This blog features a round up of elder justice related news items released in October 2013.
NATIONAL NEWS
Bank Tellers Trained to Detect Elder Fraud
Professionals at financial institutions are joining the fight to halt scams that target older adults. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, bank tellers can help spot the financial exploitation and abuse of older customers. This is one of many coordinated efforts between state, local, and national organizations to further elder abuse prevention.
AARP Policy Institute Releases Report on Guardian Decisions on Long-Term Services and Support
The report looks at the decisions guardians make when choosing a residence, community, or nursing facility for older adults in need of care. Their findings present an in-depth study of how professional guardians make this decision. Read the full report here.
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney’s Stepson Settles Elder Abuse Suit for Millions
The stepson of actor Mickey Rooney has conceded to charges that he owes $2.8 million to his father. Rooney testified before Congress that he was financially exploited by his family.
STATE AND LOCAL NEWS (NEW YORK STATE AND NEW YORK CITY)
Eric Schneiderman
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman Warns Older Investors About Scammers
Acknowledging that older adults are at special risk for fraud, Schneiderman educates seniors about how to avoid scammers. In this piece, he notes that financial abuse is one of the most frequent forms of elder abuse in New York.
ELDER JUSTICE IN THE MEDIA
Suffering in Silence: Neglected Elderly Woman’s Death Shows How World is Failing its Seniors from The Washington Post: This article takes an in depth look at elder abuse in Australia and the United States. Profiling one family’s tragic loss, this piece looks at the personal impacts of neglect and abuse.
The Disturbing Trend in America We’re Not Talking About — Elder Abuse from PolicyMic: Why isn’t elder abuse a national headline in America? Authors Matthew Rozsa and Ariel Gordon seek to answer this question and expose the prevalence and importance of the issue.
Portrait of the Ideal Victim (Elder Financial Abuse) from the Huffington Post: Written by the daughter of two elder abuse victims, this article looks at ways to keep your parents and family members safe.
RELATED STORIES
A Round-Up of Elder Justice News – September 2013
A Round-Up of Elder Justice News – August 2013
by Alexandra Pearson, Communications Specialist, NYCEAC
Unfortunately, Mr. Rooney’s step-son and his wife filed for bankruptcy before settlement was reached. It’s doubtful the $2.8 million will be repaid. This is a typical method used by defense attorneys to avoid full restitution.
Most victim’s don’t have the resources to file civil suits to recover their stolen assets, leaving them with very limited options for housing and health care.
We have to bring elder law attorneys into the battle to help stem the increasing tide of elder financial abuse. They are on the front lines and can help identify the potential for fiduciary abuse.
Appreciate NYCEAC’S dedication to the epidemic of elder abuse and exploitation.
Hi Leanne – sorry for such a delayed response to your great comment. Thank you for raising such important points. You’re so right about engaging elder law attorneys in the elder justice conversation. We appreciate all of your dedication and advocacy in the elder justice field! I hope your year is off to a great start!!
While I’m thrilled that you were kind enough to post my article here, you should note that it was actually a collaborative effort between myself and Ariel Gordon, the pundit who was attributed as the primary author. It would mean a lot to me if you corrected this error.
Hi Matthew – thank you so much for taking the time to bring this to our attention. We made the correction and appreciate your work on this piece. Thank you again!
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