This blog features a round up of elder justice related news items released in August 2013.

NATIONAL NEWS

Momentum for Senate Fraud Protection Act: The Seniors Fraud Prevention Act has gained new support and momentum in the Senate, including Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Susan Collins (R-ME). The bill will help increase protections for older adults who are vulnerable to financial exploitation.

• Regarding the bill, Senator Collins said: “Our bill would help protect seniors from fraud by establishing an advisory office within the Bureau of Consumer Protection. This office would be responsible for increasing oversight, consumer education, and establishing a complaint tracking system focused on scams that target our seniors.”

New Review of Adult Protective Services (APS): A recent study published in the Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect reviewed 50 studies of APS data from the past 16 years. Their analysis revealed, “efforts towards knowledge development about elder mistreatment and self-neglect,” and outlined the need for further research.

STATE AND LOCAL NEWS (NEW YORK STATE AND NEW YORK CITY)

Senator Tim Kennedy Hosts Scam Prevention Seminar: New York State Senator Tim Kennedy hosted a seminar on avoiding elder financial exploitation at a Senior Center in Cheektowaga to help spread awareness and offer useful scam prevention tools. Senator Kennedy is working on legislation to pair older adults whose family has a history of crime with a caretaker they can trust and made the following statement.

• “Elder abuse is often difficult to detect, so we want to train as many individuals as we can in society to recognize it so we can go to the proper authorities.”

ELDER JUSTICE IN THE MEDIA

Elder Financial Exploitation Compliance Issue Matures from the ABA Banking Journal: In response to the recent Government Accountability Office (GAO)’s recent report on elder abuse prevention services, this piece highlights the importance of their findings and outlines next steps for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

• For more on the GAO’s recent report, please read our recent post: GAO Report Highlights the Need for the Elder Justice Movement

NYCEAC IN THE NEWS

Astor Swindler Anthony Marshall’s ‘Sick’ Ploy in Bid to Go Free from the New York Post:Anthony Marshall, the son of famed New York philanthropist Brooke Astor, was granted parole for medical reasons. Marshall has only served 2 months of his 1-3 year long sentence for financially exploiting his wealthy mother of millions.

• Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Loewy, a NYCEAC partner, claims that Marshall has not submitted substantial proof of his medical condition.

Mickey Rooney, Brooke Astor and Elder Abuse from the New York Law Journal: Author Daniel Fish highlights elements from major elder abuse cases in New York and exposes the hidden issues surrounding elder abuse and exploitation. Advising lawyers working with older clients, this piece pulls guidance from NYCEAC partners at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Adult Protection Services, and the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale.

RELATED STORIES

A Round-Up of Elder Justice News – July 2013

A Round-Up of Elder Justice News – June 2013

by Alexandra Pearson, Communications Specialist, NYCEAC