1 in 7 US Facilities Cited for Infection Control Deficiencies

Estimated 400,000 residents die of infections annually.

Nearly one in seven nursing homes is cited for deficiencies in infection control practices each year, new research shows.

Infections are a leading cause of illness and death in U.S. nursing homes, claiming nearly 400,000 lives annually.

Before receiving reimbursement from Medicare or Medicaid, nursing homes must meet certain standards. Those that do not are issued deficiency citations.

A new study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Infection Control examined the deficiency citation records used in Medicare/Medicaid certification between 2000 and 2007. The data represented 96 percent of all U.S. nursing home facilities, according to the researchers from University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health.

About 15 percent of U.S. nursing homes received deficiency citations for infection control every year.

Full Article and Source:
1 in 7 U.S. Nursing Homes Cited for Poor Infection Control

TX AG Supports Guardians for Mentally Impaired Jail Inmates

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott told Tarrant County officials in an opinion this week that local courts do not have the authority to bypass appointing a guardian for mentally impaired jail detainees who refuse to take medication.

The Tarrant County district attorney's office had asked Abbott's office in August whether the Texas Health and Safety Code, subsection 773.008(2), authorizes a court to order emergency medical treatment of a local jail inmate.

In an opinion dated April 28, the attorney general's office said the code does not expressly say or imply that the courts can "order emergency medical treatment of local jail detainees."

Assistant District Attorney David Hudson said the issue comes up in only "a handful" of cases each year. One inmate refused to take medication for chronic medical conditions such as diabetes.

"We had a situation where the probate courts were trying to use this statute independent of any order," Hudson said. "There was a question of, Is that really appropriate? We were just trying to see what can and can't be done with this statute."

Full Article and Source:
Texas Attorney General Supports Guardians for Mentally Impaired Jail Inmates

'Probate Sharks' ... "WANTED!"... We Have Had Inquiries

We have had inquiries about the following list of attorneys, judges, guardians and other fiduciaries encountered by our viewers.

If you have any information on any of these individuals, please email us at verenusl@gmail.com or phone (224) 365-5770.

We would appreciate your input. This dynamic list will be updated frequently.

This list and any information gathered from it is being compiled for educational purposes and does not necessarily suggest untoward behaviour of those parties listed.
~~Lucius Verenus, Schoolmaster, ProbateSharks.com

Ingrid Babitsky...(IL)...Caregiver
Costigan Niedle...(IL)...Paralegal
Melanie Frazier...(IL)...Guardian
Miriam Solo...(IL)...Attorney (GAL)
David Martin...(IL)...Attorney (GAL)
Melinda Martin...(IL)...Attorney (GAL)
Lynne Kowamoto...(IL)...Judge
Jane Stuart...(IL)...Judge
Benjamin Topp...(IL)...Care Management
Sally Griffin...(IL)...Trust Officer
Janna Dutton...(IL)...Attorney
Morris Esformes...(IL, FL, NY)...Nursing Homes Owner
Moshe Faskowitz...(IL, FL, NY)...Rabbi
Pam Chwala...(IL)...RN (Case Manager)
Bruce Lange...(IL)...Attorney
Devon Bank...(IL)...Fiduciary
Tom Kleinhinz...(IL)...CEO Rehab Assist
Karen Bowes...(IL)...Attorney
Peter Schmiedel...(IL)...Attorney
Kevin Carter...(IL)...Agent for Rehab Assist
Cynthia Feranga...(IL)...Attorney (GAL)
Maureen Connor...(IL)...Judge
James Reily...(IL)...Judge
Joel Brodsky...(IL)...Attorney
Len LeRose...(IL)...Attorney (GAL)
Dawn Lewandowski-Keller...(IL)...Attorney
John Fleming...(IL)...Judge
Ruben Garcia...(IL)...Attorney (GAL)
Donita Link...(IL)...Nursing Home Administrator
Adam Stern...(IL)...Attorney GAL
Helen Grimaldi...(IL)...Elder Abuse Investigator for Catholic Charities

Source:
Probate Sharks: "Wanted"...We've Had Inquiries

Doctor's Involvement Encouraged in Elder Investment Fraud and Financial Exploitation Program

We have a special relationship with our doctors. We trust them and tell them intimate details about our lives. And doctors who see us regularly are likely to notice changes from visit to visit that might signal that all is not well.

That's why some regulators and advocates for the elderly are reaching out to primary-care physicians, hoping they will use their unique position to help spot when older patients — particularly those with mild cognitive impairment — are victims of financial fraud.

About half the states so far have signed on to the Elder Investment Fraud and Financial Exploitation program that aims to train doctors on the red flags of financial exploitation and gives them the information they need to refer patients for help.

The program is run by the nonprofit Investor Protection Institute and the Baylor College of Medicine.

Diagnosing financial fraud may seem an unlikely role for busy doctors. But finances are a health issue, say regulators and geriatric specialists. Elderly patients bilked out of their savings can be under heavy stress that causes their health to deteriorate or leaves them unable to afford medicine and regular visits to the doctor.

Full Article and Source:
Doctors Asked to Keep Eye Out for Elder Fraud

Elder Abuse, Neglect Rampant in U.S.

They say the disabled and elderly are Being prayed upon by the legal system, by crooked lawyers and courts Who they say scam millions of dollars by having older people declared Guardians of the courts depriving them and their families of their rights and taking their assets.

Protesting in front of the Justice Department, they met with a few members of Congress demanding something be done.



Video Source:
YouTube

Full Article:
Elder Abuse, Nelgect Rampant in US

MA: Senior Center Employee Admits Taking Money from 90-Year-Old Man

The former coordinator of social services at the Wilbraham Senior Center will agree to repay $50,000 she admits to taking improperly from an elderly client but wants her criminal record clear so she can receive her municipal retirement.

Bridget Wallace, 64, of Wilbraham, faces sentencing on Friday in Hampden Superior Court. A prosecutor is also recommending a $10,000 fine and a probationary term.

Wallace admitted in proceedings on Tuesday before Judge Peter A. Velis that she took the money over the course of a year from a man who went to the senior center in 2006 looking for help.

Lawyers said Wallace and the man became friends, and the evidence documented some 100 bank transactions.

It will be up to Velis to decide if he will support a request from Wallace’s defense team to have the charges of larceny by scheme of a person over the age of 60 and attempt to commit a crime continued without a finding so they can be dismissed when she completes a probationary sentence.

The prosecution wants the guilty pleas recorded and for Wallace to complete five years of probation in addition to the repayment and fine.

Full Article and Source:
Former Wilbraham Senior Center employee Bridget Wallace Admits Taking Money From 90-Year-Old Man

CBS Report: Gov't Finds Nursing Homes Misuse Anti-Psychotics

Anyone who's ever been through it will tell you that putting a loved one in a nursing home is one of the toughest decisions you'll ever have to make. You hope and pray your relative will be well-cared for.

But a troubling new report from the government finds that, all too often, nursing homes are giving antipsychotic drugs to patients who should not be getting them



Source:
Government Finds Nursing Homes Misuse Anti-Psychotics

Connecticut Lags in Funding to Fight Elder Abuse

A recent report by the Government Accountability Office shows Connecticut's budget for handling reports of abuse of the elderly and the state's rate of substantiating such abuse rank low among the states.

State officials say that may be because the Department of Social Services focuses on meeting victims' needs rather than investigating and punishing abuse.

"We try not to place blame. What we try to do is resolve the situation and remove the person from the abuse," said Pamela Giannini, director of the DSS aging services bureau. "Our top priority is to ensure safety and facilitate well-being."

She said other states have "more of a police mentality" about reported elder abuse, while Connecticut refers only serious cases of caregiver abuse or neglect, including physical injury, to law enforcement authorities.

Full Article and Source:
State Lags in Funding to Fight Elder Abuse

'The Moral Imperative'

Daily, I deal with a life left in ruins by Judge Randy Kennedy and his Seventh Circuit Court. Daily, Kennedy continues his ruin of lives systematically and methodically (well, as much of a method as he can muster; his corrupt way of dealing is quite easy to see through).

It’s a dark world you enter when thrust into his court. Kennedy has used the term “unconscionable” in every session I’ve ever attended (it’s probably a new word he just learned and can’t use it enough). Kennedy has no conscience. Even more so, he’s a danger to society and must be impeached immediately.

I would love to walk away and dismiss him and this experience from my memory as much as possible, but I’m constantly being made aware of abusive conservatorships going on in his court. In fact, I have yet to encounter one case where there is NOT a financial angle all tied to Kennedy and the probate bottom feeders called lawyers that surround him. No one has come up to me and expressed how grateful they are for Judge Kennedy and the conservatorship he put them in. NOT ONE. The ONLY voices that support him are attorneys that profit from his courtroom (you can find them on his campaign contribution file; stay tuned, we are going to target each attorney and make sure their names are forever synonymous with Kennedy who is now the face of courtroom corruption in Davidson County). With the first hand knowledge I have of the despicable acts perpetrated by this court, a moral imperative is imposed. What is going on in this court is unconscionable. I cannot remain silent while this court continues to flaunt it’s false sense of protection while ruining lives. Not to mention the corruption, racketeering and other crimes committed on a daily basis.

Let it be known, Judge Kennedy. 10,000 views and growing; without any effort other than those who have been moved to follow the moral imperative. We aren’t going away. That sound you’re hearing behind you? It’s the sound of your evil ways catching up. You will reap what you’ve sown… seventy times seven.

Source:
ImpachRandyKennedy: The Moral Imperative

Hearing in Jerry Eckwook Case Today

WHAT HAPPENED: Early this year, the NFL Player Care Foundation brought to Davidson County Probate Court concerns that former Tampa Bay Buccaneer running back Jerry Eckwood needed a conservator to manage his finances. Judge Randy Kennedy set a one-day hearing to get testimony from Eckwood’s friends, family and caregivers, and a temporary conservator is necessary.

THE BACKGROUND: Worries about Eckwood surfaced after a representative from the NFL Player Care Foundation came to Tennessee last year to see the former running back. Eckwood, who now lives in an assisted living facility in Franklin, played in the NFL from 1979 to 1981. The Brinkley, Ark., native suffered multiple concussions during his career, which the NFL believes caused the dementia he was diagnosed with last year. He also suffers from a pre-existing mental illness, court records state.

WHAT NOW: Eckwood concedes that he needs help with his finances but believes his daughter, Jerval Watson, can help him. Eckwood told a court-appointed guardian that he wanted to live on his own and “get the NFL out of my business.”

WHAT NEXT: Judge Kennedy will hear from both sides at a 10 a.m. Tuesday hearing in probate court to make a decision in the matter.

Source:
Former NFL Player Jerry Eckwood's Case Resumes This Week

See Also:
Hearing Planned for Jerry Eckwood Conservatorship Battle

Michael Mastro "Competent Again"?

Michael R. Mastro is competent again.

The bankrupt former Seattle real-estate magnate suffered a head injury three months ago in a fall at his Palm Springs, Calif., home, prompting a bankruptcy judge to deem him incapacitated and appoint a guardian to represent his interests in court.

But the guardian, retired state Supreme Court Justice Faith Ireland, said this week her services no longer were needed.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Marc Barreca agreed Friday, meaning Mastro is considered competent and can be asked to testify.

Ireland's move came after James Rigby, the trustee seeking to recover assets for Mastro's many creditors in Washington's largest bankruptcy, asked Barreca to order an independent medical exam and turn over all Mastro's medical records.

Rigby has questioned for weeks whether Mastro, 85, was really incapacitated.

Full Article and Source:
Mastro Declared Competent to Testify in Bankruptcy Trial

Mastro Guardian Wants Out

Attorneys for bankrupt developer Michael R. Mastro and former state Supreme Court Justice Faith Ireland asked the court to release Ireland from her duties as court-appointed guardian for Mastro.

It was a surprising development — since Ireland earlier had agreed to represent Mastro throughout the trial, despite the possibility she would not be paid for her work. Reasons for the request were not given in the legal papers filed today in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Seattle.

Ireland was appointed to represent Mastro after the developer was hospitalized for a head injury in February after falling off a ladder at his home in Palm Desert, Calif. Ireland late last month was able to reach a $7.1 million settlement with bankruptcy.

Full Article and Source:
Mastro Guardian Ireland Wants Out of the Case

See Also:
Judge Approves $7M Judgment in Mastro Case

Missing Our Mothers on Mother's Day

HOW CAN WE CELEBRATE
MOTHER'S DAY
WHILE OUR MOTHERS –
AND FATHERS –
ARE IN CAPTIVITY AS
GUARDIANSHIP VICTIMS???

STOP OUR COURTS FROM
PERMITTING GUARDIANSHIP
ABUSE AND THEFT
UNDER COLOR OF LAW.

www.StopGuardianAbuse.org

Iowa Task Force Forms to Fight Elder Abuse

A new task force has collected representatives from the top Bonner County elderly and specialized care, medical and law enforcement institutions to crack down on abuse against the vulnerable.

The Bonner County Elder/Vulnerable Adult Abuse Multi-Disciplinary Team, pulled together by Mary Jacobsen and Tamina Boonisar of Area Agency on Aging of North Idaho, held their first meeting as an official organization Thursday afternoon.

A group that includes representatives from local police and sheriff’s offices, the county prosecutor’s office, Bonner County EMS, Bonner County General Hospital, Bonner County Region 1 Mental Health, AAging Better In-Home Care, Panhandle Special Needs, The Bridge Assisted Living, Panhandle State Bank and Transitions in Progress, the task force aims to create a cooperative network to aid the county’s elderly.

“Our dream is that the various community agencies can muster together and make a difference in people’s lives,” Jacobsen said.

According to Jacobsen and Boonisar, elder abuse is on the rise nationally, but 85 percent of cases go unreported. That’s because the majority of abuse happens at the hands of close family, who often exploit their aging relative for financial gain. Since reporting that exploitation would effectively end their relationship with the family member, many seniors stay silent.

Full Article and Source:
Group Forms to Tackle Elder Abuse

Bill Targets On-Hold Wait Times for Reporting Elder Abuse

Police, bankers and doctors are routinely kept on hold for nearly seven minutes — and in some cases for more than an hour — when calling in required alerts of suspected elder abuse to San Diego County authorities.

But that may change if legislation becomes law permitting reports to be submitted through a confidential Internet system.

The state Senate Human Services Committee Tuesday unanimously approved the measure designed to reduce the time it takes for those required by law to report suspected elder abuse.

Reports are now filed by telephone and then converted into a report format, a costly and time-consuming process, according to Ellen Schmeding, San Diego County’s assistant director for Aging and Independence Services.

San Diego County law enforcement has rallied behind Senate Bill 718, carried by Senator Juan Vargas, D-San Diego.

Full Article and Source:
Bill Targets On-Hold Times for Reporting Elder Abuse