Taking care of those who took care of you

Seniors who face elder abuse have 3 times the risk of death compared to those not facing abuse. Joe Kuczynski reports.

A study conducted by the Metlife Market Institute estimates that elder abuse costs American’s about $3 billion dollars a year, and that number, they believe, is conservative.

Even more concerning is that seniors who face elder abuse have three times the risk of death compared to those not facing abuse. That is why it’s critical to pay attention to the warning signs.

“Physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect issues are usually a part of an elder abuse situation," Eileen Rodden said. "Abusers use those tactics to acquire access to money and to homes.”

Rodden works as Project Coordinator at the Women’s Center of Jacksonville, an organization offering support and education to woman about abuse. She also works to educate people on providing the proper care for an incapacitated loved one, and the challenges facing guardians, something she knows about personally.

“I took care of my own mother who had Alzheimer’s for 5 years before she passed away..." Rodden said. "As a caregiver it is a frustrating situation you feel like you could do more you try to do more but then you have all your other duties.”

Rodden said that most negligence or abuse does come from nonprofessional care givers, family members or neighbors. That’s not necessarily because of wicked intent, but more often it’s because they’re inexperienced in taking care of a senior. 

Fortunately, there are workshops that can teach and support those taking on the responsibility, but if you suspect someone of committing elder abuse, it’s important to know that there are resources out there to put an end to it.

Read more: http://www.firstcoastnews.com/life/taking-care-of-those-who-took-care-of-you/460410550

Couple sentenced; Asheville x2; Carers who do not care

Couple
PRINCETON — A Bluefield, Va. husband and wife were sentenced Monday for the severe neglect of an 87-year-old woman which resulted in severe bed sores and broken bones.

A Mercer County jury found Monty Bone, 58, and his wife Sonja Bone, 51, both of Bluefield, Va. guilty last May of charges including abuse of an incapacitated adult resulting in bodily injury.

Both the husband and wife were charged with felony abuse of an incapacitated adult, felony neglect of incapacitated adult malicious assault and conspiracy. The case started on July 17, 2015 when Detective K.L. Adams of the Bluefield Police Department was contacted by physicians at Bluefield Regional Medical Center about a Bluefield woman, 87-year-old Nancy Bone, who was brought to the hospital on July 11, 2015. Doctors said she showed signs of abuse.

ASHEVILLE, NC
Asheville police report that a 77-year-old woman suffering from dementia was victimized by a man she tells News 13 was her longtime handyman.

“Part of it is my fault,” said the victim, who asked not to be identified, “because he got my credit card.”

She explained what she says led to police charging her former handyman, Terry Gibson, with exploitation of an elder and harassment.

According to police warrants, Gibson is charged with using over $5600 of the victim’s money without her permission.

“I got alerted from my bank,” said the victim, who said she came to depend on Gibson to help her in her home.

Carers
At first glance they have little in common: men and women of disparate ages and racial backgrounds, from all four corners of the country.

But they share one utterly shameful bond; they have all mistreated vulnerable elderly people in their care, with a depravity that is truly sickening.

Two weeks ago, a Mail investigation highlighted shocking levels of abuse of the elderly by so-called carers in Britain, as well as the derisory sentences handed down to those who are caught.

The charity Action on Elder Abuse (elderabuse.org.uk; 080 8808 8141) is campaigning for a change in the law so that crimes against senior citizens are recognised as aggravated offences. 

Dementia Patient Repeatedly Punched by Medical Worker

The family of an 89-year-old dementia patient has released horrifying video that shows the man being punched repeatedly by a nursing home employee.

“It was gut-wrenching,” the man’s grandson, Daniel Nassrallah, told InsideEdition.com Wednesday. “Literally, my legs collapsed” after viewing the footage, he said.

Relatives of Georges Karam installed a video camera in his room at the Garry J. Armstrong long-term care center in Ottawa, Canada, after the elderly man suffered numerous, unexplained injuries, they said.

Nassrallah said the facility “never really gave us an answer” about the bruises and cuts they found on Karam’s body, so with the center’s permission, a baseball-sized camera was installed on the wall facing the man's bed in February, said Nassrallah, an attorney. The staff was told about the device, he said.

A few weeks later, Nassrallah said, he and his wife were watching the footage from his grandfather’s room when they saw a caregiver enter, and act aggressively. “He threw him around the bed,” Nassrallah said.

“My grandfather started to flail and tried to bat him away,” he said. “Then he started punching my grandfather in the head.”

The video shows the employee, Jie Xiao, hitting the man 11 times. Nassrallah said his grandfather is non-verbal and confined to a wheelchair.

Read more: 89-Year-Old Dementia Patient Repeatedly Punched