Nurse accused of performing exorcism on elderly nursing home resident, report says

By Brandy Beard

NAZARETH, Pa. (Gray News) - A nurse is accused of attacking an elderly nonverbal patient and attempting to perform an exorcism on her.

The charges stem from an alleged assault on June 23 at a county-run facility in Pennsylvania, according to NBC Philadelphia.

Octavia Robinson was charged with abuse of a care dependent person, harassment, and simple assault.

According to WFMZ, police in Nazareth were called on June 23 for a welfare check. The caller said one of the nurses was acting strangely and would not come out for around two hours.

WFMZ reported that an officer saw Robinson standing over the patient with her fingers in the patient’s mouth. Robinson then allegedly said there were demons inside the patient that “needed to come out,” the outlet said court documents revealed.

A grand jury report stated the woman’s roommates tried to get help from staff and officers, NBC Philadelphia reported.

Robinson was taken to an area hospital for an involuntary emergency health evaluation, WFMZ said.

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Nurse accused of performing exorcism on elderly nursing home resident, report says 

Nurse so drunk at work she needed help booking a taxi

by Telegraph reporters 

A care home nurse has been suspended after a tribunal found she went to work drunk and needed help from her colleagues to book a taxi home.

Karen Jane Makinson, 59, was "extremely intoxicated" during a shift at Church House Nursing Home in Nantwich, Cheshire, in June 2024, putting residents at a "significant risk of harm", a Nursing and Midwifery Council panel found.

She was swaying as she walked through the 44-bed nursing home, which provides care for residents with dementia, according to the panel. She was dismissed 10 days later. Ms Makinson denied the allegations.

Giving evidence to the tribunal, her colleagues described how she laughed at things that were not funny and struggled to walk downstairs.

Robert Hammond, the care home manager, said he took her car keys from her after refusing to let her drive home, adding that a senior carer had to help her order a cab because she "simply could not co-ordinate to move her fingers on her phone to book a taxi home".

Karen Jane Makinson, 59, was drunk during a shift at Church House Nursing Home in Cheshire, putting residents at a 'significant risk of harm'

During a probationary interview, Ms Makinson admitted she had two glasses of wine at lunchtime some eight hours before her shift and said she may have appeared unsteady on her feet because she was answering a text on her phone while walking.

She also said she was unable to use her phone to book a taxi because she was unfamiliar with the recently downloaded app.

The panel found her account "implausible" and accepted the witnesses' evidence, according to a written judgment. Her actions were determined to have breached the code and amounted to misconduct.

'Very serious misconduct'

The panel said: "The panel was of the view that in attending work as the nurse in charge and the only nurse on shift, providing clinical care to vulnerable residents whilst under the influence of alcohol, was very serious misconduct and fell far below the standards expected of a registered nurse.

"The panel concluded from the evidence that Ms Makinson was extremely intoxicated and that her co-ordination, judgment and behaviour were all adversely affected as a consequence.

"It was of the view that someone who was intoxicated to this extent would be unlikely to recognise a deteriorating patient or respond appropriately if an emergency situation arose, placing residents at a significant risk of harm."

The panel concluded Ms Makinson's fitness to practise was impaired and ordered a 12-month suspension.

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Nurse so drunk at work she needed help booking a taxi 

The young and healthy Dutchman who moved into a care home - podcast

Nurse Teun Toebes and filmmaker Jonathan de Jong argue for a radical new approach to treating – and giving freedom to – people with dementia, showcased in their film and book, Human Forever.

Teun Toebes was 17, a student nurse, when he first entered a care home. He entered, he remembers, “the closed ward”, where residents were locked inside. It illustrated perfectly, he thought, “how we have lost the plot” when it comes to treating dementia.

Teun – together with filmmaker Jonathan de Jong – have released a documentary, Human Forever, on his journey in care since: living for years in homes across the Netherlands, and then travelling beyond to find the best examples of dementia care across the world.

Together, they talk to Helen Pidd about the radical new approach they are proposing for dementia – from pets, to cooking to solo walks – focused on maximising freedom for those in care.

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The young and healthy Dutchman who moved into a care home - podcast

92 Years Young Superstar Sylvia

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92 Years Young Superstar Sylvia

Arkansas Advance Healthcare Directives Remain Valid Under Guardianship and State Hospital Admission

Arkansans with valid advance healthcare directives generally retain those protections if they later become wards under guardianship or are admitted to the Arkansas State Hospital, according to Attorney General Tim Griffin.

This came on Wednesday, September 9th, in response to questions from State Representative Steve Unger about whether an existing advance directive remains enforceable after a person becomes a ward and is admitted to the State Hospital.

The Attorney General concluded that neither the appointment of a guardian nor admission to the Arkansas State Hospital automatically invalidates a valid advance directive.

Under Griffin’s interpretation of Arkansas law, the state and a ward’s guardian generally must honor the directive. However, the opinion recognizes exceptions when a controlling court order or a provision of state law applies to a particular healthcare decision.

Advance directives allow people to establish instructions concerning future healthcare decisions before circumstances arise in which they may no longer be able to make or communicate those decisions themselves.

Griffin addresses what happens to those previously established instructions when an Arkansan later comes under guardianship. Griffin concluded that becoming a ward does not, by itself, erase an otherwise valid directive.

The same principle generally applies when a ward is admitted to the Arkansas State Hospital. Admission alone does not invalidate the directive or eliminate the state’s obligation to honor it, according to the opinion.

The conclusion is not absolute. A court could issue an order controlling a particular healthcare decision, and state law contains exceptions that may apply depending on the circumstances of an individual case.

Unger asked whether the directive remains enforceable after both guardianship and admission to the State Hospital and whether the state is required to honor the directive. Griffin answered both questions generally in the affirmative.

The publicly released opinion does not identify a particular patient or case that prompted Unger’s request.

It also remains unclear whether the opinion will result in changes to existing procedures used by the Arkansas Department of Human Services, the Arkansas State Hospital or the state’s guardianship system. 

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Arkansas Advance Healthcare Directives Remain Valid Under Guardianship and State Hospital Admission 

Senior Life: Become a guardian volunteer for vulnerable neighbors

    

by Sally Kelly

Last month, I wrote about the needs of senior homeowners when they are unable to care for property. I included my thoughts about a lack of resources for these individuals. But what about the individuals themselves who are unable to care for themselves, let alone their property?

These vulnerable adults might be someone who qualifies for a legal guardian. The guidelines that our local Probate Court Judge Patricia Smith uses is based on whether the individual is first able to care for their own physical needs and finances, as well as the care of their home, whether it be an apartment or house.

A legal guardian for an adult is something that I never really thought about. My early work experience was at the Children's Home in Akron. Appointing legal guardians for abused or neglected children was a common practice. The guardian was usually a relative or a close family friend. The guardian became legally responsible for the child’s health and welfare until the parents were able to responsibly care for the child. This avoided having to take custody of the child and placing them in foster care.

The concept of a senior citizen having a guardian is somewhat the same idea. A volunteer guardian is appointed for a vulnerable adult who has shown evidence that they are unable to manage their own finances and health care.

The volunteer guardian is expected to visit the individual in their home to monitor their ability to care for themselves.

In Portage County, there is a Guardianship Service Board who is responsible for these volunteers who are given the responsibility to monitor the well-being of the individual while protecting the legal rights of the individual person under their care “through the least restrictive means possible." The volunteer is appointed by the local Probate Court Judge. The current Guardianship Board is made up of an attorney, the Director of the Portage County Disability Board and the Director of the Board of Mental Health.

The state of Ohio offers a three-hour class online for individuals looking for more information about the guardianship program. Also on the internet, you can find the forms needed to be completed in order to refer a vulnerable individual to be considered for guardianship.

The Guardianship Service Board Director is Diane Clarke who, along with the three board members, provides the supervision of the volunteers.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer guardian, contact their office at 330-839-3964. 

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Senior Life: Become a guardian volunteer for vulnerable neighbors

Clay County officials announce task force that targets mismanaged guardianships

by Scott Johnson

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Clay County officials announced a Guardianship Task Force Tuesday to identify, investigate and prosecute mismanaged or illegally conducted guardianships that have left elderly residents and children vulnerable, officials said.

The effort is led by Clay County Clerk of Court and Comptroller Tara Green and Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook and includes the state attorney’s office and law enforcement partners from surrounding counties.

The task force will centralize investigations, improve information sharing and ensure cases involving vulnerable victims receive coordinated attention from complaint to prosecution, officials said.

“Hundreds of children and vulnerable adults receive services through court‑appointed guardians,” Green said.

Her office audits guardians’ reports annually, focusing on wards’ physical well‑being, financial accounts and the status of their assets.

Green described recent cases uncovered by auditors, including one in which a guardian depleted the bank account of an elderly woman, took her monthly pension, sold her property and left her destitute without personal effects while medical bills went unpaid. The exploitation was committed by a family member who had been caring for the woman, Green said.

“When guardianships are carried out legally, these vulnerable adults and children are properly cared for,” she said. “But when a guardianship is mismanaged or conducted in an illegal or even criminal manner, the results can be devastating.”

Cook said complaints previously were handled piecemeal, with administrative reviews by the clerk’s office and criminal probes by sheriff’s investigators often pursued separately.

The task force is intended to put all agencies “on the same page,” she said, allowing officials to share information earlier and coordinate investigations that may cross jurisdictions.

Officials urged the public to educate themselves before appointing or hiring a guardian, to ask questions and to report suspicious activity.

Resources and contact information are available on the Clay Clerk’s website and relatives, neighbors and care providers are encouraged to call the task force even if they are unsure a crime has occurred so experts can evaluate concerns.

You can also call the Florida Department of Children and Families Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE. If you suspect a court-appointed guardian is not being ethical, call their hotline at 1-855-305-3030.

“We want to make sure everyone knows we will be watching, and if you’re taking advantage of someone you have guardianship over, you will be held accountable,” Cook said. 

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Clay County officials announce task force that targets mismanaged guardianships 

As Florida ages, officials confront growing threat of elder exploitation

Katherine Fernandez Rundle

A string of Miami-Dade arrests for fraud and exploitation highlights the need to protect a growing population of seniors and vulnerable adults, local officials said.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade Commissioner René Garcia, and 11th Circuit State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle announced the latest arrest at a press conference on Wednesday.

"These are our parents, our grandparents, our friends, our neighbors, and they deserve to age with dignity, to feel safe, and to know where they can turn when they need help,” Levine Cava said.

Rundle announced the arrest of a 67-year-old Hialeah man who is accused of defrauding his 88-year-old mother and 90-year-old father of $86,000, before the father died last year.

The suspect “used his position of trust” to access his parent’s bank account and drained nearly “everything the couple had,” Fernandez Rundle said.

Working with county and local law enforcement, Rundle’s Elderly & Vulnerable Abuse Task Force has made nearly a dozen arrests.

Two exploiters are serving prison terms, one 20 years, the other 10.5 years, after being convicted by Miami-Dade juries, the officials noted.

The latest report from an EVA Work Group that was formed in 2022 shows that Florida ranks second only to California in having the largest number of residents 65 or older.

However, Florida has the highest percentage of older residents in the nation, and Miami-Dade, with 17%, or 472,132, leads the state, the report found.

About 22% of Miami-Dade seniors, or 106,000, live alone, making them “prime targets for scammers,” the report notes.

“High-level structural issues,” such as a severe shortage of social workers, contribute to the challenge, as does the population’s susceptibility to abuse by relatives, trusted parties, and caregivers granted power of attorney, the report notes.

“Service providers and regulatory/enforcement agencies that together support older and vulnerable adults are experiencing funding and staffing shortages, many of which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the report found.

Unaffordable long-term care options increase the risk of exploitation, the report notes, as does a “lack of meaningful enforcement by the Agency for Health Care Administration” over assisted living facilities.

Other challenges include:

• A “significantly under-resourced” Department of Children and Families abuse registry hotline.

• An inability to retain “Adult Protective Investigators,” or APIs, who are paid $37,000 and required to use their own vehicles.

• A lack of interagency coordination hampered by confidentiality requirements.

• A high burden to launch a financial exploitation investigation. “If the Power of Attorney (POA) is the exploiter, Adult Protective Services does not have subpoena power to obtain bank records or records from other financial institution.”

The report makes a series of recommendations, including:

• Higher salaries for APIs to help retain qualified staff and reduce wait times on DCF’s Abuse Hotline.

• Creation of a “guardianship-like agency” where a determination of incapacity is not required to meet the needs of those left unserved by the current system.

• Enhanced oversight of congregate living facilities, including “requiring licensing and certification of facilities by regulatory agencies that also provide regular inspections and document compliance.”

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As Florida ages, officials confront growing threat of elder exploitation 

Sabatini maintains Leesburg woman is innocent of elderly exploitation

by Julie Garisto 

Key Points

• A Leesburg woman was found guilty of exploiting an elderly neighbor for nearly $350,000.
• The woman used a power-of-attorney to transfer the victim's funds to her own accounts and purchase land.
• The defense attorney, who is also a local politician, maintains his client was wrongfully convicted.

Nearly two years after charges were first filed, a Lake County jury has delivered a guilty verdict against a Leesburg woman who prosecutors say "systematically drained nearly $350,000" from an elderly, widowed neighbor through an abusive power-of-attorney scheme.

But her attorney, who's also a local politician, insists she was wrongfully convicted.

Kimberly Bitting of Leesburg was convicted on multiple felony counts in August, including three counts of elderly exploitation and a charge of cashing or depositing an item with intent to defraud.

Following the verdict, Bitting was remanded to the Lake County Jail without bond as she awaits sentencing.

Represented by attorney Anthony Sabatini, who's also a Lake County commissioner, Bitting was convicted of were felonies. Specifically, the jury found her guilty on four felony counts:

• Elderly Exploitation (Breach of Power of Attorney) – first-degree felony
• Elderly Exploitation (Position of Trust or Confidence) – first-degree felony
• Elderly Exploitation (Negligent or Intentional Misuse of Assets) – first-degree felony
• Cashing or Depositing an Item with Intent to Defraud – third-degree felony

Despite those convictions, the jury cleared her of a first-degree felony and second-degree felony: organized fraud and the criminal use of personal identification information of an individual over 60.

"Sadly juries often get it wrong, although we were pleased our client was acquitted on several of the bogus charges at trial," Sabatini told the Daily Commercial."Bitting saved the woman's life and worked as a caretaker for her for years. The allegations against her were false."

A 'calculated scheme of isolation and theft'?

The case, investigated by the Leesburg Police Department alongside the state attorney general's office, took more than 18 months.

Prosecutors presented bank records, surveillance footage and a detailed paper trail demonstrating how Bitting exploited her relationship with the grieving senior widow after gaining power of attorney.

According to evidence presented at trial, Bitting used her authority to write checks from the victim’s accounts directly to her own personal accounts. Investigators discovered that more than $137,000 of the victim's money was funneled into purchasing two parcels of land in Calhoun County under a private trust bearing Bitting's name.

During the trial, witnesses speaking for the prosecution discussed "psychological tactics" alleged. Bitting heavily restricted the senior’s communication with family and threatened to have her declared legally incompetent. The victim ultimately managed to escape of her own accord, relocating to New York to live safely with her sister.Co-defendants and legal resolution

Co-defendant Ashton Silvis previously pleaded guilty to receiving payments from the victim's accounts, while another co-defendant, Lara Larsen, cooperated with the state and testified on behalf of the prosecution

State officials, including State Attorney General James Uthmeier, praised the jury's decision, emphasizing that Florida remains committed to holding accountable those who prey on vulnerable older residents.“This defendant systematically exploited a vulnerable senior widow grieving the loss of her husband, abusing a power of attorney to drain her life savings, purchase property for herself, and isolate her from family,” Uthmeier said in his media statement, thanking the Leesburg Police Department, Senior Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Taylor Chatting and Special Counsel Ana Sacco "for their outstanding work securing this conviction.”

Protect yourself and loved ones

Elder financial abuse — particularly involving powers of attorney and trusted caregivers — is an escalating concern.

According to the FBI, tens of thousands of older adults file elder fraud complaints annually.

To safeguard elderly family members, the AARP and consumer protection advocates recommend the following precautions:

Take the initiaive: Discuss financial boundaries and scam awareness with loved ones early, carefully vetting anyone appointed as a financial power of attorney.

Secure sensitive documents: Keep tax returns, bank statements and legal papers safely out of sight.Monitor relationships: Pay close attention to new or overly dominant relationships in an older person’s life, especially anyone attempting to isolate them from family and friends.

Use safeguards: Consider setting up spending limits on prepaid accounts, utilizing monitoring services, or hiring care through bonded, thoroughly screened agencies.

Report suspicious activity: If you suspect financial exploitation, contact local law enforcement or file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

This updated report updates previous coverage from the Daily Commercial.

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Sabatini maintains Leesburg woman is innocent of elderly exploitation