Monday, August 4, 2014

Colorado: Reporting Elder Abuse Becoming Mandatory

Effective July 1, medical professionals and others who work closely with older adults are required to report abuse or exploitation of persons age 70 or older.

This legislation was passed because of the increasing incidence of older adults being victim of financial and physical abuse. Research shows more than 70 percent of elder abuse occurs from someone the victim knows. It may be a family member, close friend, a care-giver, or even a financial adviser.

While physical abuse may be more evident, financial abuse is referred to as a closet crime because it is more difficult to determine something isn't right. Financial abuse is defined as illegal or improper use of funds, property or other assets of an older adult.

Cases of financial abuse often go unreported because of the older person's pride. Where it involves family members as perpetrators, the victim may be leery of telling others or pressing charges.

Full Article and Source:
Reporting Elder Abuse Becoming Mandatory

Note:
A mandatory reporter who fails to do so can be charged with class 3 misdemeanors that could result in 6 months jail time.

Mandatory reporters include: medical professionals, social workers, law enforcement, court-appointed guardians and conservators, fire department personnel, financial institutions, senior care facilities and clergy.

3 comments:

Thelma said...

And what will attorney self-discipline do to the whistleblowers now?

Finny said...

So, are bad guardians required to turn themselves in? And what's the penalty if they don't?

Anonymous said...

Sounds great, until you realize that Adult Protective Services ITSELF is sometimes perpetrating the abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.

Just look at Scott Schuett, who ran five now-closed adult homes with 379 people in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. (Google Scott Schuett for the appalling details.)

What was the contribution of the Adult Protective Services unit of the Virginia Beach Department of Human Services to the Scott Schuett fiasco?

VBDHS/APS allowed its public guardianship program, Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia, to VIOLATE A COURT ORDER and DUMP AN ELDERLY LADY IN A SCOTT SCHUETT FACILITY FOR SEVEN MONTHS.

Before that blatant violation of the law and a court order, VBDHS intervened, through its scumbag lawyers Christianna Dougherty-Cunningham, Esquire and Christopher Boynton, Esquire, to try to disqualify the lady's lawyer, whom the COURT ORDERED be appointed, and whom the COURT ORDERED continue as the lady's lawyer.

When that lawyer was forced to withdraw to undergo chemotherapy, and left the case with a court order to protect the lady in the future, VBHDS uttered not a peep when Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia wantonly violated that court order, endangering this lady's safety, health, and life.

Nor did the lady's hand-picked guardian ad litem, Colleen T. Dickerson, Esquire, utter a peep of protest. In fact, Dickerson not only participated in this violation of the court order, she covered it up by providing rosy false information to the court about the wonderful Scott Schuett facility this lady was living in, and even blew off a scheduled court hearing to correct the situation.

So what have we learned from this fiasco, now that this lady is out of the hands of these crooks and safe, and now that Scott Schuett is shut down?

It turns out, it's MUCH easier to shut down Scott Schuett's five filthy, dangerous facilities than to get the Adult Protective Services unit of the Virginia Beach Department of Human Services, Colleen T. Dickerson, Esquire, Christianna Dougherty-Cunningham, Esquire, and Christopher S. Boynton, Esquire to OBEY THE LAW AND A COURT ORDER, and PROTECT instead of EXPLOITING AND MISTREATING an elderly lady.

Shameful. And very scary that these unsavory characters are still in charge of the life, health, and well-being of the vulnerable elderly and disabled.