The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has concluded there is insufficient evidence to recommend screening older adults for caregiver abuse and neglect, even as new data reveals the widespread nature of elder mistreatment.
In updated recommendations published in JAMA, the
independent panel of medical experts found that more than 1 in 10 adults
aged 60 and older experienced at least one type of caregiver abuse or
neglect in the past year. Among abused seniors, financial exploitation
affects 35%, while neglect impacts 34%, making these the most common
forms of elder mistreatment.
Despite this high prevalence, the task force concluded that current
evidence is insufficient to assess whether the benefits of elder abuse
screening outweigh potential harms. This contrasts sharply with its
strong recommendation for screening women of reproductive age for
intimate partner violence, where evidence shows moderate benefit.
The evidence gap stems from limited research on screening
effectiveness in older populations. Researchers reviewed only two
studies examining screening tools for adults 65 and older, with mixed
results on accuracy. One tool showed 46% sensitivity and 73% specificity
for detecting abuse in dental care settings, while another demonstrated
94% sensitivity and 84% specificity in emergency departments.
The task force emphasized that vulnerable adults, including those
requiring care due to physical or mental disabilities, face higher rates
of violent victimization regardless of age. However, no studies
examined screening tools specifically designed for this population.
Researchers identified critical gaps requiring additional study,
including the development of accurate screening instruments for primary
care settings and evidence on intervention effectiveness. The task force
noted that screening could potentially cause harm through shame,
retaliation, or false-positive results, but acknowledged the serious
health consequences of undetected abuse.
During
the May 21, Ozark County Circuit Court, Judge Craig Carter heard from
13 defendants, including Timothy Kendrick of Springfield.
Kendrick
is charged with driving while revoked in January 2023 and was
originally arraigned in circuit court on Aug. 9, 2023. The case was
continued because of the death of Kendrick’s father and Kendrick’s
continued physical rehabilitation from a stroke. After the case was
continued several more times over the next two years because of
Kendrick’s health and hospital stays and failing to appear in court
several times, Kendrick was discovered to be in the Greene County Jail
in May 2025, where he was serving a 120-day sentence for stealing a 2001
maroon Dodge truck in Springfield in December 2024.
Kendrick
told the court he stole the truck “cause my daughter had
conservatorship and I got tired” of being homeless. Kendrick said he
found the truck with keys in it and stole it and then realized it was “a
piece of crap without a clutch.”
Judge
Carter asked him why he stole a truck without a clutch. “You don’t get
to test drive it when you steal it,” Kendrick answered.
After
learning that Kendrick still had no home to go to, Judge Carter ordered
that Kendrick remain in the Ozark County Jail until someone could get
him. “If you get your son to come and sign for you I’ll let you go. But
I’m not going to let you go and be homeless.”
Public defender Chase Opolka was appointed to defend Kendrick in the Ozark County case.
Kendrick appeared before the court on June 18 accompanied by his son.
In supported decision-making, individuals get the assistance they need to make decisions for themselves.
by Mike Fricano
Key takeaways
Supported decision-making is an alternative to guardianship or
conservatorship that protects the autonomy of people with disabilities
to make important choices about their lives with the help of trusted
individuals.
Nearly 85% of supported decision-making resources reviewed by UCLA
experts were targeted toward caregivers and people with disabilities,
with fewer resources for professionals who work with them.
There were few tailored resources for people with dementia,
neurological issues or serious mental illness, and youth transitioning
from adolescence into adulthood with disabilities.
A California law designed to protect the autonomy of individuals with
disabilities to make their own decisions may fall short of its intended
goals due to insufficient online resources, according to a new report from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
Supported decision-making (SDM) enables individuals with disabilities
to select a trusted person or persons (often a family member or friend)
to aid them in making important decisions about things like their
health care and finances. The law (AB 1663)
took effect Jan. 1, 2023, and it provides an alternative to
guardianship (called conservatorship in California), which places full
decision-making authority for an individual in someone else’s hands.
Yet when UCLA researchers reviewed online resources about supported
decision-making, they found some important gaps in the kinds of
available information and tools. More than 60% of the resources were
targeted toward adults 18–64 years old, with fewer resources designed
for older adults (65 years and older) or younger people with
disabilities.
They also found that while 44.1% of California households speak a
language other than English in their home, only 21.4% of SDM resources
reviewed were available in other languages. Additionally, few resources
were intended for professionals in systems serving people with
disabilities, such as health care (4.8%) or employment (1.2%).
“Imagine someone else deciding for you where you get to live, how to
manage your money, or what medical care you need or want,” said Kristen
Choi, an associate professor at the UCLA School of Nursing and UCLA
Fielding School of Public Health and the report’s lead author.
“Supported decision-making empowers individuals with disabilities to
make — with the help of trusted supporters — these types of decisions.
This is in stark contrast with conservatorship, a one-size-fits-all
approach that removes autonomy.”
Among other areas where the study found gaps were webpages that did
not comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards for
accessibility for people with vision impairment, language and word
choice that was too difficult to understand for individuals with
cognitive impairment, and a lack of cultural relevance that included
provisions for values related to religion, ethnicity, traditions and
communication styles. For example, templates for supported
decision-making agreements rarely included options for deciders to
specify their cultural values and preferences.
Although conservatorships are poorly tracked in the United States,
estimates suggest that as many as 1 to 3 million Americans, including
thousands of Californians, live under conservatorships. People with
intellectual and developmental disabilities are at risk for being placed
under conservatorship without sufficient consideration of alternatives,
along with people who have dementia, neurological issues or serious
mental illness. Youth with disabilities who are transitioning from
adolescence into adulthood are vulnerable to being placed under a
conservatorship at this pivotal life juncture, Choi said.
With SDM, individuals select chosen supporters to aid in
decision-making, which can include being present in meetings where
decisions are made, including legal hearings and medical appointments.
“Supported decision-making doesn’t just improve social inclusion, it
ensures full civil rights,” said Choi, who is also an affiliate at the
UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
Choi’s policy brief is part of her work as co-leader of a
multidisciplinary team that received funding from the California State
Council on Developmental Disabilities to develop and evaluate a digital resource library for supported decision-making.
The first step was to evaluate 84 digital SDM resources identified from
the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities website and
other states with SDM legislation.
Resources were classified by audience, disability type, format,
language, type and sector. Researchers assigned quality grades to each
resource across six domains: accessibility, strengths-based approach
(which emphasizes an individual’s capabilities rather than what they may
not be able to do), promoting autonomy, cultural relevance, language
and readability.
Some of the report’s key recommendations include:
Develop targeted resources for high-risk populations.
Create tailored SDM resources for individuals with dementia,
neurological disorders (e.g., traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy),
serious mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia), and transition-age youth
with disabilities, all of whom face a heightened risk of
conservatorship.
Improve linguistic accessibility. Develop
resources in multiple languages that reflect California’s diverse
population, with a priority on Spanish and other languages widely used
in the state.
Improve accessibility. To accommodate various
disabilities, ensure that resources are accessible through multiple
formats, such as audio, visual (including alt text), and plain language
(simplified syntax and grade-school vocabulary).
Develop professional resources. Create materials
for professionals in systems serving people with disabilities — such as
health care, education and employment — to reduce the burden of
self-advocacy and promote shared responsibility for SDM implementation.
“To help ensure that supported decision-making genuinely improves the
lives of Californians with disabilities, we need accessible,
high-quality resources that provide specific information on what SDM is,
how it is to be used and how individuals can create formal SDM
agreements,” Choi said.
LANSING –
Yesterday, Charles Schumer, 75, of Freeland, was arraigned in the 70th
District Court in Saginaw for allegedly embezzling from a vulnerable
adult, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Schumer is
charged with one count of Embezzlement of $100,000 or more by an Agent
and one count of Embezzlement from a Vulnerable Adult, $100,000 or More,
each a 20-year felony.
It is alleged that Schumer, while
functioning as an attorney-in-fact for a relative, embezzled more than
$200,000 of her retirement assets into his business account. Schumer
also allegedly used his authority to make purchases that yielded no
benefit to the vulnerable adult.
“Too often, we see the assets of
vulnerable adults unlawfully siphoned away when they move into a
residential care setting,” Nessel said. “My department will continue to
hold accountable those who abuse their authority to exploit others.”
Schumer was arraigned before Judge A.T.
Frank and given a personal recognizance bond. Schumer's next court date
has not yet been set.
The Attorney
General’s Health Care Fraud Division (HCFD) is handling this case for
the Department. The HCFD is the federally certified
Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for Michigan, and it receives 75% of its
funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a
grant award totaling $5,703,460.00 for the fiscal year 2025. The
remaining 25% percent, totaling $1,901,152.00, is funded by the State of
Michigan.
###
Please note:
For all criminal proceedings, a criminal charge is merely an
allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven
guilty. The Department does not provide booking photos.
Diplomat Healthcare employee told police a nurse’s aide may have abused the elderly woman
By Mike Mason
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A Bedford family
is suing a North Royalton nursing home, claiming their mother died due
to the abuse she suffered while at the facility.
The elderly woman died soon after sustaining injuries, and now her two daughters are demanding justice.
Linda Mercier was one of those people who lit up a room.
“She sang; she had one of the most beautiful voices,” said Linda’s daughter Laurie Jones.
“She was always there for us, and she was
just a loving, wonderful human being,” said Linda’s other daughter Lisa
DiFranco-Pillar.
In her later years, Linda developed Alzheimer’s Disease — and slowly drifted further from reality.
“She was completely helpless,” said Laurie.
“She was bed-ridden, or in her hospice chair,” said Lisa. “She wasn’t able to get in or out of bed.”
Linda raised her two daughters in
Bedford, but as years passed by and her disease progressed, she moved in
with Lisa and her husband in Brunswick Hills.
Several years later, it became clear Linda would need a higher level of care.
In 2023, Lisa placed her mother at the Diplomat Healthcare nursing home, located at 9001 W 130th Street in North Royalton.
14-months later, Lisa received some disturbing news.
“They said, ‘hey we found your mother in the bed with blood coming out of her head’,” Lisa recalled.
According
to reports, a Diplomat employee told North Royalton police she thought
Linda was abused by one of their own staff members.
Patrolman Nathan Erzen’s body cam was rolling when he responded to the call.
“Hi Linda, I’m patrolman Erzen with the North Royalton police,” the officer can be heard speaking to Linda.
Police blurred the video to protect patient privacy, but the images are still discernable.
“Who was the nurse who took care of you last night?” officer Erzen asked Linda. “Do you remember what her name was?”
Unfortunately, due to Linda’s Alzheimer’s, she wasn’t capable of articulating what had just occurred.
“Just how somebody could do that to her,” said Lisa. “I trusted them to care for her and then something like this happened.”
Linda was rushed to Southwest General Hospital for her injuries.
Her daughters were distraught, confused about what had happened.
Police photos show Linda suffered bruising to her face and deep lacerations to her scalp, requiring staples.
“Three staples, wow!” officer Erzen can be heard saying as he inspects Linda’s injuries.
“Are they giving you some good pain medicine?” Erzen asked Linda rhetorically.
According to the police report, a nurse’s aide claimed Linda “was being combative and bit her on the arm”.
That’s when another staff member rushed in to help.
But when that aide left Linda’s room, the other aide stayed behind.
The report states, “A couple minutes later” she “told someone she was leaving (the facility) because Linda spit on her face.”
Records showthat employee, “Was (then) terminated for job abandonment”.
During
Erzen’s initial investigation, he discussed the aide’s behavior with
the nurse administrator and an inspector with the Ohio Department of
Health.
“If I got spit on, I’d be pretty mad, but I wouldn’t leave work,” said Erzen.
Linda’s
family wanted answers, but Lisa says when she questioned Diplomat
administrators about what had happened, they told her very little.
“That
they were sorry about what happened, and that was it,” said Lisa. “I
mean, she was assaulted, for God’s sake, under your care.”
In the bodycam footage, the Diplomat’s
nurse administrator appeared annoyed that Officer Erzen suspected the
aide could be responsible for Linda’s injuries.
“I
keep hearing you guys talk about it like this patient has been abused
and, in my eyes, we’ve got an injury of unknown origin,” the
administrator can be heard saying. “We don’t know what the hell happened
in that room.”
The administrator then suggested it was possible another patient may have hurt Linda.
When detectives later interviewed the aide, she admitted, “she wasn’t very familiar with (this) dementia patient.”
She
stated that while attempting to get Linda into bed, she began flailing
her arms and nibbling on the inside of the aide’s bicep.
She said Linda then struck her upper lip before spitting on her face, something “she couldn’t deal with.”
She
told the detective she noticed Linda had a yellow bruise on the side of
her face and a superficial cut on one of her fingers but denied being
the one who hurt her.
She also claimed she left the room at the
same time as the aide who assisted her, despite statements from other
aides who told the detective otherwise.
Records show police pursued felonious assault charges against the aide,however, North Royalton City Assistant Prosecutor James McDonnell declined to move forward, due to “insufficient evidence”.
McDonnel refused to discuss any further details about the case.
Meanwhile, Linda’s condition worsened.
“She passed within two months,” said Lisa.
“This world lost a beautiful soul,” said Laurie. “She loved everyone she met.”
Linda died on July 6, 2024.
Her death certificate attributed the cause as, “dementia of brain disease”.
However, her family feels she’d still be alive today if it hadn’t been for her injuries.
Both defendants are represented by attorney Leslie Jenny, who specializes in Health Care Liability.
19 Investigates tried contacting Jenny — and both Saber and Diplomat Healthcare directly for comment — but haven’t heard back.
On May 30, Jenny filed an answer to the complaint, denying all allegations of negligence and medical malpractice.
In court records it states if Linda did suffer injuries, they weren’t caused by the facility.
19
Investigates reviewed prior complaints filed against Diplomat
Healthcare and found the Department of Health and Human Services fined
the facility $11,213 on October 10, 2024.
The report states,
“The
facility failed to ensure resident-to-resident physical altercations
were reported (to) the State Agency as required. This affected ten
Residents of 39 Residents who reside on the secured memory care unit.”
Meanwhile, Linda’s daughters are haunted by thoughts of what they suspect happened to their mother behind closed doors.
“She was completely helpless,” said Laurie. “So how is anything going to happen, other than someone hurt her?”
“She was always there for us, no matter
what,” Lisa struggled to speak through her tears. “She was just a
wonderful, warm human being.”
North Royalton Police won’t release the suspect’s name in this case since she hasn’t been charged.
They tell 19 Investigates this case is now closed.
If you’d like to compare nursing home facilities, you can search medicare.gov’s website.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Officers with
the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) arrested a man on elder abuse
and robbery charges after they claim he dumped an elderly man on Archer
Road and stole cash from him.
GPD officers said they arrested 28-year-old Damon Worth on Wednesday after investigating an incident that happened on May 17.
In
the sworn complaint, officers claim that in May, Worth offered to give
the victim a ride to the hospital due to the victim having a hand
injury.
Officers claim Worth stopped
the vehicle while en route to the hospital and forcibly removed the
victim from the vehicle, causing additional injuries to the man’s arms,
and took his wallet by force.
The sworn complaint reads that Worth took
approximately $300 in cash from the victim, then threw the rest of the
wallet’s contents out the car window on the ground.
The
victim told GPD officers that Worth then stated, “Now you’ve been
robbed,” before getting back into the vehicle and driving away.
The
victim claimed to have crawled to a tree along Old Archer Road and sat
there for a couple of hours until he noticed the fire station across the
street.
He asked GFR firefighters for help, according to the sworn complaint, and they transported him to the hospital.
The victim, a 66-year-old male, is disabled and has low mobility.
On
June 5, GPD officers spoke to the witness over the phone, who confirmed
that she drove them to take the victim to the hospital for a hand
infection.
She told officers that
during the trip to the hospital, Worth began arguing with the victim and
threw his wallet out the window. She said she did not know why Worth
would do that “to an old man.”
Worth
is a three-time convicted felon with a history including arson, drug
possession, destruction of evidence, providing false evidence to a law
enforcement officer, and violation of parole.
He was arrested on Wednesday and is being held without bond.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said the caregiver, identified as
Belinda Garza Edy, 54, was employed by Senior Buddies, a private home
health care company that serves clients in San Antonio and surrounding
areas. Sheriff Salazar said Garza Edy was aware of a surveillance camera
installed inside the victim’s residence but was undeterred. (PHOTO: SBG
San Antonio)
SAN ANTONIO - A home health aide in Bexar County has been charged
with elderly abuse after video footage appeared to show her abusing a
91-year-old patient suffering from late-stage dementia, according to
local authorities.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said the
caregiver, identified as Belinda Garza Edy, 54, was employed by Senior
Buddies, a private home health care company that serves clients in San
Antonio and surrounding areas. Sheriff Salazar said Garza Edy was aware
of a surveillance camera installed inside the victim’s residence but was
undeterred.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said the caregiver, identified as
Belinda Garza Edy, 54, was employed by Senior Buddies, a private home
health care company that serves clients in San Antonio and surrounding
areas. Sheriff Salazar said Garza Edy was aware of a surveillance camera
installed inside the victim’s residence but was undeterred. (PHOTO:
Bexar County Sheriff Office)
According to investigators and family members, footage showed Garza Edy
force-feeding the elderly victim in a manner that caused pain, and at
one point, striking the victim across the face.
The victim’s family, after reviewing the video footage, reported the
incident to Senior Buddies’ management, expecting immediate action.
Instead, the company reportedly told the family it preferred to handle
the matter “internally”, stating that law enforcement would not be
notified.
Unsatisfied with the response, the family turned to the Bexar County
Sheriff’s Office, who launched an investigation and filed charges
against Garza Edy. The office confirmed that it has also contacted state
authorities in connection with the case.
“This is a deeply
troubling situation,” Sheriff Salazar said. “We are urging any member of
the community who has had interactions with this caregiver or this
company and suspects abuse to come forward.”
Anyone with
information or concerns about possible elder abuse related to this case
is encouraged to contact the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office at (210)
335-6000.
According to its website, Senior Buddies
has operated since 2009 and offers in-home elder care in San Antonio,
Leon Springs, Fair Oaks, and Boerne. The company has not issued a public
statement regarding the incident as of Friday.
Officials with Senior Buddies issued this statement on Sunday:
On
Friday, June 20th, 2025, a former caregiver was arrested for elder
abuse. In mid-March we were made aware of video footage showing
maltreatment of one of our clients by Belinda Eady. We were shocked and
outraged by her behavior and immediately removed her from this case and
discontinued her employment. We do not tolerate abusive behavior from
any of our staff.
Contrary to inaccurate reports that the
agency opted to handle this matter internally, the conduct of this
caregiver was reported to our state regulating agency, Texas Health and
Human Services Commission, which is responsible for investigating such
matters. Additionally, we provided Ms. Eady’s contact information to law
enforcement as requested. We remain in full cooperation with THHSC and
law enforcement.
During the decade and a half that Senior Buddies has been serving
the senior population of San Antonio and the surrounding areas, we have
never had a report or incident of abuse of our clients. This type of
conduct does not represent our beliefs or the way we care for our
clients. Senior Buddies is dedicated to providing the best and most
loving care possible for all of our clients and will continue to care
for those in need with dignity, compassion, and respect.
SEDGWICK, Kan. (KAKE) - A 37-year-old
Wichita man has been arrested for abusing an elderly woman at a
convalescent care facility.
Sedgwick
Police say Said Mblima was charged in connection to an incident that
occurred in November 2024. Mblima was charged with one count of
mistreatment of a dependent adult while a resident of a care facility, a
level two felony.
Mblima could face a prison sentence anywhere from 9 to41 years, and a $300,000 fine.
