Articles
Muskegon Heights man, allegedly neglected by sister, found with festering infection, lying in own feces
07/30/2014
MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, MI – A Muskegon Heights man was in such bad condition when Adult Protective Services officials check on him Monday, that the stench inside the home where he was found was nearly overwhelming to those there to help him, authorities said. The victim, in his late 50s, who remained hospitalized on Wednesday, July 30, for a festering foot infection, was in the care of...
Red Flags of Abuse
07/10/2014
Learn the signs of elder abuse. The National Center on Elder Abuse, a program of the Administration on Aging at ACL, has developed a helpful Red Flags of Abuse Factsheet (PDF) that lists the signs of and risk factors for abuse and neglect.
DOJ and HHS call for action to address abuse of older Americans
07/09/2014
ACL NEWS U.S. Administration for Community Living Department of Health and Human Services Contact: ACL Press Office (202) 357-3507 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DOJ and HHS call for action to address abuse of older Americans Elder Justice Roadmap outlines critical path to combating problem Today, leaders in the fight against elder abuse announced a framework for tackling...
Funeral and Cemetery Scams
12/17/2013
According to the FBI, senior citizens are often victims of crimes and scams. Funeral and cemetery fraud often targets senior citizens because the victims’ realization that they have been swindled may take weeks—or more likely, years—after contact with the fraudster . This extended time frame makes it even more difficult to remember details from the events. They...
Five Ways to Protect Yourself During Open Enrollment
12/17/2013
As the new health insurance Marketplaces get underway, scammers have begun to surface, ready to take advantage of those who may not realize they are giving personal and financial information to fraudulent people. Here are 5 tips to protect your identity and finances during Open Enrollment season: 1. Trust your instincts. If something does not feel right, then it probably is a scam....
Wise Charitable Giving
11/27/2013
Esther received a phone call from a charity that had a name similar to a national cystic fibrosis organization. Touched by the thought of helping children, she agreed to make a donation. Later, she saw a news report that the organization was not the charity she thought it was, but a scam operation. The generosity of seniors makes them a favorite target of charity scams. To make the best...
Identity Theft
11/27/2013
ID Theft – Tips to Reduce Your Risk Ichiro received a phone call from an auto finance company that said it was going to repossess his truck. Ichiro did not own a truck. He found out that someone using his name and Social Security number had applied for a car loan and had never made the payments. He also found out this same stranger had opened up two credit accounts in Ichiro’s...
Home Medical Equipment Scams
11/27/2013
Home Medical Equipment Scams Jose was having problems climbing the stairs in his house, so he called a company that advertised it sold stairlifts. A salesman came to his house and promised to install the stairlift within two weeks, and took a payment of $2,000 from Jose. However, months passed and the company didn’t deliver the stairlift, but kept coming up with excuses. Jose finally...
Elder Abuse: The Size of the Problem
05/13/2013
Elder Abuse: The Size of the Problem Elder mistreatment (i.e. abuse and neglect) is defined as intentional actions that cause harm or create a serious risk of harm (whether or not harm is intended) to a vulnerable elder by a caregiver or other person who stands in a trust relationship to the elder. This includes failure by a caregiver to satisfy the elder’s basic needs or to protect...
We are Family: When Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Financial Exploitation Hits Home
10/04/2012
By Jeannie Jennings Beidler Research and popular press report alarming instances of familial elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. The House of Representatives Select Committee on Aging found that older adults are at the greatest risk for abuse, and that in more than two-thirds of substantiated cases, the perpetrator is a family member in a caregiving role—usually an...
