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.