Gatekeepers are
people who come into contact with elders and other
vulnerable adults through their jobs and everyday
activities. They are crucial eyes and ears in our
community, a vital means of finding those most at
risk of
abuse. |
|
October 2009
Greetings, Gatekeeper
Readers:
The Elder Abuse Prevention program
(EAP) thanks you for reading and
contributing to Gatekeeper eNewsletter. We
hope you find the topics and resources listed here
useful in your work. Please feel free to
contact us with any suggestions or feedback you
have as we continue our efforts to improve
the quality, usability, and pertinence of
Gatekeeper.
Sincerely,
Coordinator, Elder Abuse
Services
415-750-4180
ext. 222 |
Dispatches from the
Field 
Elder Abuse Prevention
(EAP)
Program
Activities
The EAP program has been busy
raising awareness about elder
abuse. Here's what we've been
doing.
Bus Shelter Ad
Campaign
We
collaborated with members of the San Francisco
Elder Abuse Forensic Center on a bus shelter ad
campaign. This idea evolved from Forensic
Center meetings where it became apparent that
several seniors had been approached at
bus stops in the Richmond district and
targeted for financial exploitation. The
posters we produced aimed to raise awareness of
several types of financial scams targeting seniors
in our community (see the picture to the
left.)
We will soon translate this ad into Spanish
and Chinese to make it culturally
relevant and representative of current financial
crimes being perpetrated in our
communities. If you would like to assist us
in this process, please email Talitha Guinn
tguinn@ioaging.org. Our goal is to have this
project ready for next year's Elder Abuse
Awareness Month.
Train
the Trainer
We also
collaborated with Mary Twomey, MSW,
Co-Director of the Center of Excellence in Elder
Abuse and Neglect at UC Irvine, to develop an
effective train-the-trainer course.
This course teaches people like you how
to present elder abuse trainings to other
professionals. The curriculum includes not
only a PowerPoint presentation, handouts, and
facts about elder abuse, but it also gives
participants an opportunity to practice public
speaking skills in a supportive environment with
positively framed feedback. Our first class
graduated 12 new trainers, many of whom have
already gone on to train others in the community
about elder abuse. We will be providing this
training again in 2010, so check out the next
issue of the Gatekeeper for further
details.
Helen Karr,
Esq. Retires from the District Attorney's
Office
 Helen Karr, the much beloved
elder justice advocate, has just retired from her
position at the District Attorney's office.
Helen decided to go to law school at the tender
age of 60 and was sworn in as an attorney on her
64th birthday. She is a passionate,
well informed, and thoughtful advocate for the
senior community.
Helen was also
appointed by Speaker of the Assembly Herb Wesson
to the California Commission on Aging. Her
testimony before the California legislature in
2005 was instrumental in passing a law that
requires financial institutions to report
suspected elder financial abuse. Her
tireless advocacy also resulted in the legislature
designating May as Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse
Month in California.
While Helen
has retired from her position at the DA's office,
she assures us that she will continue to fight
elder abuse through her many other
professional associations and activities.
Adult Protective Services
(APS) Welcomes New Program
Manager
Julie Peck has been selected as the new San
Francisco APS program manager. She is a
licensed clinical social worker with many years'
experience working in programs serving older
adults and adults with disabilities. Most
recently, she worked as manager of the
Case Management Division of Aging and Adult
Services Bureau in Contra Costa
County, whose programs included APS,
MSSP, Linkages, and Information and
Assistance. She also has many years'
experience working in long-term care and mental
health programs. She has been described as
someone who is an accomplished team builder, has
strong clinical skills, and is experienced in
working with the team to develop consistent
standards of practice. She also comes with
strong recommendations as a manager who can help
build systems and advocate for APS. Julie
has worked in San Francisco County (for DPH), San
Mateo County, and Contra
CostaCounty.
News
from La Casa De Las Madres
La Casa
De Las Madres, one of the Bay Area's leading
providers of services for those experiencing
domestic violence, is in the process of launching
a special project to develop services targeted to
older victims of domestic violence in San
Francisco. In order to design outreach
strategies and interventions that most effectively
address the needs of older adults, La Casa De Las
Madres is conducting a community needs
assessment.
The community needs
assessment will include two elements: an
anonymous individual questionnaire and four focus
groups. The questionnaire, which can be
completed on paper or on-line, asks the respondent
to indicate which types of services and outreach
are likely to be the most helpful and
effective. The focus groups will gather
together women of shared cultural and/or
linguistic backgrounds to discuss outreach and
services strategies in greater detail. The
focus groups will be conducted by a facilitator
and translation services will be
available.
The only criteria for
participation in the community needs assessment is
that participants must live and/or work in San
Francisco.
The electronic version of the questionnaire
can be found by clicking the link below: Questionnaire Please
contact consultant Shelagh Little at (510)
433-0300 or
The Washington
Post
When the Mind
Falters, Is Sex a Choice?
By
Marie-Theresa Connolly Sunday, September 20,
2009
Summary:
This article examines the
complexities of cognitive capacity, dementia and
decision making as these functions relate to human
sexuality. It is a frank
and though-provoking article that is
both well researched and well written. This
is a subject that is sure to become more widely
discussed as the Boomers generation
ages.
| |
Fraud and Scam
Alerts
Local Ponzi
Scheme
Hundreds of
Bay Area residents have fallen victim to a recent
Ponzi scheme perpetrated by a long-time San
Francisco resident and businessman. The FBI
has taken over the investigation of this crime and
while information is still being gathered, it
appears that over 300 victims have lost a
cumulative fortune conservatively estimated at 50
million
dollars.
According to
San Francisco Chronicle, the alleged
perpetrator ran a tax preparation company on
for over 30 years on Irving Street that he had
inherited from his father. He gained the
trust of his clients, convinced them to invest
money with him and made payments to previous
investors with the funds he obtained from
new clients. In this way, his scam was
a typical Ponzi scheme; however, his investments
seemed sound and the returns were conservative,
averaging 4%-5%, allowing him to run his scam
without raising concerns among his clients.
Many of his victims had no idea that anything was
amiss up to the very end, and most
counted him as a close friend.
It
appears that quite a few of his victims could well
be Bay Area seniors; however, no elder abuse
charges will be filed due to the fact that there
are no federal elder abuse statutes on the
books. Many elder abuse prevention advocates
have noted that the Elder Justice Act would be
useful in a case like this to bring additional
charges against the defendant and provide
additional funds for the investigation. (For
more information on the Elder Justice Act, see the
Legislative and Policy section below.)
The
impact of these crimes is not merely
financial since the emotional ramifications can be
devastating. The Institute on Aging
responded by hosting a community meeting on
September 9, 2009 to offer support services and
assess the needs of victims. This supportive
intervention was well received and another meeting
is being planned for
November.
|
 Spotlight Research
Research is
essential to moving the field of Elder Abuse
forward. For this issue of Gatekeeper, we
spotlight important research findings, and we
connect you to current research projects that need
participants.
Research
Findings
Bruising in
Older Adults: Accidental Bruising and Bruising
from Physical
Abuse
I. Key
findings from a study of accidental
bruising in older adults:
-
The color of
a bruise did not indicate its age. A
bruise could have any color from day
one.
-
90% of
accidental bruises were on the extremities
rather than the trunk, neck or head.
-
Less than
25% of older adults with accidental bruises
remembered how they got them.
-
Older adults
taking medications that interfere with
coagulation pathways were more likely to have
multiple bruises, but the bruises did not last
any longer than the bruises of those who didn't
take these medications.
II. Key
findings from a study of bruising in older adults
who have been physically abused
were:
-
Bruses
caused by abuse are large. More than half
of older adults with bruises who had been
physically abused had at least one bruise 5 cm
(about 2 inches) in diameter or larger.
-
Buses could
be anywhere, but note especially if they are on
face, lateral or anterior (inner) surface of the
arm, or on the back. Older adults with
bruises who had been abused had more bruises in
these areas than older adults whose bruises were
accidental.
-
And
please, Ask the older adult about bruises
-- gently and in private; as 90% of older adults
with bruises who have been physically abused can
tell you how they got their bruises. This
includes many older adults with memory problems
and dementia.
For additional
information
visit www.centeronelderabuse.org
information,
Current Research
Overwhelmed by too much
stuff?
A research study is taking place at the
University of California, San Francisco to learn
more about hoarding behaviors in older
adults. If you are 65 or older, are English
speaking, and believe you have hoarding and
cluttering behaviors, we are looking for your
participation! Participants will be interviewed by
a nurse researcher. The interview takes about 90
minutes and participants will be paid $20 as
a thank you for time
spent. For more information
about the study or to enroll, contact:
Monika Eckfield, RN, PhD Phone: 650-219-0555.
Elder Mistreatment among
Chinese and Korean Immigrants: An Exploration of
Definitions and Experiences in a Community
Setting
This study will provide the
basis for the
development of an innovative, culturally competent
tool for the measurement of
elder mistreatment, intervention, and service
coordination in order to meet the unique needs and
concerns of mistreated Chinese and Korean older
adults.
The goals
of this project are (1) to develop and refine the
theoretical and conceptual constructs of
elder mistreatment in these two communities; (2)
to increase our understanding of the sociocultural
context of that mistreatment; and (3) to lay the
groundwork for the development of a culturally
congruent measure for Chinese and Korean immigrant
older adults.
For
more information contact:
Dr. Yeon-Shim
Lee, Assistant Professor, SFSU Social
Work
|
Legislative
& Policy News
Combating Financial
Abuse of Elders California Lawyer, A Daily Journal
Publication, by Steve Riess
August 2009
Excerpt:
Notwithstanding the
record-breaking budget impasse, state lawmakers
did something remarkable last year when they
enacted Senate Bill 1140, a groundbreaking
expansion of the rights of financially exploited
elders. The new statute, written by Senate
President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg
(D-Sacramento), took effect this January and
amends the Welfare and Institutions
Code.
To read the full article click
on the link below:
Elder Justice
Act
What is the Elder Justic
Act?
(Information taken
from the Elder Justice Coalition
website.)
The Elder Justice Act creates a combined
law enforcement and public health approach to
study, detect, treat, prosecute and, most
importantly, prevent elder abuse, neglect, and
exploitation. After 25 years of congressional
hearings on elder abuse without a legislative
response, the Elder Justice Act marks the
beginning of new horizons in the detection and
prevention of elder abuse. The bill
would:
1)
Coordinate efforts and develop leadership at the
national level by creating an Office of Elder
Justice within the Department of Justice and the
Department of Health and Human Services, creating
a federal home and securing funding for adult
protective services activities at the federal
level, and creating a public and private Elder
Justice Coordinating Council to assure
coordination of efforts at all levels,
including funding and assisting such
entities at the state and local
levels.
2) Create an "Elder Justice Research
Center" and library to
- educate the
public and to provide information on the
prevention of elder abuse and
best practices in
addressing the problem to interested entities
throughout the country
- fund research entities throughout the
country to better develop our knowledge base on
the issue
- include the area of "at risk" elders,
providing a focus on the development of forensic
capacity in the area of elder abuse, and
increasing the capacity of prosecutors
throughout the country to bring elder abuse
charges
3)
Develop resources to protect consumers, increase
collaboration and prevent abuse in long-term care
settings; and
4)
Evaluate funded projects and research to identify
successful approaches to elder abuse prevention,
prosecution, and victim
services.
|
Calendar
of
Events
Consortium
Events
The Consortium hosts regular
educational and networking meetings detailed
below. For further information
please contact the EAP program: eap@ioaging.org or (415)
750-4180 ext.
222
Multidisciplinary Team
Meeting (MDT)
Professionals
from the fields of aging meet to review complex
abuse cases and to learn about new service
resources. All are welcome.
When:
12/10/2009 -- 1:30-3:00 PM
Where: 1650
Mission St. 4th floor
Coordinating
Council Meeting
The Coordinating Council is a forum
for networking and sharing information and
ideas. Attendees are asked to bring business
cards and flyers and give short updates regarding
their projects. This is a good place to find
collaborative partners and to brainstorm about
advocacy efforts.
When:
December 2009, 3-4:30 PM
Where: 3600
Geary Blvd. Inside ADHC
IOA
Events
The IOA Education Department
provides numerous professional trainings,
seminars, and continuing education (CE Credits)
opportunities each year. For more
information go to: http://education.ioaging.org
Financial Elder Abuse - A Growing
Shame!
Presented by Erika
Falk, PsyD, Director, Geriatric Assessment
& Psychological Services, Institute on
Aging
Increasingly, older
adults are the vulnerable targets
of identity theft and financial abuse
scams. Too many seniors are being
convinced to take out unsuitable home
and other loans they don't need, to involve
themselves in fraudulent investment, lottery or
other scams. Unfortunately, financial elder
abuse doesn't only involve strangers, but too
often involves a known person to the elder who is
financially exploiting the elder; i.e., a family
member, friend or
caregiver. This session will
present an overview of a number of the types
of financial elder abuses, and will also present
important information on how mandated
reporters and others concerned can file
appropriate complaints with Adult Protective
Services, Ombudsman, and/or law
enforcement
officials. When:
November 5th -- 3:00
PM to 4:30 PM
Where:
IOA's Adult Day Health Center 3600 Geary Blvd. in
San Francisco (at
Palm)
Elder Abuse Prevention
Training
The EAP is available to provide
in-service training on topics of elder abuse and
neglect and mandated reporting. We also
provide a limited training series located at
the IOA offices.
Other
Community Events
Please contact event host individually for
more details.
Chinatown Resource
Fair
District Attorney
Kamala Harris Invites you to the Chinatown
Resource Fair.
Featuring: Help from many agencies for
problem gambling, healthcare, housing, consumer
fraud, emergency preparedness and information on
elder abuse and domestic violence.
When:
Saturday, October 24, 2009 -- 11AM to 2
PM
Where:
Portsmouth Square at Washington and Kearny
Streets
Alzheimer's
Disease: Circle of Care
5th Annual
Education Conference for Families and
Professionals
Featuring:
Dr. Charles DeCarli featured in
HBO's The Alzheimer's Project: Momentum in Science
and award winning dementia care specialist,
Heather McKay
Plenary Closing by
Alzheimer's Association's John Timbs: Caregiver
Journeys: 20 Years of Learning Crowne Plaza
Hotel
When:
Saturday, October 24, 2009 -- 9:00 AM-4:00
PM
Registration begins at 8:00
am
Where: Crowne Plaza
Hotel
1221 Chess Drive, Foster City,
CA
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The EAP has put
together a list of resources that we
find valuable when working on issues of elder
abuse. While this is not an exhaustive list, we
hope you will find it useful. To view
these resources visit:
www.ioaging.org/gatekeeper/2009apr/resources.aspx
If you have resources that you would like to
see added to this list, please email tguinn@ioaging.org | |
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Submissions
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quarterly by Institute on Aging, Elder Abuse Prevention
Program.
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