper eNewsletter is
published quarterly by Institute on Aging, Elder Abuse
Prevention Program.
Want to
include your event in our next
publication?
Contact
us:
Gatekeeper
Archive
Want to
read past issues of the Gatekeeper
on-line? Click
here | |
