Posted by Poster on June 14, 2011 · Leave a Comment
“Despicable” Care Worker Stole From Elderly (UK)
“Despicable” care worker stole from elderly
12th May 2011
A FORMER carer who stole money from two vulnerable elderly people has been branded “despicable” by her former boss.
Kelly Wright admitted stealing £120 each from a man aged 91 and a woman aged 81 – after she entered their homes in Malvern using a secret key code.
Wright, aged 26, of Moat Crescent, Malvern, admitted two counts of burglary when she appeared before magistrates in Worcester.
The court was told Wright knew the codes from when she had previously worked as a carer for Malvern-based Care 4 Me.
After the hearing, Brian Lee, director of the company, said: “I think it’s despicable of any person who is entrusted to look after the vulnerable to behave in this dreadful manner and to take advantage of them.
“It was through the assistance we provided she was identified and brought to justice.”
Mr Lee said Wright had been subject to full criminal and professional checks before being employed.
He has written to all his clients with a key code urging them to regularly change that code.
Matt Dodson, prosecuting, said the burglary on Friday, February 4, was of a 91-year-old retired doctor living alone in a bungalow.
He had been in his lounge when Wright called at his home at about 5pm and assumed it was one of his evening carers but later discovered £120 was missing from his wallet.
CCTV footage showed a dark blue Citroën Saxo at the scene, which led police to Wright.
In the other incident on Friday, January 14, the victim was an 81-year-old woman who received care in her home three times a day.
Mr Dodson said: “She was aware a girl had entered her bedroom. She said: ‘Who is it?’ and she said ‘It’s Jess’.
“She heard the female on the stairs and said she was quite frightened at the time. She discovered £120 had gone missing from her handbag.”
When interviewed by police Wright – who has no previous convictions – initially denied she had been to the two properties, but later admitted it.
Mr Dodson said: “She was asked why she did so and she said it was because she was in arrears with her council tax and had debts of £1,000.
“She said she felt bad about committing these crimes on vulnerable people and said she had contemplated suicide and had written a note while on police bail.”
Amer Hussain, defending, said Wright was not picked out at an identity parade and it was her own admission that led to the facts of the case coming to light.
He said: “She has expressed remorse to the police for what has taken place and is liaising with police to try and repay the individuals.”
The case was adjourned for sentencing on Tuesday, May 17, and Wright was released on unconditional bail.
SOURCE: The Worchester Mews
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Rochester Man Accused of Neglecting His Elderly Mother, 85 (UK)
By JOSH ROSENSON
April 20, 2011
DOVER —
A Strafford County Superior Court grand jury has indicted a Rochester man on felony and misdemeanor level offenses alleging he neglected his elderly mother.
Leo Gordon Carter, 55, of 12 Crockett St., was indicted on Class B felony charges of criminal neglect of an elderly, disabled or impaired adult and second-degree assault as well as a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of an incompetent person.
According to a news release from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, in July 2010, emergency medical services responded to Carter’s residence, where he was the sole caretaker of his 85-year-old, bedridden mother. The woman was found to be suffering from malnutrition, severe dehydration and infected bedsores.
The Attorney General’s Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Unit, headed by Assistant Attorney General Tracy Culberson, is prosecuting the case, which was originally investigated by the Rochester Police Department.
“We see anywhere from three to five cases a year come in, where there is an allegation of criminal neglect,” Culberson said. “Our goal is to investigate and prosecute cases of elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation.”
Culberson said his unit also consults on similar cases being prosecuted by county attorneys across the state. He added that a grant has, over the past year, enabled the performance of statewide training for police and prosecutors aimed at increasing public awareness and “awareness among law enforcement and what to do when you see it.”
Culberson said Carter is not currently being detained, and no arrest was made, rather the case was a straight indictment. Carter is due to be arraigned on April 28 at 9 a.m. in Strafford County Superior Court.
An indictment is not an indication of guilt; rather, it means a grand jury has found sufficient evidence to warrant a trial.
SOURCE: Fosters.Com
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Jury Trial Set for ex-Police Sergeant Accused of Stealing from Mother (USA)
Jury trial set for ex-Salinas police sergeant accused of stealing from mother
May. 12, 2011
A former Salinas police sergeant is set to undergo a jury trial in a couple of weeks on charges that he stole more than $40,000 from his mother.
Jay Malispina, a 19-year veteran of the force, is accused of taking $40,600 of his mother’s money and transferring it to his own bank account for personal expenses, including gifts to her grandchildren, San Jose Sharks tickets, a cruise and home improvement projects.
The defendant is accused of committing the crimes against Karolyn Malispina between 2004 and 2008.
A total of 11 checks — ranging from $300 to $5,000 — are believed to have been written, signed and transferred to Malispina’s bank account, which was also listed under his then ex-wife’s name.
Malispina, who was with the Salinas police at the time of his arrest, has since retired from the department.
Today, Juliet Peck, his attorney, told Monterey County Superior Court Judge Terrance Duncan that the trial remains set for May 23. The case is expected to return to court on May 18.
SOURCE: The Californian
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Newport Carer Stole from Elderly to Fund Ex’s Drink Habit (UK)
Newport carer stole from elderly to fund ex’s drink habit
19th April 2011
A GWENT carer admitted stealing almost £1,700 from the homes of five elderly people.
Janet Forrester, 40, of Stamford Court, Newport, appeared in Newport Crown Court yesterday having pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft.
The court heard how Forrester worked as a carer for Greenbanks Homecare since July 2009 and had access to clients’ details and combinations for entry into their homes.
Forrester admitted stealing £712 from the home of Margaret Harding between August and September 2009.
On one occasion, Ms Harding’s daughter took out £100 for her mother to pay bills but later noticed £35 was missing from her purse. Forrester returned on another date returning Ms Harding’s walking stick and was invited in. Ms Harding, who was partially sighted, had mobility problems and arthritis, later realised another £10 was missing from her handbag.
Christian Jowett, prosecuting, said Ms Harding believed Forrester took the money because it always went missing when she was present.
Forrester also stole £425 from Frank Maras who had a pacemaker and suffered kidney problems. The cash was taken from a drawer and metal box in his house.
Forrester was suspended from Greenbanks and later started work for Crystal Cleaning Solutions and went on to steal £315 from 82-year-old Joyce Gardner, who had terminal cancer, in September 2009.
Ms Gardener’s niece gave her £300 in cash to add to the £40 already in her purse but £315 of this was missing after Forrester had been to Ms Gardner’s home.
On September 29, 2009, Forrester was working at a sheltered housing complex where she met Olive Thomas who was feeling unwell.
Mr Jowett said Forrester went to their home in what appeared to Mrs Thomas’ husband to be a nurse’s uniform.
He asked her to take a look at his wife and gave her £25 to get her some food supplements and £100 for cigarettes which they never received.
Forrester returned the following day and the couple realised £50 had gone missing.
The court heard Forrester also stole £26 and a £14 British Home Stores voucher from the home of 87-year-old Enid Taylor on October 1, 2009. The purse was found in a police car – dropped by Forrester when she was arrested.
Tracy Lloyd-Nesling said Forrester had been a victim of domestic violence and was expected to fund her former husband’s drinking and gambling habits.
She said Forrester is ashamed of what she did and understands the effect the offences had on the victims and those close to them.
Sentencing was adjourned until May 4.
Greenbanks Homecare and Crystal Cleaning Solutions declined to comment.
SOURCE: SouthWalesArgus.co.uk
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THE BIG ESTATE PLANNING QUESTION OF 2011
By: Fredrick P. Niemann a N.J. Estate Planning Attorney Should you exploit the new $5 million lifetime gift exemption? In 2010, Congress voted to give us all a $5 million dollar lifetime gift estate tax individual exemption. In addition, between married couples, upon the death of one spouse, the executor of the estate can elect to transfer any […]
Source: hnlawfirm.com
Haverford Nursing Home Loses License Over Elder Abuse (USA)
By PHILLIP LUCAS
April 30, 2011
The family of Lois McAllister, a 78-year-old dementia patient, used a hidden camera to catch nursing-home workers physically abusing her, making her stand partially naked in front of them, and taunting her when they visited her room in late March.
The 12-minute video prompted an investigation by the state Department of Public Welfare, and the agency yesterday stripped Sunrise Continued Care, the parent company of the nursing home, of its license to run the home.
Ronald Melusky, acting DPW director, said in a letter to the company that the investigation revealed gross incompetence, negligence and misconduct at the Quadrangle, the Haverford nursing home McAllister was living in when she was abused.
According to reports, the elderly population is a little less than a quarter of Michigan’s total. But crimes against them recently have been nearly one-third of the state’s total. Many elderly are lonely and happy to engage with friendly types. Some are more gullible and naive, even if they were less so when they had many more daily interactions with others.
Criminals see seniors as easy marks. Also, many relatives of seniors find it easy to take advantage of their elders. These individuals often see the older family member as merely a source of extra revenue. They don’t have the care and respect for the seniors that they should have.
There are metro area organizations, such as Citizens for Better Care, that can help identify abusive situations. Elder abuse educators provided by the Detroit-based organization work with long-term care staff, residents and their families to recognize and combat sexual, physical, emotional and financial abuse, neglect, exploitation and abandonment.
Elder abuse shouldn’t be happening. People are supposed to respect their aging parents and grandparents. However, the problem is pervasive throughout our society and anything that can help fight it should be instituted or utilized.
So, mom and dad – grandma and grandpa deserve all of the help we can muster.
–Courtesy of The Oakland Press
SOURCE: Philly.com
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Posted by Poster on June 14, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Jury Trial Set for ex-Police Sergeant Accused of Stealing from Mother (USA)
Jury trial set for ex-Salinas police sergeant accused of stealing from mother
May. 12, 2011
A former Salinas police sergeant is set to undergo a jury trial in a couple of weeks on charges that he stole more than $40,000 from his mother.
Jay Malispina, a 19-year veteran of the force, is accused of taking $40,600 of his mother’s money and transferring it to his own bank account for personal expenses, including gifts to her grandchildren, San Jose Sharks tickets, a cruise and home improvement projects.
The defendant is accused of committing the crimes against Karolyn Malispina between 2004 and 2008.
A total of 11 checks — ranging from $300 to $5,000 — are believed to have been written, signed and transferred to Malispina’s bank account, which was also listed under his then ex-wife’s name.
Malispina, who was with the Salinas police at the time of his arrest, has since retired from the department.
Today, Juliet Peck, his attorney, told Monterey County Superior Court Judge Terrance Duncan that the trial remains set for May 23. The case is expected to return to court on May 18.
SOURCE: The Californian
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3 Cases Revealed, But Elder Abuse Largely Hidden (USA)
3 cases revealed, but elder abuse largely hidden
May 08, 2011
Donna Tower’s uncle told his family that someone was stealing his money, but the family didn’t believe him at first because he has Alzheimer’s.
In the end, the family learned that he was telling the truth – that the administrator of a Winterville nursing home was taking his money, and his brother’s, but no one would believe him.
“(She) had been taking their checks and we didn’t realize it,” Tower said. “My uncle with Alzheimer’s had said someone was stealing his money all along, but we just brushed it off because we thought it was just in his mind.”
Sherrye Dianne Huff, former administrator of the Winterville Retirement Center, was arrested Monday on five felony charges – three counts of theft and two counts of exploiting an elderly or disabled person – and one count of misdemeanor theft for stealing from the Alzheimer’s patient.
The investigator, Winterville police Sgt. Jimmy Fulcher, discovered while looking into the theft case that elder abuse is more widespread than people realize.
He arrested another Winterville Retirement Center employee on charges she punched another Alzheimer’s patient in the face for taking some butter off a food cart in the facility’s dining hall.
The 82-year-old resident died a few weeks later and authorities are investigating to see if her death was related to the assault.
Soon after, police say another employee of the Winterville Retirement Center stole drugs that had been prescribed for the patient who died, and police later found out the administrator was stealing money from other residents.
The three cases of abuse and financial exploitation happened in less than three months.
“More than likely, (elder abuse) it’s more widespread than we know,” said Fulcher, who last week launched a fourth investigation into the possible theft of money from another Winterville Retirement Center resident.
The first case Fulcher investigated at Winterville Retirement Center happened Feb. 22, when employee Cynthia Ann Barrow punched the Alzheimer’s patient, then told police that she only pushed the woman, who then slipped.
“Elder abuse is one of the most unrecognized and under-reported crimes,” said Ravae Graham, a deputy director with the state Department of Human Services. “Many abuse victims don’t realize it, don’t know what to do about it, or are too afraid to report their abuse or neglect.”
The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates that for each documented case of neglect or abuse, five cases go unreported.
Though people place trust in professionals to take care of their loved ones, relatives need to look for signs of abuse, according to an Athens woman, who took her mother out of an area nursing home after only a month when she discovered employees weren’t giving her mother the medication she needed.
Complaints about abuse or neglect can be made with the ORS online at https://services.georgia.gov/dhr/reportfiling/searchFacility.do?action=constituentComplaint.
Anyone who suspects that elder abuse is occurring should call Adult Protective Services at (888) 774-0152 or the state Department of Community Health’s Healthcare Facility Regulation Division at (800) 878-8442.
Abridged
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Woman ‘Bitten’ at Nursing Home (AUSTRALIA)
Woman ‘bitten’ at nursing home
By Peter Gardiner
21st April 2011
A GOVERNMENT watchdog has identified a “serious risk” to residents at a Tewantin nursing home.
It has ordered a number of sanctions, including the appointment of an independent nursing supervisor.
The Department of Health Care and Ageing has ordered that the Noosa Nursing Centre in Moorindil St cannot take new residents for six months.
Any breach of strict supervision conditions could result in the removal of its approved carer status.
The news comes as the daughter of an elderly resident claims her mother was assaulted with a serious bite on the hand by another resident.
The daughter claimed nursing management she had dealt with had been openly hostile when she raised a range of concerns.
The woman said a complaint which she considers to be baseless was made to the state authorities over her adult guardianship of her mother’s affairs and an interim guardian had been appointed.
A resident told the Daily that standover tactics were used on staff and residents by a management officer, who had recently ceased employment there.
The department’s website reports that the agency audit identified serious risk in relation to:
“The home’s registered and care staff do not have sufficient and/or accurate information to ensure care is provided in accordance with residents’ individual needs or changes to care needs.
“Information systems and communication in relation to clinical care are ineffective.
“Not all registered staff had appropriate skills and knowledge to perform their roles and responsibilities. Management are not monitoring and evaluating staff performance.”
The sanctions are in force until October 8, when the department spokeswoman said there will be a further review.
Noosa Nursing Centre spokesman Jamie Profke said the sanctions related to mostly administrative shortcomings that had occurred there in the “recent past”.
He said “no one’s been harmed, no one’s been injured” because of these identified shortcomings.
Mr Profke said the senior staff who had overseen these system inadequacies had recently chosen to leave the centre and the centre was working with a fully qualified person appointed last Sunday to oversee the necessary improvements in keeping records and paperwork.
In relation to the alleged attack on the resident, Mr Profke said that no nursing centre can provide one-on-one care to residents at all times and that the real issue was Queensland Health sending out people with mental illnesses to residential care centres.
He said the Noosa Nursing Centre had received strong support from the relatives of the residents in care at a meeting held last week to discuss the sanctions, as well as support from a senior state palliative care bureaucrat.
Mr Profke said the nursing centre, which has spaces for 130 high care residents and 100 low care, offered some of the best care facilities in the state
SOURCE: The Sunshine Coast Daily
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Funeral Home Director Accused of Stealing Thousands of Dollars (KY. USA)
A local funeral home director has been arrested and is facing several felony charges. Metro Police arrested Maureen Purcell on Thursday.
She’s a funeral director at Ratterman Brothers Funeral Home. Police say she stole thousands of dollars from an elderly woman whose husband died.
Detectives with Crimes Against Seniors say Purcell was able to steal the money by becoming the woman’s power of attorney.
Det. John Fogle of LMPD Crimes against Seniors says, “She admitted that she basically had some bad credit, had gotten herself into some civil lawsuits, and was basically taking advantage of a situation. She also used the term that she robbed Peter to pay Paul.”
Purcell was taken to Metro Corrections, but she has already been released on bail. Meanwhile, police suspect there could be other victims.
SOURCE: Fox41
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Newport Carer Stole from Elderly to Fund Ex’s Drink Habit (UK)
Newport carer stole from elderly to fund ex’s drink habit
19th April 2011
A GWENT carer admitted stealing almost £1,700 from the homes of five elderly people.
Janet Forrester, 40, of Stamford Court, Newport, appeared in Newport Crown Court yesterday having pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft.
The court heard how Forrester worked as a carer for Greenbanks Homecare since July 2009 and had access to clients’ details and combinations for entry into their homes.
Forrester admitted stealing £712 from the home of Margaret Harding between August and September 2009.
On one occasion, Ms Harding’s daughter took out £100 for her mother to pay bills but later noticed £35 was missing from her purse. Forrester returned on another date returning Ms Harding’s walking stick and was invited in. Ms Harding, who was partially sighted, had mobility problems and arthritis, later realised another £10 was missing from her handbag.
Christian Jowett, prosecuting, said Ms Harding believed Forrester took the money because it always went missing when she was present.
Forrester also stole £425 from Frank Maras who had a pacemaker and suffered kidney problems. The cash was taken from a drawer and metal box in his house.
Forrester was suspended from Greenbanks and later started work for Crystal Cleaning Solutions and went on to steal £315 from 82-year-old Joyce Gardner, who had terminal cancer, in September 2009.
Ms Gardener’s niece gave her £300 in cash to add to the £40 already in her purse but £315 of this was missing after Forrester had been to Ms Gardner’s home.
On September 29, 2009, Forrester was working at a sheltered housing complex where she met Olive Thomas who was feeling unwell.
Mr Jowett said Forrester went to their home in what appeared to Mrs Thomas’ husband to be a nurse’s uniform.
He asked her to take a look at his wife and gave her £25 to get her some food supplements and £100 for cigarettes which they never received.
Forrester returned the following day and the couple realised £50 had gone missing.
The court heard Forrester also stole £26 and a £14 British Home Stores voucher from the home of 87-year-old Enid Taylor on October 1, 2009. The purse was found in a police car – dropped by Forrester when she was arrested.
Tracy Lloyd-Nesling said Forrester had been a victim of domestic violence and was expected to fund her former husband’s drinking and gambling habits.
She said Forrester is ashamed of what she did and understands the effect the offences had on the victims and those close to them.
Sentencing was adjourned until May 4.
Greenbanks Homecare and Crystal Cleaning Solutions declined to comment.
SOURCE: SouthWalesArgus.co.uk
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Elderly Abuse rife Since Earthquake (NEW ZEALAND)
Elderly abuse rife since earthquake
30th May 2011
The elderly are taking the brunt of earthquake stress, with elder abuse rife in the suburbs.
Age Concern community nurse Kerry Howley estimated cases of reported elderly abuse had increased by 40 to 50 per cent since the earthquake.
“There’s a huge increase in stress and there has been some abuse related to financial issues. Some families in financial hardship treat an elderly person like a bank- using them for money.” she said.
Ms Howley knew of one case where a 91-year-old woman had been a targeted in an earthquake shelter by a 41-year-old man.
“A gentleman met an older lady at a shelter and took her home. He built up her trust and then took lots of her money. They didn’t know each other before the earthquake. He just saw the opportunity and moved on her,” she said.
Much of the abuse was verbal, but could also be physical or neglectful, Ms Howley said.
“I had one elderly couple in their 90s who were put into respite care because their home was so damaged in the earthquake. But their daughter wanted them to return home, even though they had no sewage or water, because she was in charge of their money. When they were in care their social worker wanted to know where all the money was going,” she said.
With thousands of houses ruined in February’s earthquake, many people have been forced to move in with their elderly relatives.
Police Inspector Dave Lawry said: “There’s been a lot of elder abuse going on. People’s houses are trashed so they’re moving in with mum and dad, or other family members, who they don’t necessarily get along with.”
Inspector Lawry said fights had been developing, with the elderly often being “pushed around.”
Some of the abuse had been “historic,” only coming to light after the earthquake as neighbours and friends checked on the usually isolated elderly.
“Sometimes the relationship with the family has always been abusive, but the elderly person just thought it was normal or that nothing could be done about it,” Ms Howley said.
SOURCE: starcanterbury.co.nz
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Lawsuits Target Oakley Pastor Over Fraud Allegations (USA)
By Roman Gokhman and Rowena Coetsee
Contra Costa Times
05/01/2011
Police investigations and lawsuits over accusations of fraudulent loans target an Oakley pastor whose financially troubled ministry includes a lavish estate that bears his name.
Rio Vista and Brentwood police have launched separate investigations of 61-year-old Jerry Hanoum, who founded Mountain View Christian Center and Trinity Christian Schools. The church and school operate on a vacant public school campus in Oakley, where they have failed to keep up with rent and tax payments.
A Rio Vista woman is suing Hanoum and Jerry Dellinger, an associate, alleging financial and psychological elder abuse stemming from loans she made totaling $230,000.
The suit claims that Hanoum and the church used properties as collateral that they didn’t own. One of the properties is the nearly 5-acre Hanoum Estate in Oakley that Mountain View advertises as a pastoral retreat and event center.
Abridged
SOURCE: The Mercury News
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Rochester Man Accused of Neglecting His Elderly Mother, 85 (UK)
By JOSH ROSENSON
April 20, 2011
DOVER —
A Strafford County Superior Court grand jury has indicted a Rochester man on felony and misdemeanor level offenses alleging he neglected his elderly mother.
Leo Gordon Carter, 55, of 12 Crockett St., was indicted on Class B felony charges of criminal neglect of an elderly, disabled or impaired adult and second-degree assault as well as a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of an incompetent person.
According to a news release from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, in July 2010, emergency medical services responded to Carter’s residence, where he was the sole caretaker of his 85-year-old, bedridden mother. The woman was found to be suffering from malnutrition, severe dehydration and infected bedsores.
The Attorney General’s Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Unit, headed by Assistant Attorney General Tracy Culberson, is prosecuting the case, which was originally investigated by the Rochester Police Department.
“We see anywhere from three to five cases a year come in, where there is an allegation of criminal neglect,” Culberson said. “Our goal is to investigate and prosecute cases of elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation.”
Culberson said his unit also consults on similar cases being prosecuted by county attorneys across the state. He added that a grant has, over the past year, enabled the performance of statewide training for police and prosecutors aimed at increasing public awareness and “awareness among law enforcement and what to do when you see it.”
Culberson said Carter is not currently being detained, and no arrest was made, rather the case was a straight indictment. Carter is due to be arraigned on April 28 at 9 a.m. in Strafford County Superior Court.
An indictment is not an indication of guilt; rather, it means a grand jury has found sufficient evidence to warrant a trial.
SOURCE: Fosters.Com
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Nun Scammer Found Guilty of Financial Elder Abuse (USA)
Nun Scammer Found Guilty of Financial Elder Abuse
Jury Convicts Denise D’Sant Angelo on 12 Felony Counts
May 11, 2011
A Santa Barbara jury today found Denise D’Sant Angelo guilty of embezzling $30,000 from an elderly couple whose home was about to go into foreclosure. The bespectacled fraudster, convicted last year of lining her pockets with money meant to save housing for a group of nuns, convinced the husband and wife she was skilled in the ways of financial and legal maneuvering and could save their home if they paid her.
She didn’t, and Deputy District Attorney Brian Cota proved in court that D’Sant Angelo used the money to pay for her rent and other personal expenses. She met the victims while going door-to-door on behalf of the nuns, and it was revealed during the trial that D’Sant Angelo often pitted members of the victims’ family against one another to her advantage.
The jury convicted D’Sant Angelo on six counts of felony financial elder abuse, six counts of felony grand theft, and one count of misdemeanor unlawful practice of law. She was also found guilty of the special allegation that she committed the crimes – spread out over the course of a year-and-a-half – while she was out on bail during her prior embezzlement case. If she receives the maximum sentence this time, D’Sant Angelo faces 11 years in prison.
Judge Frank Ochoa granted Cota’s request that D’Sant Angelo’s bond be forfeited and she be immediately taken into custody. He argued she’s a threat to the public and showed herself willing to continue scamming people while out on bail. Ochoa agreed, and D’Sant Angelo was lead out of the courtroom in handcuffs shortly after the jury was dismissed.
Cota said immediately after the verdicts were read it was telling that the jury, after deliberating for only three hours, reached a unanimous decision after listening to D’Sant Angelo tell her side of the story on the stand for four days. During closing remarks, Cota called D’Sant Angelo a “textbook case of a con artist, plain and simple,” and that she “gained [the victims’] confidence in order to steal their money.”
D’Sant Angelo will be back in court on Monday, June 6 for a sentencing hearing.
SOURCE: Independent.com
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Haverford Nursing Home Loses License Over Elder Abuse (USA)
By PHILLIP LUCAS
April 30, 2011
The family of Lois McAllister, a 78-year-old dementia patient, used a hidden camera to catch nursing-home workers physically abusing her, making her stand partially naked in front of them, and taunting her when they visited her room in late March.
The 12-minute video prompted an investigation by the state Department of Public Welfare, and the agency yesterday stripped Sunrise Continued Care, the parent company of the nursing home, of its license to run the home.
Ronald Melusky, acting DPW director, said in a letter to the company that the investigation revealed gross incompetence, negligence and misconduct at the Quadrangle, the Haverford nursing home McAllister was living in when she was abused.
According to reports, the elderly population is a little less than a quarter of Michigan’s total. But crimes against them recently have been nearly one-third of the state’s total. Many elderly are lonely and happy to engage with friendly types. Some are more gullible and naive, even if they were less so when they had many more daily interactions with others.
Criminals see seniors as easy marks. Also, many relatives of seniors find it easy to take advantage of their elders. These individuals often see the older family member as merely a source of extra revenue. They don’t have the care and respect for the seniors that they should have.
There are metro area organizations, such as Citizens for Better Care, that can help identify abusive situations. Elder abuse educators provided by the Detroit-based organization work with long-term care staff, residents and their families to recognize and combat sexual, physical, emotional and financial abuse, neglect, exploitation and abandonment.
Elder abuse shouldn’t be happening. People are supposed to respect their aging parents and grandparents. However, the problem is pervasive throughout our society and anything that can help fight it should be instituted or utilized.
So, mom and dad – grandma and grandpa deserve all of the help we can muster.
–Courtesy of The Oakland Press
SOURCE: Philly.com
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Jury Trial Set for ex-Police Sergeant Accused of Stealing from Mother (USA)
Jury trial set for ex-Salinas police sergeant accused of stealing from mother
May. 12, 2011
A former Salinas police sergeant is set to undergo a jury trial in a couple of weeks on charges that he stole more than $40,000 from his mother.
Jay Malispina, a 19-year veteran of the force, is accused of taking $40,600 of his mother’s money and transferring it to his own bank account for personal expenses, including gifts to her grandchildren, San Jose Sharks tickets, a cruise and home improvement projects.
The defendant is accused of committing the crimes against Karolyn Malispina between 2004 and 2008.
A total of 11 checks — ranging from $300 to $5,000 — are believed to have been written, signed and transferred to Malispina’s bank account, which was also listed under his then ex-wife’s name.
Malispina, who was with the Salinas police at the time of his arrest, has since retired from the department.
Today, Juliet Peck, his attorney, told Monterey County Superior Court Judge Terrance Duncan that the trial remains set for May 23. The case is expected to return to court on May 18.
SOURCE: The Californian
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Posted by Poster on June 14, 2011 · Leave a Comment
3 Cases Revealed, But Elder Abuse Largely Hidden (USA)
3 cases revealed, but elder abuse largely hidden
May 08, 2011
Donna Tower’s uncle told his family that someone was stealing his money, but the family didn’t believe him at first because he has Alzheimer’s.
In the end, the family learned that he was telling the truth – that the administrator of a Winterville nursing home was taking his money, and his brother’s, but no one would believe him.
“(She) had been taking their checks and we didn’t realize it,” Tower said. “My uncle with Alzheimer’s had said someone was stealing his money all along, but we just brushed it off because we thought it was just in his mind.”
Sherrye Dianne Huff, former administrator of the Winterville Retirement Center, was arrested Monday on five felony charges – three counts of theft and two counts of exploiting an elderly or disabled person – and one count of misdemeanor theft for stealing from the Alzheimer’s patient.
The investigator, Winterville police Sgt. Jimmy Fulcher, discovered while looking into the theft case that elder abuse is more widespread than people realize.
He arrested another Winterville Retirement Center employee on charges she punched another Alzheimer’s patient in the face for taking some butter off a food cart in the facility’s dining hall.
The 82-year-old resident died a few weeks later and authorities are investigating to see if her death was related to the assault.
Soon after, police say another employee of the Winterville Retirement Center stole drugs that had been prescribed for the patient who died, and police later found out the administrator was stealing money from other residents.
The three cases of abuse and financial exploitation happened in less than three months.
“More than likely, (elder abuse) it’s more widespread than we know,” said Fulcher, who last week launched a fourth investigation into the possible theft of money from another Winterville Retirement Center resident.
The first case Fulcher investigated at Winterville Retirement Center happened Feb. 22, when employee Cynthia Ann Barrow punched the Alzheimer’s patient, then told police that she only pushed the woman, who then slipped.
“Elder abuse is one of the most unrecognized and under-reported crimes,” said Ravae Graham, a deputy director with the state Department of Human Services. “Many abuse victims don’t realize it, don’t know what to do about it, or are too afraid to report their abuse or neglect.”
The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates that for each documented case of neglect or abuse, five cases go unreported.
Though people place trust in professionals to take care of their loved ones, relatives need to look for signs of abuse, according to an Athens woman, who took her mother out of an area nursing home after only a month when she discovered employees weren’t giving her mother the medication she needed.
Complaints about abuse or neglect can be made with the ORS online at https://services.georgia.gov/dhr/reportfiling/searchFacility.do?action=constituentComplaint.
Anyone who suspects that elder abuse is occurring should call Adult Protective Services at (888) 774-0152 or the state Department of Community Health’s Healthcare Facility Regulation Division at (800) 878-8442.
Abridged
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Rochester Man Accused of Neglecting His Elderly Mother, 85 (UK)
By JOSH ROSENSON
April 20, 2011
DOVER —
A Strafford County Superior Court grand jury has indicted a Rochester man on felony and misdemeanor level offenses alleging he neglected his elderly mother.
Leo Gordon Carter, 55, of 12 Crockett St., was indicted on Class B felony charges of criminal neglect of an elderly, disabled or impaired adult and second-degree assault as well as a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of an incompetent person.
According to a news release from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, in July 2010, emergency medical services responded to Carter’s residence, where he was the sole caretaker of his 85-year-old, bedridden mother. The woman was found to be suffering from malnutrition, severe dehydration and infected bedsores.
The Attorney General’s Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Unit, headed by Assistant Attorney General Tracy Culberson, is prosecuting the case, which was originally investigated by the Rochester Police Department.
“We see anywhere from three to five cases a year come in, where there is an allegation of criminal neglect,” Culberson said. “Our goal is to investigate and prosecute cases of elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation.”
Culberson said his unit also consults on similar cases being prosecuted by county attorneys across the state. He added that a grant has, over the past year, enabled the performance of statewide training for police and prosecutors aimed at increasing public awareness and “awareness among law enforcement and what to do when you see it.”
Culberson said Carter is not currently being detained, and no arrest was made, rather the case was a straight indictment. Carter is due to be arraigned on April 28 at 9 a.m. in Strafford County Superior Court.
An indictment is not an indication of guilt; rather, it means a grand jury has found sufficient evidence to warrant a trial.
SOURCE: Fosters.Com
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Haverford Nursing Home Loses License Over Elder Abuse (USA)
By PHILLIP LUCAS
April 30, 2011
The family of Lois McAllister, a 78-year-old dementia patient, used a hidden camera to catch nursing-home workers physically abusing her, making her stand partially naked in front of them, and taunting her when they visited her room in late March.
The 12-minute video prompted an investigation by the state Department of Public Welfare, and the agency yesterday stripped Sunrise Continued Care, the parent company of the nursing home, of its license to run the home.
Ronald Melusky, acting DPW director, said in a letter to the company that the investigation revealed gross incompetence, negligence and misconduct at the Quadrangle, the Haverford nursing home McAllister was living in when she was abused.
According to reports, the elderly population is a little less than a quarter of Michigan’s total. But crimes against them recently have been nearly one-third of the state’s total. Many elderly are lonely and happy to engage with friendly types. Some are more gullible and naive, even if they were less so when they had many more daily interactions with others.
Criminals see seniors as easy marks. Also, many relatives of seniors find it easy to take advantage of their elders. These individuals often see the older family member as merely a source of extra revenue. They don’t have the care and respect for the seniors that they should have.
There are metro area organizations, such as Citizens for Better Care, that can help identify abusive situations. Elder abuse educators provided by the Detroit-based organization work with long-term care staff, residents and their families to recognize and combat sexual, physical, emotional and financial abuse, neglect, exploitation and abandonment.
Elder abuse shouldn’t be happening. People are supposed to respect their aging parents and grandparents. However, the problem is pervasive throughout our society and anything that can help fight it should be instituted or utilized.
So, mom and dad – grandma and grandpa deserve all of the help we can muster.
–Courtesy of The Oakland Press
SOURCE: Philly.com
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Nun Scammer Found Guilty of Financial Elder Abuse (USA)
Nun Scammer Found Guilty of Financial Elder Abuse
Jury Convicts Denise D’Sant Angelo on 12 Felony Counts
May 11, 2011
A Santa Barbara jury today found Denise D’Sant Angelo guilty of embezzling $30,000 from an elderly couple whose home was about to go into foreclosure. The bespectacled fraudster, convicted last year of lining her pockets with money meant to save housing for a group of nuns, convinced the husband and wife she was skilled in the ways of financial and legal maneuvering and could save their home if they paid her.
She didn’t, and Deputy District Attorney Brian Cota proved in court that D’Sant Angelo used the money to pay for her rent and other personal expenses. She met the victims while going door-to-door on behalf of the nuns, and it was revealed during the trial that D’Sant Angelo often pitted members of the victims’ family against one another to her advantage.
The jury convicted D’Sant Angelo on six counts of felony financial elder abuse, six counts of felony grand theft, and one count of misdemeanor unlawful practice of law. She was also found guilty of the special allegation that she committed the crimes – spread out over the course of a year-and-a-half – while she was out on bail during her prior embezzlement case. If she receives the maximum sentence this time, D’Sant Angelo faces 11 years in prison.
Judge Frank Ochoa granted Cota’s request that D’Sant Angelo’s bond be forfeited and she be immediately taken into custody. He argued she’s a threat to the public and showed herself willing to continue scamming people while out on bail. Ochoa agreed, and D’Sant Angelo was lead out of the courtroom in handcuffs shortly after the jury was dismissed.
Cota said immediately after the verdicts were read it was telling that the jury, after deliberating for only three hours, reached a unanimous decision after listening to D’Sant Angelo tell her side of the story on the stand for four days. During closing remarks, Cota called D’Sant Angelo a “textbook case of a con artist, plain and simple,” and that she “gained [the victims’] confidence in order to steal their money.”
D’Sant Angelo will be back in court on Monday, June 6 for a sentencing hearing.
SOURCE: Independent.com
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New Federal Estate Tax and Income Law Enacted
By Fredrick P. Niemann, Esq., a NJ Estate Tax Attorney On December 17, 2010, the president signed into law an $858 billion federal tax package. The main elements of the legislation are a two-year extension of the reductions of income, capital gains, and dividend taxes en-acted during the Bush Administration and a one-year extension on unemployment […]
Source: hnlawfirm.com
Elderly Abuse rife Since Earthquake (NEW ZEALAND)
Elderly abuse rife since earthquake
30th May 2011
The elderly are taking the brunt of earthquake stress, with elder abuse rife in the suburbs.
Age Concern community nurse Kerry Howley estimated cases of reported elderly abuse had increased by 40 to 50 per cent since the earthquake.
“There’s a huge increase in stress and there has been some abuse related to financial issues. Some families in financial hardship treat an elderly person like a bank- using them for money.” she said.
Ms Howley knew of one case where a 91-year-old woman had been a targeted in an earthquake shelter by a 41-year-old man.
“A gentleman met an older lady at a shelter and took her home. He built up her trust and then took lots of her money. They didn’t know each other before the earthquake. He just saw the opportunity and moved on her,” she said.
Much of the abuse was verbal, but could also be physical or neglectful, Ms Howley said.
“I had one elderly couple in their 90s who were put into respite care because their home was so damaged in the earthquake. But their daughter wanted them to return home, even though they had no sewage or water, because she was in charge of their money. When they were in care their social worker wanted to know where all the money was going,” she said.
With thousands of houses ruined in February’s earthquake, many people have been forced to move in with their elderly relatives.
Police Inspector Dave Lawry said: “There’s been a lot of elder abuse going on. People’s houses are trashed so they’re moving in with mum and dad, or other family members, who they don’t necessarily get along with.”
Inspector Lawry said fights had been developing, with the elderly often being “pushed around.”
Some of the abuse had been “historic,” only coming to light after the earthquake as neighbours and friends checked on the usually isolated elderly.
“Sometimes the relationship with the family has always been abusive, but the elderly person just thought it was normal or that nothing could be done about it,” Ms Howley said.
SOURCE: starcanterbury.co.nz
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Employment Retaliation Claims Surging
By Fredrick P. Niemann, Esq., a NJ Employment Law Attorney in Retaliation Cases The case can be made that discriminating against an individual in the workplace because of the person’s gender, race, religion, and similar characteristics is something of a behavioral aberration that is not a part of human nature—or at least most people would like […]
Source: hnlawfirm.com
Posted by Poster on June 14, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Marathon County Helps Seniors Avoid Scams (USA)
Marathon County helps seniors avoid scams
Jun. 5, 2011
Written by
Marathon County officials are meeting with senior citizens to help them avoid being scammed by contractors and ripped off by caregivers and to show them how to report abuse.
Representatives from the Sheriff’s Department, district attorney’s office, corporation counsel and North Central Health Care’s adult protective services department met in Athens on May 26 with about a dozen residents to discuss issues that affect seniors.
Additional meetings are planned for this summer in Edgar, Stratford, Mosinee and other communities. Dates have not yet been set.
“We want to go to rural communities so residents can become more familiar with our various roles,” said Brenda Christian, adult protective services coordinator at North Central. “We want to create a rapport so (seniors) feel more comfortable contacting us.”
Athens Police Chief Aaron Stencil said the crowd was small for the meeting in his community, but residents asked him many questions about contractor, mail and phone scams. Stencil advises seniors to not invest in get-rich-quick schemes because police struggle to find the people responsible after they’ve gotten away. He recently tracked a scam all the way to Canada before the case ran into a dead end.
“It’s frustrating because we’ve had people here get scammed and we try to track stuff down, but the money often leaves the country,” Stencil said.
Assistant District Attorney Sydney Brubacher saw a need for elder abuse education in Marathon County and suggested a model based on senior-focused community programs in Illinois where he attended law school.
Brubacher said people can face criminal charges for stealing from an elderly person whose finances they oversee. Many reports of theft from seniors previously were handled as civil cases, but Brubacher wants seniors to know that Wisconsin law regards theft from elders as a felony offense.
Laws also make it illegal for a person to allow a senior citizen to be subjected to physical or mental abuse, Brubacher said. He recently prosecuted a case of a suspect who yelled at and threw a phone at his elderly father in a business parking lot.
Elder abuse hotline
Do you know an elderly person who is the subject of abuse or is the victim of a crime?
Contact the North Central Health Care elder abuse hotline at:
1-715-841-5160 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-715-841-5160 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or 1-855-487-3338 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-855-487-3338 end_of_the_skype_highlighting to report the abuse.
SOURCE: Wisconsin Rapids Tribune
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Haverford Nursing Home Loses License Over Elder Abuse (USA)
By PHILLIP LUCAS
April 30, 2011
The family of Lois McAllister, a 78-year-old dementia patient, used a hidden camera to catch nursing-home workers physically abusing her, making her stand partially naked in front of them, and taunting her when they visited her room in late March.
The 12-minute video prompted an investigation by the state Department of Public Welfare, and the agency yesterday stripped Sunrise Continued Care, the parent company of the nursing home, of its license to run the home.
Ronald Melusky, acting DPW director, said in a letter to the company that the investigation revealed gross incompetence, negligence and misconduct at the Quadrangle, the Haverford nursing home McAllister was living in when she was abused.
According to reports, the elderly population is a little less than a quarter of Michigan’s total. But crimes against them recently have been nearly one-third of the state’s total. Many elderly are lonely and happy to engage with friendly types. Some are more gullible and naive, even if they were less so when they had many more daily interactions with others.
Criminals see seniors as easy marks. Also, many relatives of seniors find it easy to take advantage of their elders. These individuals often see the older family member as merely a source of extra revenue. They don’t have the care and respect for the seniors that they should have.
There are metro area organizations, such as Citizens for Better Care, that can help identify abusive situations. Elder abuse educators provided by the Detroit-based organization work with long-term care staff, residents and their families to recognize and combat sexual, physical, emotional and financial abuse, neglect, exploitation and abandonment.
Elder abuse shouldn’t be happening. People are supposed to respect their aging parents and grandparents. However, the problem is pervasive throughout our society and anything that can help fight it should be instituted or utilized.
So, mom and dad – grandma and grandpa deserve all of the help we can muster.
–Courtesy of The Oakland Press
SOURCE: Philly.com
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Abuse of Older People Increasing (I.E)
Health bits: Abuse of older people increasing
May 23 2011
There were 2,110 complaints of abuse of older people reported to the Health Service Executive (HSE) last year but this is likely to be an underestimate.
Oonagh McAteer, an elder abuse officer with the HSE, said the real incidence could be five times higher than this.
Psychological abuse is the main problem, followed by financial abuse in nearly one-in-five cases. More than one in 10 were suffering physical abuse.
SOURCE: The Independent.ie
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3 Cases Revealed, But Elder Abuse Largely Hidden (USA)
3 cases revealed, but elder abuse largely hidden
May 08, 2011
Donna Tower’s uncle told his family that someone was stealing his money, but the family didn’t believe him at first because he has Alzheimer’s.
In the end, the family learned that he was telling the truth – that the administrator of a Winterville nursing home was taking his money, and his brother’s, but no one would believe him.
“(She) had been taking their checks and we didn’t realize it,” Tower said. “My uncle with Alzheimer’s had said someone was stealing his money all along, but we just brushed it off because we thought it was just in his mind.”
Sherrye Dianne Huff, former administrator of the Winterville Retirement Center, was arrested Monday on five felony charges – three counts of theft and two counts of exploiting an elderly or disabled person – and one count of misdemeanor theft for stealing from the Alzheimer’s patient.
The investigator, Winterville police Sgt. Jimmy Fulcher, discovered while looking into the theft case that elder abuse is more widespread than people realize.
He arrested another Winterville Retirement Center employee on charges she punched another Alzheimer’s patient in the face for taking some butter off a food cart in the facility’s dining hall.
The 82-year-old resident died a few weeks later and authorities are investigating to see if her death was related to the assault.
Soon after, police say another employee of the Winterville Retirement Center stole drugs that had been prescribed for the patient who died, and police later found out the administrator was stealing money from other residents.
The three cases of abuse and financial exploitation happened in less than three months.
“More than likely, (elder abuse) it’s more widespread than we know,” said Fulcher, who last week launched a fourth investigation into the possible theft of money from another Winterville Retirement Center resident.
The first case Fulcher investigated at Winterville Retirement Center happened Feb. 22, when employee Cynthia Ann Barrow punched the Alzheimer’s patient, then told police that she only pushed the woman, who then slipped.
“Elder abuse is one of the most unrecognized and under-reported crimes,” said Ravae Graham, a deputy director with the state Department of Human Services. “Many abuse victims don’t realize it, don’t know what to do about it, or are too afraid to report their abuse or neglect.”
The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates that for each documented case of neglect or abuse, five cases go unreported.
Though people place trust in professionals to take care of their loved ones, relatives need to look for signs of abuse, according to an Athens woman, who took her mother out of an area nursing home after only a month when she discovered employees weren’t giving her mother the medication she needed.
Complaints about abuse or neglect can be made with the ORS online at https://services.georgia.gov/dhr/reportfiling/searchFacility.do?action=constituentComplaint.
Anyone who suspects that elder abuse is occurring should call Adult Protective Services at (888) 774-0152 or the state Department of Community Health’s Healthcare Facility Regulation Division at (800) 878-8442.
Abridged
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Senior Citizens Deserve to be Protected (USA)
April 30, 2011
No one of decent character would argue that elder abuse isn’t just plain disgusting.
The thought of someone taking advantage of or physically harming your grandparents or someone else’s grandparents is reprehensible.
Yet thousands of senior citizens are victims of one or more of the many types of abuse existing today. It’s not a new problem, but that doesn’t mean we have to accept it.
Fighting the problem is only right, and part of that battle is awareness. Consequently, any effort that enlightens people about the problem warrants support.
We are endorsing this year as Elder Abuse Awareness Year.
As Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said in a recent news release, “By raising awareness of elder abuse, the hope is to prevent crimes against vulnerable adults.”
Elder abuse includes physical and/or emotional abuse, financial exploitation and self-neglect. Statistics indicate more than 80,000 vulnerable adults in Michigan are victims of at least one form of elder abuse.
To help spotlight the problem and promote public awareness, the Serving Adults who are Vulnerable and/or Elderly Task Force was launched in 2005. The SAVE Task Force is a partnership among service agencies and businesses that serve the senior population, law enforcement and Oakland County Health and Human Services to protect the rights and safety of vulnerable adults.
For more information about elder abuse, visit www.oakgov.com/seniors/assets/docs/help_readable_format.pdf.
Anyone who suspects that someone is being abused or neglected may make an anonymous report to Adult Protective Services at 1-866-975-5010
SOURCE: The Heritage.com
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Nun Scammer Found Guilty of Financial Elder Abuse (USA)
Nun Scammer Found Guilty of Financial Elder Abuse
Jury Convicts Denise D’Sant Angelo on 12 Felony Counts
May 11, 2011
A Santa Barbara jury today found Denise D’Sant Angelo guilty of embezzling $30,000 from an elderly couple whose home was about to go into foreclosure. The bespectacled fraudster, convicted last year of lining her pockets with money meant to save housing for a group of nuns, convinced the husband and wife she was skilled in the ways of financial and legal maneuvering and could save their home if they paid her.
She didn’t, and Deputy District Attorney Brian Cota proved in court that D’Sant Angelo used the money to pay for her rent and other personal expenses. She met the victims while going door-to-door on behalf of the nuns, and it was revealed during the trial that D’Sant Angelo often pitted members of the victims’ family against one another to her advantage.
The jury convicted D’Sant Angelo on six counts of felony financial elder abuse, six counts of felony grand theft, and one count of misdemeanor unlawful practice of law. She was also found guilty of the special allegation that she committed the crimes – spread out over the course of a year-and-a-half – while she was out on bail during her prior embezzlement case. If she receives the maximum sentence this time, D’Sant Angelo faces 11 years in prison.
Judge Frank Ochoa granted Cota’s request that D’Sant Angelo’s bond be forfeited and she be immediately taken into custody. He argued she’s a threat to the public and showed herself willing to continue scamming people while out on bail. Ochoa agreed, and D’Sant Angelo was lead out of the courtroom in handcuffs shortly after the jury was dismissed.
Cota said immediately after the verdicts were read it was telling that the jury, after deliberating for only three hours, reached a unanimous decision after listening to D’Sant Angelo tell her side of the story on the stand for four days. During closing remarks, Cota called D’Sant Angelo a “textbook case of a con artist, plain and simple,” and that she “gained [the victims’] confidence in order to steal their money.”
D’Sant Angelo will be back in court on Monday, June 6 for a sentencing hearing.
SOURCE: Independent.com
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Elderly People ‘Underfed’ and ‘Ignored’ in Care Homes (UK)
Elderly people ‘underfed’ and ‘ignored’ in care homes
Elderly people in care are underfed, ignored and abused, an undercover investigation revealed today.
Personal Finance Correspondent
19 Apr 2011
The alarming findings were unveiled after actors were sent into four care homes, posing as residents.
Food in two of the care homes was reported to be “unappetising and inadequate”, with one researcher losing 7lbs in weight in a week.
In some cases, residents had to wait up to 17 hours between dinner and breakfast without food, according to the investigation by consumer group Which?
One actor witnessed a member of staff dragging a resident towards the lavatory by one arm, while another resident was pushed down into their chair repeatedly by the head and shoulder when trying to stand up.
One actress said: “Resident Mary left the room and the carer brought her back roughly and put her in her seat. Later I saw the carer dragging her by one arm towards the lavatory while talking on her mobile.
“The carer has helped feed another resident Lucy over the last two days and it is not easy to watch. I’m sure Lucy would eat more if this carer gave her the time to chew rather than shovelling in huge spoons of food very quickly.
When Lucy puts up her hand to stop any more food until she has swallowed, this is taken to mean that she doesn’t want any more and the food is removed.”
The actress also reported: “One resident Joyce told a carer that she wanted to go to the loo. The carer snapped back ‘this is a dining room Joyce not a loo’. When the carers judged it was time to start moving the residents out, Joyce was not the first to go, she was third – some 25 minutes after she first asked to go to the loo. She appeared by now to be near to tears.”
Pensioner groups and charities condemned the findings, describing them as a “national scandal”.
Dot Gibson, general secretary of the National Pensioners Convention, said: “Malnutrition, long periods of isolation and examples of abuse are what we might associate with Guantánamo Bay – but not with our care homes.
“People are paying up to £800 a week for this sort of treatment – but there is no way you could call it care. It’s a national scandal that older people are being exploited in this way out in the community. We need to speak up on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves. We clearly have an inspection system that isn’t up to the job and a lack of proper staff expertise. A care home should be a safe place – not one where you stand a chance of being underfed, ignored and abused.”
Michelle Mitchell, director at Age UK, said: “Care homes should be places of safety, warmth, activity and happiness and this research shows that some are falling short of this ambition. Improving poor care is not rocket science; it comes down to how people are treated when they are at their frailest, and often a warm word or extra time spent in chatting or helping can make all the difference.”
The report also raised concerns about basic health and safety in two homes, from damp and dirty facilities to exposed wires and a blocked fire escape.
And there was a ‘worrying’ lack of activity in four homes, leaving residents bored and depressed.
Peter Vicary-Smith, chief executive of Which?, said: “Old age comes to us all, and everyone living in a home has a right to expect their most basic needs to be met. Sadly, the homes we visited left a lot to be desired.”
SOURCE: The Telegraph.co.UK
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Posted by Poster on June 13, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Hard money loans get their name based on the simple fact that they are loans backed by a hard asset, a property. Private lending has evolved into a mainstream business, and the biggest growing segment of finance for real estate, both residential and commercial. Professional real estate investors are comfortable with and helped daily by the availability of private money. A private commercial mortgage loan will normally be for a shorter term, and have greater interest. The benefit is it is available very quickly , so investors are able to finalizea deal and offer cash to the seller, frequently helping them to get property at a discounted price. Because these are short term loans, it is critical for the borrower to have a well thought-out exit strategy. The private lender expects the hard money to be repaid on schedule , and presenting them with a realistic payback plan is critical . Private lenders are usually successful business people themselves, and they like to work with other professional individuals. Documenting a successful track record will help the borrower secure the private commercial mortgage loan. We are in the throws of a global credit crunch, so a conventional commercial mortgage loan is increasingly hard to get, even for seasoned investors. Hard money loans are filling the gap, and provide faster access to cash for many investors, who know that fast money wins. Usually sellers are more open to discounting list price if the deal can be finalized immediately with cash. There is more opportunity for the investor to move ahead and purchase profitable properties if they can skip the long approval process so typical of the traditional commercial mortgage loan. With millions of dollars of potential profit at stake, hard money lending can be a huge benefit for investment situations Most hard money lenders are equity based, and focus less on the borrower’s credit and with more weight on the property and the amount of equity it provides . If the borrower has an income-producing building, a hard money lender is inclined to take a serious look at the opportunity, and you’re on your way to a private commercial mortgage loan.
Posted by Poster on June 13, 2011 · Leave a Comment
When it’s time to discover attorneys in Hamilton, it is time to do your homework. There are such a lot of fantastic lawyers on the market which are prepared and ready that will help you with any authorized challenge you would possibly have. There are criminal defense attorneys, civil prosecutors who struggle to your rights, worker lawyers, and so many different kinds of lawyers focusing on the sort of legislation that you need on your side.
Lawyers in Hamilton are there to work for the individuals of Hamilton. They perform a useful service to the people. Victims can have issues made right. Individuals that have been accused of something will be defended with every kind of energy possessed by the defense lawyer. All legal professionals in Hamilton are able to taking on your case and serving to you defeat no matter elements you are facing.
Many individuals retain lawyers in Hamilton for multiple motive over the years. Some individuals are accused of against the law they didn’t commit and need a good defense lawyer. Other people are wronged by another person and wish a very good lawyer to assist them get well what they’ve lost in addition to any further damages they’ve suffered, be it physical or mental.
There are such a lot of ways in which lawyers in Hamilton can reach out to the individuals and assist them get a fair probability with any department of law which} exists. Justice is the name of the game when it comes to the courtroom system and lawyers will do the whole lot in their power to see to it that individuals get the justice they so deserve. The years of expertise and arduous work of their coaching allow attorneys to know the law higher than anyone and to help folks understand and work with the legislation as well. Hamilton residents could be glad that} lawyers are on their side.
Posted by Poster on June 12, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Nowadays is a day enjoy any various, your scare the pants off clock goes off earlier so you can hit the snooze button and be lazy for ten mins before rolling out of bed. You go regarding your each day routine, fixing breakfast, performing your head of hair, brushing your tooth and acquiring dressed up for work. If your fortunate, you have five additional minutes to verify out the news earlier than leaving, you observe which the climate is slightly chilly, so you grab a coat as you stroll out the door. Your traveling to operate and singing a extended to the music, in truth you’re in a fantastic disposition when the particular person in entrance of slams on breaks and you don’t possess time to react, so you rear end them. Hopefully you’re insured under a good insurance coverage producer and should not have to worry about the damages. The purpose of this article is to inform readers about why car insurance coverage is essential and why we all must possess it. autoverzekeringen vergelijken autoverzekeringen goedkope autoverzekering
To start off the article we talked about getting in a wreck, which was the drivers fault, although he did nothing unsuitable on his part. But, let’s say which he did not have insurance, that could deliver up our initially key point, body fixes. In the situation that you get in a wreck and you possess no auto insurance coverage, all damages should have to be compensated in complete by you. In the case you’ve in no way had to face car shop fixes just before, these folks are not synonyms by any means, these folks can variety from six hundred bucks to six thousand, relying on the model of the car and how in depth the damages are. Additionally to getting to restore your own automobile, you also possess to repair the sufferers vehicle as well, so play it safe and have insurance.
The following direct on the list deals with your loan, if you are still spending off the loans on your car, insurance is necessary and you cannot downgrade the required coverage till it’s paid off. There’s actually not much to say on this direct, so we’ll transfer on to our endure reason, peace of mind. If you don’t possess insurance coverage, there will always be a considered in the back of your mind, well which if I get in a wreck? Should I possess adequate cash to cover the prices? We all have ample emphasize in our lives as it is, there is no need to add more to the number by not getting protection on your vehicle. What if you have a very great and deluxe automobile and it got stolen, there wouldn’t be much you might do regarding it, various than report it stolen.
To summarize this write-up into a couple of quick sentences, car insurance coverage is quite vital in our life and it will be definetely silly not to possess it. Let’s encounter it, accidents happen and mishaps usually cost income, so don’t leave by yourself open up for further costs that could be avoided. As a favor to by yourself, satisfy go online and get a rate quote, they aren’t too expensive and you’ll rest certain knowing that if a thing happened, you may appear out on the other facet a happier man or woman.
Posted by Poster on June 11, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Both Comfort and Nostalgia – One Houston Heights Builder
Historical charm and state of the art conveniences can go jointly hand in hand. It is evident in the design craftsmanship of Houston Heights Builder Whitestone Builders.
Houston, Tx., July 2010: It is the attention to details that makes a home welcoming. It’s the little nuances that brings a unique ambience to each home on the block of an established neighborhood. These features are what people expect from a custom Houston Heights builder. But few houses stand out like the ones designed by Whitestone Builders. By combining comfort with nostalgia, these custom built homes offer special features that other homes in the Houston Heights, no matter what their age, do not exhibit. Log onto Houston Heights Builder to see the difference. Or, just take a tour of the Heights and see how easy it is to spot a Whitestone Builders home.
One example you will see is shutters that actually work. More than an architectural detail, functional shutters supply storm protection and let the owner vary the amount of light that flows into the rooms to create the perfect mood. Oversized front porches with real glowing gas lamps welcome guests and family as well provide an extended living space on cool summer nights or warm autumn evenings. Rear garages and apartments with alley access provide secured privacy and extra space for houseguests, an office or a studio without spoiling the curb appeal of these classic styled homes. Classic wrought iron fencing provide security as well as Southern, old world charm.
Too many builders of modern homes have forgotten these traditional features have a purpose. They promote a warmth and nostalgic ambience but also provide comfort and protection. Houston Heights builders Whitestone builders remember. Not all that is old is antiquated. Browse through the examples at Houston Heights Builder to see how this Houston Heights builder offers all the features of modern living without compromising classic style.
Author: Julie B. Cosgrove, freelance writer for Examiner.com
Whitestone Builders
David Gordon, Graham Gamble
5818 Dove Ridge, #200, Houston TX 77041
Phone Number: (832) 274-3848
Website: http://www.whitestonebuilders.com
Email: dgordon@whitestonebuilders.com or ggamble@whitestonebuilders.com
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