Manuel Alfonso Lopez 36-year-old man was arrested earlier this month after he scammed a grandfather out of more than $8,000, authorities announced Thursday.
Source:
Arrest made after elderly man was duped out of over $8,000
Sunday, February 4, 2024
Arrest made after elderly man was duped out of over $8,000
Saturday, February 3, 2024
Former Nursing Home Employee, Jennifer Bryant, Sentenced to State Prison for Stealing from Elderly Resident
New Hampshire
Department of Justice
Office of the Attorney General
For Immediate Release
February 1, 2024
Concord, NH – Attorney General John M. Formella announces that Jennifer Bryant, 48, of East Rochester, pleaded guilty and was sentenced yesterday in the Strafford County Superior Court on one class A felony count of theft by unauthorized taking.
Investigation revealed that between May 7, 2019, and May 12, 2022, Ms. Bryant, while working as a nursing home billing coordinator, stole $71,548.00 in social security funds belonging to a nursing home resident. The funds should have been used to pay for the resident’s rent and care at the nursing home. Instead, Ms. Bryant used the funds to pay for personal retail purchases, salon services, restaurants, entertainment, home improvement, and vacations.
The Court sentenced Ms. Bryant to serve 5-10 years in the New Hampshire State Prison, stand committed. The Court suspended 3 years from the minimum term, with the suspended term to end 15 years following Ms. Bryant’s release from incarceration. Under the suspended sentence, Ms. Bryant is, among other things, prohibited from working in billing and accounting, and in the care of elderly, disabled, or impaired adults. Ms. Bryant must also pay $71,548.00 in restitution to the nursing home. Ms. Bryant was taken into custody at the conclusion of the sentencing hearing.
In exchange for Ms. Bryant’s plea of guilty on the theft indictment, an additional indictment of financial exploitation of an elderly adult will be nolle prossed.
This matter was jointly investigated by Investigator Frederick Lulka of the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau and Investigator John Lannon of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The matter was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Attorney General Bryan J. Townsend, II, of the Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Unit, and Assistant Attorney General Andrew Yourell of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of elder abuse or
financial exploitation, please contact your local police department or
the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Elderly and Adult
Services (1-800-949-0470).
Playing a musical instrument or singing is linked to better memory in older age
Piano especially associated with improved mental processes in those over 40, Exeter University research finds
by Robyn Vinter
Playing a musical instrument or joining a choir is linked to better memory and thinking skills in older age, research has found.
The piano was especially associated with a better brain in those over 40 in the study from Exeter University, which reviewed data from more than a thousand adults and looked at how much experience the people had in participating in music.
The scientists investigated their brain health, including mental processes that help in planning, focusing, remembering, and juggling tasks – known as executive function – and found those who played an instrument scored more highly.
Singing was also linked to better brain health, but the researchers said social factors of being part of a group may also play a role.
Anne Corbett, professor of dementia research at the University of Exeter, said: “A number of studies have looked at the effect of music on brain health. Our Protect study has given us a unique opportunity to explore the relationship between cognitive performance and music in a large cohort of older adults.
“Overall, we think that being musical could be a way of harnessing the brain’s agility and resilience, known as cognitive reserve.
“Although more research is needed to investigate this relationship, our findings indicate that promoting musical education would be a valuable part of public health initiatives to promote a protective lifestyle for brain health, as would encouraging older adults to return to music in later life.
“There is considerable evidence for the benefit of music group activities for individuals with dementia, and this approach could be extended as part of a healthy ageing package for older adults to enable them to proactively reduce their risk and to promote brain health.”
Caroline Scates, the deputy director of admiral nurse development at Dementia UK, said: “The results of this study are positive, and echo similar research into the benefits of both listening to and playing music for people living with dementia.
“Music can provide a valuable form of communication for people living with dementia, including listening to music that the person may have a connection with even in the later stages of the condition. The ability to make or play music – whether by singing or playing an instrument – can continue even when people living with dementia have lost other abilities and means of communication.
“If
you know someone living with dementia who enjoys or has enjoyed singing
or playing an instrument, it can be beneficial to keep these
instruments or sheet music to hand for them to play or read.”
Full Article & Source:
Playing a musical instrument or singing is linked to better memory in older age
OLDEST Singing Contestants SHOCK Everyone!
WOW! These Got Talent contestants prove that age is just a number! Don't miss the OLDEST singing contestants to appear on Britain's Got Talent, Ireland's Got Talent and France's Got Talent that SHOCKED everyone with their unexpected auditions!
Friday, February 2, 2024
Alzheimer’s Association calls for federal involvement to increase dementia care workforce, training in assisted living
by Lois A. Bowers
 |
| Joanne Pike, DrPH, is president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association and CEO of its advocacy affiliate, the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement. |
“Congress should consider the steps it can take at the federal level, including expanding the necessary workforce and improving dementia training standards and access,” as part of efforts to “help ensure a quality direct care workforce that can meet the unique needs of our nation’s growing number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia” in assisted living communities and elsewhere, the Alzheimer’s Association and its advocacy affiliate, the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, said in comments submitted to the US Senate Special Committee on Aging for the record of the hearing it held Thursday, titled “Assisted Living Facilities: Understanding Long-Term Care Options for Older Adults.”
The entities also urged the committee to take steps to support states in implementing and improving dementia training for direct care and other workers in assisted living communities.
Thursday’s Aging Committee hearing was its first one focused strictly on assisted living in more than 20 years and was held in response to recent articles in The Washington Post and the New York Times and KFF Health News. The Post articles, published in December, reported on the deaths of several senior living residents with dementia who had eloped from communities. The Times / KFF articles, published in November, reported on an assisted living industry pricing structure that adds fees on top of basic charges to cover additional services, as well as rate increases and the for-profit status of most providers.
The committee now awaits responses from three large senior living operators about their efforts related to safety, staffing and pricing; has asked the US Government Accountability Office to study federal assisted living-related spending as well as industry pricing and transparency; has announced a website and email address where consumers can share their bills and their experiences interacting with providers; and is pondering increased federal involvement in the industry.
The Alzheimer’s Association and Alzheimer’s Impact Movement focused on dementia and workforce issues in their eight-page letter.
“Assisted living is one of the fastest-growing options for residential housing for older Americans,” the groups said in their letter, noting that there are approximately 30,600 assisted living communities with almost 1.2 million licensed beds in the United States today. Thirty-four percent of assisted living have Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia, they said (the federal government estimate is higher, at 42%).
By 2050, the organizations said, it is projected that the Medicare and Medicaid programs will be paying $1.1 trillion toward the healthcare and long-term care of people living with dementia as the number of people in that group increases.
“While the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease increases, so does the need for well-trained members of the paid dementia care workforce,” the groups said, noting that the industry already is experiencing workforce challenges.
Fifty-eight percent of assisted living communities care for residents who are living with dementia, and 19% have a dementia care unit, the Alzheimer’s Association and Alzheimer’s Impact Movement said. They added, however, that “most states do not specify minimum staffing levels or ratios in dementia care.”
Although noting that “there is limited research identifying an optimal ratio of staffing,” the groups said that literature “verifies that there is a clear association between higher levels of licensed staff and higher quality of care” and that “there is an association between higher turnover rates and lower quality of care.”
Beyond potential mandatory staffing requirements, however, “there is a growing awareness of the need to deploy staff in a matter that aligns with resident routines and needs,” the organizations said, noting that recommendations made in a 2020 research article about staffing levels in nursing homes could “inform facilities and policymakers.”
Support of state efforts encouraged
Regulation of staff training in long-term care primarily occurs at the state level, the groups said, but they encouraged the Aging Committee “to consider proposals that support state health departments in implementing and improving dementia training for direct care workers and their oversight of these activities.”
Training-related policies, the Alzheimer’s Association and Alzheimer’s Impact Movement said, should be based on competency and should target providers in a broad range of settings. Additionally, the groups said, such policies should enable staff members to provide person-centered dementia care “based on a thorough knowledge of the care recipient and their needs, advance optimal functioning and high quality of life and incorporate problem-solving approaches into care practices.”
The organizations also urged the Aging Committee to support state dementia-related efforts by calling for any training curriculum to be delivered by knowledgeable staff members who have hands-on experience and demonstrated competency in providing dementia care, for continuing education to be offered and encouraged, and for training be portable, meaning that workers have the opportunity to transfer their skills or education from one setting to another.
Efforts to improve the quality of dementia care in three states are “instructive,” the Alzheimer’s Association and Alzheimer’s Impact Movement said, adding that they could provide the committee with additional examples on request.
- In Georgia, House Bill 987, signed into law in 2020, established memory care licensure and dementia training requirements for all direct care workers and all other staff members in memory care centers. Among other things, the law requires all assisted living communities and personal care homes that offer memory care to obtain a certificate to operate and to have at least one dementia-trained direct care staff member for every 12 residents during the daytime and one such staff member per 15 residents overnight, based on a monthly average. All staff members must undergo four hours of dementia training within the first 30 days of employment, and all direct care staff members must obtain at least 16 hours of specialized dementia training within their first 30 days of employment and eight hours of dementia training each year thereafter. The law specifies the topic areas to be covered in the training.
- In Indiana, Senate Bill 169, introduced in 2021, requires assisted living communities that provide memory care services to disclose their dementia-specific care, staffing levels and transfer/discharge policies. And Senate Bill 353, introduced in 2022, establishes dementia training standards for home health aides caring for people who are living with dementia, requiring three hours of annual continuing education about dementia and six hours of initial dementia training for newly hired individuals.
- In Pennsylvania, regulations updated in 2022 require skilled nursing facilities to provide dementia training as part of all staff members’ orientation.
Dementia Care Practice Recommendations detailed
The letter also detailed the Alzheimer’s Association’s Dementia Care Practice Recommendations for professional caregivers, released in 2018, which contain goals related to person-centered care; detection and diagnosis; assessment and care planning; medical management; information, education and support; ongoing care for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, and support for activities of daily living; staffing; supportive and therapeutic environments; and transitions and coordination of services — and the letter relayed what assisted living communities “should” do based on the recommendations.
Regarding staffing, “[a]n adequate and well-trained workforce is fundamental to providing quality dementia care,” the organizations said, adding that, based on the workforce-related recommendations, assisted living communities should:
- provide a thorough orientation program for new staff members, as well as ongoing training;
- develop systems for collecting and disseminating person-centered information;
- encourage communication, teamwork and interdepartmental/interdisciplinary collaboration;
- establish an involved, car[ing] and supportive leadership team;
- promote and encourage resident, staff and family relationships; and
- evaluate systems and progress routinely for continuous improvement.
To maintain a strong dementia care workforce, the groups said, assisted living communities should:
- have staffing levels adequate to allow for proper care at all times, day and night;
- ensure that all staff members are sufficiently trained in all aspects of care, including dementia care;
- adequately compensate staff members for their work;
- provide a supportive atmosphere for staff members that appreciates their contributions to overall quality care, because improved working environments will result in reduced turnover in all care settings; and
- ensure that staff members have the opportunity for career growth.
“Additionally, we know that consistent assignment is an important component of quality care for staff working with residents with dementia,” the Alzheimer’s Association and Alzheimer’s Impact Movement said.
“We look forward to working with the Committee and other members of Congress in a bipartisan way to advance policies that will ensure individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia have adequate access to high-quality assisted living and all long-term and community-based care services, especially as the population of Americans living with dementia continues to grow,” the letter concluded.
Read the letter here.
Full Article & Source:
Alzheimer’s Association calls for federal involvement to increase dementia care workforce, training in assisted living
‘We need to tell our story much better’
by Lois A. Bowers
 |
| Lois A. Bowers |
That’s what Julie Simpkins, co-president and chief operating officer of Gardant Management Solutions, told the US Senate Special Committee on Aging on Thursday. She was one of four witnesses at a committee hearing titled “Assisted Living Facilities: Understanding Long-Term Care Options for Older Adults.”
Telling stories may be one of the assisted living industry’s best bets to ward off a threat of federal regulation that several senators brought up in the wake of unflattering articles published in The Washington Post and the New York Times and KFF Health News about resident elopements, workforce challenges, the industry pricing structure and more.
Gardant, Simpkins told committee members, focuses on providing affordable assisted living to low-income older adults via home- and community-based Medicaid waiver programs.
“There are really good stories to tell from the state perspective and our home- and community-based services, and we need to do a better job of talking about those stories and the things that are going on within the states,” she said.
Part of the story is the close working relationships that providers can establish with state and local lawmakers and regulators to help ensure that they understand industry and resident needs and how various actions could affect them, Simpkins said.
“The innovation that has happened, the times providers have been asked to sit at a table before there’s a rule change,” she said, “and not just ask for comment, but to sit face-to-face with somebody and say, ‘If this rule changes, how does it impact the resident that you’re caring for and your workforce who is caring for that resident?’”
Hearing witnesses faced questions about the workforce, training, staff levels, affordability and other issues. But those issues are better addressed at the state level, Simpkins said, where regulations can “appropriately recognize the diversity within assisted living while holding our profession accountable.”
Industry trade associations frequently recommend that providers invite their legislators to their senior living communities to show them quality in action as well as help them understand the challenges faced by providers. Now is the time to start or continue such conversations and other efforts to help lawmakers and others become more familiar with the positive aspects of assisted living and what operators are doing for older adults of various income levels, as well as understand any assistance providers may need.
“Assisted living is a critical aspect of the long term care continuum, dedicated to delivering person-centered care to our nation’s seniors. We need collaborative, comprehensive solutions that help ensure our ability, as assisted living communities, to continue doing what we do best: providing safe, quality care to our residents,” Simpkins told senators. “From expanding more affordable long-term care options, to workforce programs to address the growing caregiver shortage, these efforts could make a real difference. We must all work together to ensure every current and future assisted living resident is seen, safe and served to enjoy the highest quality of life possible.”
You can watch a recording of the hearing and read the prepared
statements of Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), committee chair; Sen. Mike Braun
(R-IN), ranking member; and the four hearing witnesses on the committee website. And
if you know of any consumers who would like to share their experiences
with the Aging Committee, they can use the form on the committee website or send a message to this email address: assistedlivingbills@aging.senate.gov.
Full Article & Source:
‘We need to tell our story much better’
Dog Helps Rescue Owner From Frozen Michigan Lake
A dog worked with police to rescue her owner from a frozen lake in East Bay Township, Michigan, on Thursday, January 18, police said.
Michigan State Police said witnesses called emergency services after they saw the man fall through the ice at around 11:45 am.
Motor Carrier Officer (MCO) Kammeron Bennetts arrived on scene and saw the man in the water with his dog, Ruby, beside him. The officer realized he couldn’t reach the man so he called Ruby over to him and gave her a rescue disc.
Video footage released by police shows the dog bringing the disc to her owner, allowing the officer and a firefighter to pull the man to safety.
Police said the man, who was in the water for around 16 minutes, was transported to a local hospital and was later released.
Because of “the quick actions of MCO Bennetts, along with help from Ruby, they were able to perform a successful ice rescue,” Michigan State Police said in a statement.
Thursday, February 1, 2024
DeKalb County attorney sentenced to 20 years for stealing $250k from clients, some elderly
by Austen Shipley
A former DeKalb County attorney who once hoped to be a judge will be spending the next twenty years behind bars. Teresa Darwin Phillips, 43, of Sylvania, was convicted of accessing, stealing, and spending approximately $250,000 from multiple clients.
Attorney General Steve Marshall announced the news Monday.
“Trust is fundamental to the attorney-client relationship. Once a lawyer has gained the trust of a client, particularly an elderly client, they owe that client the highest degree of honestly and loyalty,” said Marshall. “To see that trust betrayed on such a wide scale warrants a severe reaction from the justice system. Our team saw to that.”
“This case should serve as yet another warning to attorneys across our state seeking to take advantage of vulnerable clients—you will be found out and held accountable.”
A 2020 investigation led by the Dekalb County District Attorney’s Office exposed the former lawyers scheme to use funds given to her by clients and other elderly persons for whom she had been appointed as legal guardian or conservator for her own gain.
DeKalb District Attorney Summer Summerford, said that her office will never tolerate those who target the vulnerable.
“Our community deserves to have attorneys who take their jobs seriously and works with integrity and honesty,” said Summerford. “My office will not stand for the intentional, premeditated targeting of vulnerable people who rely on attorneys for help in times of need. Although this sentence will not replace what the victims lost, hopefully it will provide the closure in this long case and deter other attorneys from making the same mistakes.”
Phillips previously pled guilty on November 7, 2022, to nine felony offenses.
Full Article & Source:
DeKalb County attorney sentenced to 20 years for stealing $250k from clients, some elderly
Man Pleads Guilty to International Money Laundering Linked to Nigerian Romance Scams and Business Email Compromises
For Immediate Release
Office of Public Affairs
A Florida man pleaded guilty yesterday in the Southern District of Florida to money laundering for his role in funneling the proceeds of scams against American consumers and businesses to co-conspirators located in Nigeria.
Niselio Barros Garcia Jr., 50, of Kissimmee, was indicted by a grand jury on July 12, 2023. According to court documents, Garcia supplied bank accounts to his co-conspirators for the purpose of receiving proceeds from romance scams, business email compromises and other fraud schemes. After receiving the criminal proceeds, Garcia used a cryptocurrency exchange to conceal and transfer the funds in Bitcoin to co-conspirators in Nigeria. Garcia personally laundered over $2.3 million of criminal proceeds and earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees.
Business email compromises involve criminals hacking or spoofing business email accounts to initiate fraudulent money transfers. Romance scams involve fraudsters creating fake online personas to gain the trust and affection of victims, leading to financial exploitation. These schemes not only cause significant financial losses, but also deeply impact the lives of victims.
“This prosecution demonstrates our ongoing commitment to protecting the public from complex financial crimes,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This case serves as a reminder of the sophisticated methods employed by criminals and the need for vigilance in the digital age. The Justice Department remains committed to aggressively pursuing individuals and groups involved in these kinds of illicit activities.”
Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced in the Southern District of Florida on April 23. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Four additional defendants have been charged in this scheme but remain at large.
The FBI Buffalo Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Lauren Elfner and Matthew Robinson of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud, and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Information about the Justice Department’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
Updated January 30, 2024
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)