Talk about going big–New York’s Governor Cuomo is expanding services for seniors at risk of elder abuse with an $8.4 million package, combining state and federal funding. Governor Cuomo announced that services for vulnerable adults at risk of abuse, neglect or financial exploitation will be improved through a new initiative…
The use of technology—including cell phones, emails and social media—has dramatically increased the number of potential victims. There’s good news and bad news on the elder fraud front. Law enforcement recently conducted the largest sweep of elder fraud cases specifically targeting the elderly, according the article “Law Enforcement Conducts Largest…
A recent case of elder abuse in Michigan that resulted in only a misdemeanor, may have been the last straw for legislators. They introduced a law that would make it a felony, if a person was convicted of harming a vulnerable adult or senior citizen. The punishment for causing serious…
The sad truth is, foreign lottery scams are still around because they are successful for the scammers. Millions of Americans are targeted every year. The first reaction from someone receiving a letter about a large award is often a wave of relief, especially if they are facing financial problems. For…
Here’s another reason to meet with your estate planning attorney face-to-face. An overseas-based scam is targeting the elderly with a website that uses photos and content stolen from real law firm websites. A website purporting to be an estate planning law firm is the subject of a lawsuit from the…
A federal judge has ruled that a police officer’s uninvited entry into a house to check on the well-being of an adult with dementia, is shielded by qualified immunity. The response to a possible crisis was correct. Given the number of elder abuse cases, it is encouraging that New York…
A cautionary tale ends with a will being declared invalid, firings at the local police station and a lesson in elder abuse. A wealthy 92 year old woman suffering from dementia left a $2 million estate to a local police sergeant but after three years of legal wrangling, her will…
Conferences nationwide mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and explore solutions to a growing concern. The University of Minnesota recently hosted a large conference focused on what is considered to be the next large national crime wave: elder abuse. Attending the conference were social workers, nursing home workers, lawyers, law…
Nursing homes that give substandard care to residents are the target of new Elder Justice Task Forces intended to move faster in targeting and penalizing certain facilities. The National Review reports in "DOJ Task Forces Target Elder Fraud in Health Care" that teams from several Elder Justice Task Forces deployed…
The New York State Senate has passed a bill that will make it possible for testimony given by elderly witness to be preserved and used in criminal cases against their abusers, even if the elderly person has passed away or become incapacitated. WHEC reported in its news article, "Senate passes…