Prosecutor: Elderly Sonoma man killed for the inheritance

By LORI A. CARTER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

July 8, 2009

A 20-year-old man killed his grandfather with a shotgun blast to the back of the head in Sonoma last year because he wanted his inheritance early, Sonoma County prosecutors said Wednesday in opening statements of the man’s murder trial.

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

09th July 2009

An elderly widow died after she broke her hip and was left in agony without medical attention for 14 hours at a private nursing home.

When Winifred Mitchell was eventually taken to hospital with an ‘obvious’ fracture, she contracted pneumonia and died eight days later, an inquest heard.

A pathologist said the broken hip contributed to her death.

Mrs Mitchell, 87, had gone to stay at the residential home only to allow her carer daughter to go on holiday.

She was ‘screaming out in pain’ and pressing her alarm buzzer throughout the night after falling from a wheelchair which had been left without its brakes on, the Sheffield coroner was told.

July 13, 2009

Dozens of mostly elderly Montreal residents gathered at a hotel on Sunday to swap tales of loss and betrayal.

Joined by their frantic families, they’re among some 50 people believed to have lost millions of dollars in an alleged Ponzi scheme.

Local and provincial police were at the meeting gathering statements.

Quebec authorities have frozen the accounts of Montreal financial planner Earl Jones and are trying to locate him.

Jones has not been charged with any crime. A police investigation is underway.

Seniors face issues during their golden years

By Diana DeCharles

July 13, 2009

While many of today’s senior citizens are fully capable of handling all of their own financial matters, elder financial fraud and abuse remains a problem. Elder financial abuse, as defined by the National Center on Elder Abuse is, “the illegal taking, misuse, or concealment of funds, property, or assets of a vulnerable elder at risk for harm by another due to changes in physical functioning, mental functioning or both.”

According to a study called “Broken Trust: Elders, Family and Finances” which was done in collaboration with the Mature Market Institute, National Committee for Prevention of Elder Abuse, and Center for Gerontology at Virginia Tech, financial loss is estimated to be at least $2.6 billion dollars annually. A much actual larger dollar amount is actually suspected since many such cases go unreported.

According to the FBI’s Web site there are many forms of fraud, including health insurance fraud, telemarketing fraud, and the Sweetheart Scam.

Medicare schemes often involve medical equipment manufacturers offering free products in exchange for a Medicare beneficiary’s Medicare number. To avoid these scams, never ever sign a blank insurance form and keep accurate records. If you have any questions about a transaction, call your insurance company immediately.

In telemarketing fraud, a scam artist will call and say that you’ve won a prize, free gift or a vacation. Unfortunately, in order to receive your “free” prize you must send money or give them a bank account or credit card number. Never ever give such information to a caller. To avoid this type of fraud, do not pay for a “free” prize, don’t buy from a company you don’t know, and check with the Better Business Bureau, the state Attorney General or the National Fraud Information Center before you agree to anything.

A “Sweetheart Scam” occurs when a woman, often younger, “befriends” an older man. She wins his affections and manipulates him into letting her take over his estate and financial affairs.

Another major area of elder financial abuse is perpetuated on seniors by family, friends, and even strangers. In fact 55 percent of the time families, friends, neighbors and caregivers are found to have been involved. One of the reasons the elderly are at more risk is their larger net worth and their greater vulnerability.

There are three action steps you can take to avoid being a victim:

· Be organized. Develop a system for keeping up with your bills, investment accounts. Use a shredder. Have the bank send copies of your statements to a trusted adult child or financial manager. (Two sets of eyes are better than one.)

· Be informed. Know where you can go if you suspect financial abuse. Work with your attorney to review all of your estate planning documents periodically as well as to keep your power of attorney updated.

· Be alert. Keep valuables in a secure place. Before you sign any documents have someone you trust review them.

July 7, 2009

According to the Elder Financial Protection Network (www.bewiseonline.org), elder financial abuse may be the “crime of the 21st century” as a quickly growing elder population becomes an attractive target for exploiters and abusers. Here are some ways that older adults can protect themselves from financial fraud:

• Plan ahead and protect your assets. Talk to someone at your financial institution, an attorney, or a financial advisor; don’t wait for a telephone or door-to-door solicitor to contact you.

West Valley woman accused of elder abuse

July 7, 2009

A West Valley City woman was charged Tuesday after prosecutors say she abandoned her duties as a caretaker of a 90-year-old woman she lived with.

The woman, 35, was charged with one count of aggravated abuse or neglect of a disabled or elder adult, a second-degree felony.

Police responded to Pioneer Valley Hospital on June 8 on an aggravated elder abuse case, according to charging documents. Detectives spoke with hospital staffers who said one of their 90-year-old patients had recently lost a considerable amount of weight, was suffering from renal failure, pneumonia and had multiple bedsores.

Orosi man arrested on suspicion of elder abuse

July 8, 2009

An Orosi man has been arrested on suspicion of elder abuse, according to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies Monday responded to a house in the 12800 block of Avenue 414, where they discovered a 72-year-old man with visible injuries caused by an assault, the department reported. Floralio Diza Jr., 38, was arrested and booked into the Tulare County Main Jail.

No information was available on the condition of the older man.