Preventing Financial Exploitation Presentation at ACC

Financial exploitation is a fast–growing form of abuse of older individuals and adults with disabilities.

In order to help raise awareness about this issue Alpena Community College Foundation Gift Planning Alliance Committee is holding a presentation on preventing financial exploitation of older individuals.

Elder abuse is an epidemic, a really big problem, that is under reported.

But on November 5th starting at 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. presenters will be at ACC in the Granum Theatre, talking about specific cases of elder abuse they've dealt with in Alpena, to help raise awareness of this issue and give ways to prevent it in the future.

Some presenters include Michigan State Police Trooper Ashley Simpson, Assistant Prosecutor Russell Rhynard, Lynne Budnik with Adult Protective Services and Financial Advisor Julie Ferguson.

Anyone can be the victim of financial exploitation and it's pervasive in every community and all economic levels.

Elder Law Attorney Kerry Rastigue said, "There's a large older adult population here. Rural communities, there's some advanced risk for rural communities because older adults do tend to be more isolated, their children tend to move away and to be here by themselves. Neighbors are not necessarily right close by, so things can be going on and you don't even know it."

If you're interested in attending this presentation to learn strategies on minimizing the chance of this happening to you, you can call 989–358–7359 to reserve a free seat.

(This is to advise what type of programs are being utilized.)

Full Article & Source:
Preventing Financial Exploitation Presentation at ACC

Workshop set in St. Augustine to help older residents avoid scams

Posted: October 2, 2015 - 11:47pm

 
A workshop on avoiding financial exploitation is scheduled for older residents and their family members and caregivers, according to a news release from the state’s chief financial officer.

The program is called Operation S.A.F.E. (Stop Adult Financial Exploitation), Be Scam Smart, and is part of Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater’s On Guard for Seniors initiative, according to the release.

The workshop will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday at River House at 179 Marine St. in St. Augustine.

The workshop will help people learn more about scams, including identifying fraudulent behavior, common scams that target older people, fighting identity theft and resources for staying safe.

“Be Scam Smart workshops are open to seniors, their family and caregivers to help inform, empower, and protect Florida’s seniors from financial scams and fraud,” according to the release. “If you want to make sure your savings are protected, register for this workshop and get a better understanding of how scam artists and scams work.”

For more, go to MyFloridaCFO.com/SAFE or call 1-877-693-5236.

Full Article & Source:
Workshop set in St. Augustine to help older residents avoid scams

Steve Miller: Pictures from The Vegas Voice Seminar on Guardianship Fraud

On Tuesday evening, July 14, The Vegas Voice sponsored a seminar on guardianship fraud at the Anthem Community Center in Henderson, Nevada.

Featured speakers included Vegas Voice publisher Dan Roberts, Vegas Voice Political Editor and columnist Rana Goodman, guardianship abuse victim Julie Belshe, and AmericanMafia. com columnist Steve Miller.

Over 150 Anthem residents attended to hear the speakers explain the new laws recently enacted to prevent guardian abuse, and to be cautioned that abusive guardians and their enabling Clark County Family Court judges and guardianship commissioner are still in office and may resurface to again bilk wealthy elderly residents of Anthem and other local retirement communities in the future, or as soon as news coverage of their crimes die down.

On Wednesday (today), the newly enacted Nevada Supreme Court Guardianship Committee will meet for the first time in Las Vegas and Carson City. Topics will include ways of preventing the local for-guardian industry from continuing to bilk the elderly, and how to prevent them from gaining power of attorney over wealthy elderly retirees lives with help from the family court. - SM

The Vegas Voice Guardianship Seminar

Julie Belshe (a family victim of guardian April Parks) with Vegas Voice Publisher, Dan Roberts, at The Vegas Voice Guardianship seminar, held at Sun City MacDonald Ranch.

Don't miss our next Guardianship seminar on Thursday, July 2 at 6:30 PM, at Siena, sponsored by the Siena Conservative Club.

Source:
Facebook: The Vegas Voice

Ohio Advocate Tom Fields Attends Regional Meeting of the WHCoA

NASGA affiliate  advocate Tom Fields attended the fourth of five regional meetings of the 2015 White House Conference on Aging.

Please click the links for additional information:

Financial Fraud, Abuse, and Exploitation

Who Lied? (Discussion of a 3 minute video recorded in the ER of a Texas hospital)

WHCoA website

Schedule for The Vegas Voice Guardianship Seminars

Wednesday, MARCH 25th
2:00 pm – Sun City Anthem/Buckman’s Restaurant

Wednesday, APRIL 8TH
11:30 am - Destinations @ Alexander
2:00 pm - Destinations @ Winterhaven

Thursday, APRIL 9TH
11:30 am - Destinations @ Pebble

Tuesday, APRIL 14th
9:00am Cabana Mobile Home Community (5303 E. Twain Ave.)
11:30 am - Destinations @ Pueblo
2:00 pm - Destinations @ Valley View

Thursday, APRIL 16th
9:00am – Las Vegas Manor
11:30 am - Destinations @ Spring Valley
2:00 pm - Destinations @ Sandhill

Thursday, April 23rd
10:30 am – Doolittle Senior Center (1930 North J Street)

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO RSVP, CONTACT THE VEGAS VOICE AT: 702/251-4441

Event Trains Seniors to Avoid Financial Exploitation

The Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office will host the “Safe Bank Project” for seniors beginning at 7:30 a.m. Oct. 21 at the AMVETS Post #256, 818 Tarlton Rd.

The program provides free training for financial institutions and the senior community to learn to recognize some of the common signs of financial exploitation of seniors, explanations of the law and voluntary reporting requirements, identity theft, mail fraud and how to make a report to the proper authorities.

Angela An of WBNS-10TV will serve as master of ceremonies for the event that will feature presentations by Sheriff Robert Radcliff; Judy Wolford, Pickaway County Prosecutor; David Kessler, Fairfield County investigator; Ken Mammoser, FBI; Marianne Hemmeter, deputy director of the Economic Crime Unit of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office; and Philip Gentile, Postal inspector.

To register for the free event, which includes a continental breakfast supplied by the Pickaway Senior Center and the SALT Council, contact the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office at 477-6000 or email mtootle@pickawaysheriff.com. Registration is requested by Sept. 28.

Source:
Event Trains Seniors to Avoid Financial Exploitation

Montana Senator John Walsh Holds Hearing on Alzheimer's: "Sooner or later, we will all be affected."

Kathleen Burke’s voice broke as she told U.S. Sen. John Walsh, D-Mont., the story of how Alzheimer’s disease has changed her life as a caregiver and the lives of both her parents.

Walsh, who was at the South Park Senior Center to conduct a field hearing of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, heard Burke tell about her parents’ 68th wedding anniversary, celebrated by the Alzheimer’s patients together at a nursing home where her mother was staying.

“Mom pushed Dad away when he bent over to kiss her goodbye, saying that her husband would not like that,” Burke said. “It was difficult for me to see, but probably worse for him since he would not talk about it.”

Other panelists described how Alzheimer’s and other brain disorders will affect more and more families in the coming years. George Carlson, director and professor at McLaughlin Research Institute, a biomedical research organization in Great Falls, said that five million Americans and about 25,000 Montanans have Alzheimer’s or related dementias, with an annual cost of about $100 billion.

If nothing changes, by 2050 as many as 16 million Americans will be affected, costing the economy $1.2 trillion annually. Currently the U.S. economy is about $17.3 trillion.

Walsh noted that about 48,000 Montanans care for someone with Alzheimer’s or other dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates the value of Montanans’ unpaid care reached $677 million in 2013. Nearly two-thirds of those providing care are women, and about two-thirds of Alzheimer’s patients are women.

Carlson said increased Alzheimer’s research funding is sorely needed, since there are no therapies capable of even slowing Alzheimer’s effects. For every $28,000 the federal government spends on caring for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, $100 goes to support research. “Research is at a pivotal point,” he said. “It is largely a matter of our elected representatives deciding that a cure is worth funding.”

Full Article and Source:
Walsh Holds Hearing on Alzheimer's:  "Sooner or later, we will all be affected."

Texas Disabilities Issues Forum (TDIF) September 24, 2014

What

DVAP, ADAPT, The Arc of Texas, Texas Parent to Parent, and CTD are coordinating with a wide range of groups and individuals to host the Texas Disabilities Issues Forum (TxDIF). The Forum is an opportunity for voters who have interests and concerns about issues affecting Texans with disabilities to learn about the positions and potential policies of candidates from the Republican and Democrat parties, running for the top three statewide offices (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General).

When

9am - 4pm Wednesday, September 24, 2014 (times tentative).

Where

Radisson Hotel, 111 Cesar Chavez St., Austin, TX 78701

The Forum will also be Live Streamed for those unable to attend. Updates about the Live Stream location will be posted on this page.

Who

The Forum is open to the public at $10 per seat. Spaces are going fast, so register now to guarantee your seat and avoid a wait list the day of the event.

Limited financial assistance is available*.

Accommodations available by request **.

Why

The Forum will be a day long event, where the candidates or their representatives will address the issues in front of a live audience of interested voters. It will be an important event. Even more important is that informed voters go to the polls weeks later and cast their ballot.

For more information or to REGISTER

See Also:
GRADE:  Guardianship Reform Advocates for the Disabled and Elderly
 

Three Groups Join Forces to Teach Lawyers How to Spot Financial Exploitation in Elderly Clients

Three groups announced today that they’re launching the Elder Investment Fraud and Financial Exploitation Prevention Program Legal.

The Investor Protection Trust, the Investor Protection Institute and American Bar Association said the program will develop, test and implement national continuing legal education to teach lawyers how to:

* Recognize clients’ vulnerability to financial exploitation and investment fraud due to mild cognitive impairment,
* Identify elder investment fraud and financial exploitation in their clients.
* Reported suspected instances of elder investment fraud and financial exploitation to appropriate authorities.

“We know that a shockingly large number of older Americans are already victims of financial swindles, and millions more are in danger of being exploited in such a fashion,” said Don Blandin, chief executive of the Investor Protection Trust, a nonprofit organization that conducts investor education. “Front-line legal professionals who deal everyday with older Americans are ideally positioned to spot the impaired mental capacity that can leave seniors vulnerable to financial abuse.”

While lawyers work closely with the finances of seniors, they aren’t properly trained in how to spot signs of financial exploitation, said Charles Sabatino, director of the ABA’s Commission on Law and Aging.

“This project directly benefits the legal profession and the older clients whom they represent,” he said.

Full Article and Source:
Three Groups Join Forces to Teach Lawyers How to Spot Financial Exploitation in Elderly Clients

Oliver Lewis - "Litigation and the Right to Legal Capacity"

Some of the many highlights of this speech, delivered at the 2012 World Congress on Guardianship:

"An outrage about the wrongs committed by a majority onto a minority..."

"Guardianship is not only inappropriate in itself but it often facilitates the long-term or life-long segregation of people with disabilities into institutions...."

"Guardianship, I submit, increases the risk of exploitation, violence and abuse instead of preventing it..."

"And guardianship, in my submission, rips families apart and plays a role in our legal frameworks which goes completely against celebrating the diversity of humanity...."

Source:
Oliver Lewis - Litigation and the Right to Legal Capacity

See Also:
Mental Disability Advocacy Center

Note:  The 2nd World Congress on Adult Guardianship was held in Australia, so we thought it prudent to include a case of guardianship abuse from Australia in this post: 

Bendigo Bank (Christine Frankham) This Will Not Go Away
(This is an overwhelming story of the Watts family's ongoing fight to seek justice with supporting evidence against a Bendigo Bank Manager (Christine Frankham) who used her position and Trust to take advantage of their elderly mother Yolanda Hutton.)

See Also:
BendigoBanksters on Facebook

Attorney General Greg Smith NSW Minster of Justice and State Member for Epping, who is also responsible for the NSW Trustee and Guardian, with its off shoot the NSW Guardianship Tribunal.

First National Symposium on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide

The First National Symposium on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide is May 2 - 3, 2014 in Minneapolis Minnesota.

• Learn how to oppose the legalization of assisted suicide. 
• Learn how Stealth Euthanasia may effect you and your family.
• Become a trained and effective leader.

Speakers: Alex Schadenberg (Euthanasia Prevention Coalition), Bobby Schindler (Terri Schiavo Life and Hope Network), Julie Grimstad - (Life is Worth Living), John Kelly (Massachusetts - Not Dead Yet), Nancy Elliott (former New Hampshire representative / EPC - International), Cristen Krebs (Founder - Catholic Hospice), Ryan Verret (Louisiana Center for Medical Ethics), Tim Rosales (Wayne Johnston agency - public affairs), Mary Kellett (Prenatal Partners for Life), Mark Pickup (Disability pro-life speaker).

Source:
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition:  The First National Symposium on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide

Danielle Jessser: What to Do About Elder Abuse

According to the National Center on Elder Abuse Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2010 there were over 500,000 elder abuse cases in the U.S. alone.   Understanding the issues related to elder abuse has become even more important as the elderly population of the country continues to grow.  Join Legalocity host Jacqueline Crosby, Esq. and legal advocate Danielle Jesserer to learn about the warning signs of elder abuse as well as prevention and reporting advice.

Jacqueline Crosby is a New Jersey attorney writer and educator who conducts legal education seminars and webinars for the public in the areas of employment and family law.

Danielle Jesserer attended Appalachian State University majoring in Pre-law and English. Shortly after working for an attorney in North Carolina she began working as an elder abuse advocate where she realized that elder abuse is rampant. Danielle now works with the Senior Veterans Council (Raleigh, N.C.), the National ADA Advocates (main office, N.Y.), and in her free time volunteers with NASGA (National Association to Stop Guardianship Abuse), local Senior Centers, and other families that contact her for assistance.  Her goal is to  help raise awareness, find justice for victims, educate the public, and fight to change legislation in order to better protect people from this type of abuse.

LISTEN to the archive of this show

Linda Kincaid Reports: NCPEA forum discussed social isolation as psychological elder abuse

On October 1, 2013, the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (NCPEA) held its first Forum on Polyvictimization in Later Life. The event in St. Paul, Minnesota was attended by elder abuse experts from around the country. This Examiner had the honor of being invited to participate.

The team solicited research and practice examples from a range of experts. The Oct 1 Forum deepened the team’s understanding of the research findings.

A common theme throughout the discussions was that elder abuse rarely occurs as single incident or as a single form of abuse. As with child abuse and domestic violence, abuse patterns repeat. Multiple forms of abuse occur together.

Social isolation is often an indicator of more broad ranging elder abuse. Perpetrators with designs on an older person’s assets will often isolate the victim from family and friends.

Social isolation is itself a form of elder abuse. Preventing an elder from having visitors or phone calls, telling callers that the elder is not available is a common tactic to separate the elder from loved ones. Social isolation is recognized as a form of psychological abuse.

In California, isolating an elder is a crime under Penal Code 368. On August 19, 2013, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 937, clarifying that conservatees retain the right to visitation, phone calls, and personal mail.

Investigators attending the forum were encouraged to “look beyond the surface.” They will often find that psychological abuse is accompanied by financial abuse and perhaps physical abuse or sexual abuse. By “digging deeper” investigators can find the forms of abuse that are not as readily seen.

Full Article and Source:
NCPEA forum discussed social isolation as psychological elder abuse

Financial Elder Abuse

DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

Michigan Scheduling Statewide Elder Abuse Summit in June

FLINT, MI -- Genesee County will host a statewide summit exploring elder abuse -- a problem that officials say is only expected to get worse.

Catherine A. Emerson, from the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, said Genesee County was selected to host the summit in part because of the success of an elder abuse task force headed by Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell.

Pickell said his program, which is funded through a county millage, has obtained more than 400 felony warrants, including about two dozen so far this year.

The sheriff added that his elder abuse program has the time and manpower to handle incidents that local police agencies may not have the time or specialized skills needed to properly investigate.

Emerson said the issue of elder abuse is a growing problem, particularly as a large number of Baby Boomers age.

"There's a perfect storm out there," said Emerson, noting the aging population and continued financial hardships felt by many in the state.

Full Article and Source:
Genesee County to Host Statewide Elder Abuse Summit in June

Attorney Leads Effort to Educate Minnesota About Elder Abuse

A once-small group that Anoka County Attorney Tony Palumbo started to confront elder abuse is about to unleash an arsenal of resources to help educate Minnesotans about the problem.

With nearly $50,000 in donations, Minnesota SAFE Elders has created a tool kit that includes a video and training materials that it will provide free to interested groups; it is expected out next month.

The group also developed an app for first responders to guide them through such cases and a community resource list they can immediately offer to victims.Another piece of the initiative is a “prosecutor’s trial notebook,” a collection of abuse cases that attorneys can use as a reference when developing their own cases.

A statewide help number and website also will be available.Minnesota SAFE Elders, which grew out of the group that first met in 2011, now includes county attorneys and others from across the state.

The SAFE stands for Stop Abuse and Financial Exploitation.While the topic of crimes and neglect against seniors has been examined by various groups over the years, Palumbo is excited because this program can systemically reach a statewide audience with practical information that will increase awareness while putting more perpetrators in jail.

Full Article and Source:
Anoka County Attorney Leads Effort to Educate Minnesota About Elder Abuse

Florida Launching Project S.A.F.E.

In honor of Older Americans Month in May, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater is launching Operation S.A.F.E., a new initiative to “Stop Adult Financial Exploitation” and turn the tables on fraud artists who target Florida’s seniors. CFO Atwater is seeking to combat statistics that estimate at least one in five seniors has been a victim of financial fraud.

Initial workshops will be held this month in Cape Coral, Venice, Delray Beach, Clearwater, the Villages and Miami, with other locations to be scheduled throughout the year. “Our seniors contribute greatly to Florida’s economy and as a result many have built a nest egg that makes them targets for fraud,” CFO Atwater said. “It is my mission to ensure that they can better enjoy their retirement knowing they are armed with information to safeguard their finances.”

The workshops, titled Be Scam Smart, are part of CFO Atwater’s On Guard for Seniors initiative that he launched last year to educate seniors on specific financial products such as annuities, identity theft, reverse mortgages and long-term care insurance. Operation S.A.F.E. will focus on frauds and scams, such as fake lotteries and repair scams, and how these scams work on the psyche to convince seniors to take a chance on something that is too good to be true.

The Operation S.A.F.E. workshops are being provided by the Department of Financial Services, which CFO Atwater oversees, and will be presented by representatives from the Department’s Division of Consumer Services, Division of Agent and Agency Services and Division of Insurance Fraud; U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s office; the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office; the Lee County Sheriff’s Office; the Miami-Dade Police Department; the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office; and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

Source:
CFO Jeff Atwater Launches Operation S.A.F.E. to Stop Adult Financial Exploitation

Florida: Operation S.A.F.E. (Stop Adult Financial Exploitation)

On Friday May 10, 2013, the Department of Financial Services, overseen by Florida's Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater will present OPERATION S.A.F.E. (Stop Adult Financial Exploitation) at the South County Civic Center, Jog Rd., Delray Beach beginning at 1:00 pm. CFO Atwater's office is partnering with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office to present this program and to ensure that our Palm Beach County residents get the latest on local frauds and scams and who to call and what to do if they are a victim.

Details on numerous scams and frauds including identity theft, insurance and health care fraud, reverse mortgage scams, investment scams, contractor fraud and lottery and sweepstakes scams will be presented and you will learn how NOT to become a victim and how to protect your information and yourself. Representatives from the Department of Financial Services and PBSO will be there to answer your questions and assist you with any problems. Also at the event will be representatives from AARP, Elder Affairs, Consumer Affairs and other senior advocacy groups and agencies.

Current statistics show that one in five seniors has been a victim of financial fraud yet only one in 44 will report it.

Source:
Operation S.A.F.E. (Stop Adult Financial Exploitation) to be Presented

Attention California Advocates - Free Seminar: Elder Abuse and The Courts

November 15 - 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM
3800 Walnut Avenue
Freemont, CA 84538