Crime, Abuse and the Elderly

Elder Abuse and Fear of Crime Among Older People

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Mike Brogden , Preeti Nijhar. This book examines and analyses the experiences of older people as both victims and perpetrators of crime. Drawing upon a wealth of research from British and North American sources, the authors detail the historical experience of the elderly as victims, the extent of present-day criminal victimisation in the home and institutions, the social theories which attempt to explain that experience, and the types of resolution available.

The book also addresses the experiences of elderly people in the criminal justice process - the offences to which they are prone, and the implications for penal policy of an increase in the elderly penal population. Crime, Abuse and the Elderly breaks new ground in its focus on the experiences of elderly people as criminal victims in private space, its insistence on a proper engagement of criminology with crimes involving older people, and in its argument that much so-called abuse can be explained criminologically and should be dealt with by the criminal justice system rather than by treatment and welfare agencies.

It will be essential reading for students, academics and professionals concerned with the experiences of the elderly. Working together, the FTC and the FDA combat deceptive advertising for health services such as false and unsubstantiated claims for dietary supplements. Examples of such claims include Coral Calcium, a supplement marketed to cure diseases such as multiple sclerosis and cancer, and the Q-Ray Bracelet, a device advertised as a pain cure. Skyrocketing Internet sales of prescription drugs have created another form of health fraud: Because older adults often take multiple prescription medications, they are an ideal target market for this type of health fraud.

The survey revealed that more than half of those who purchased drugs online felt there was no way to tell if the drugs they obtained were real or counterfeit, and nearly one-third of purchasers said they were not required to have a prescription to make their purchases. Financial crimes against older adults are on the rise. Along with telemarketing, mail fraud, Internet scams, and health-care and insurance fraud, there have been pension and trust fund fraud, mail theft, reverse mortgage fraud, and many others.

In "They Can't Hang Up: Help for Elderly People" March 24, , http: In IC3 Annual Report , http: Common financial schemes frequently used by fraudulent direct-mail marketers are sweepstakes and free giveaways. Consumers receive postcards announcing that they are entitled to claim a prize. The postcards bear a toll-free telephone number that the consumers need to call to claim their prize.

Once the toll-free number is accessed, a recording instructs the consumer to touch numbers on the telephone key pad that correspond with a "claim number" that appears on the postcard. Ultimately, the consumer receives no prize. Instead, the unsuspecting victim receives a telephone bill that reflects a substantial charge for the call, just as if a number had been called. The entry of the sequence of numbers that matched the claim number engages an automated information service for which the consumer is charged.

Every year Medicare loses millions of dollars because of fraud and abuse. The most common forms of Medicare fraud are:. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of allocated funds to protect Medicare's integrity and prevent fraud. In one of the largest efforts in the history of Medicare, the program has undertaken a major campaign to help eliminate Medicare fraud, waste, and abuse.

To combat Medicare fraud at the level of the beneficiary, the U. Administration on Aging AoA provides grants to local organizations to help older Americans become more vigilant health-care consumers so that they can identify and prevent fraudulent health-care practices. The Senior Medicare Patrol, now known as the SMP program, trains community volunteers, many of whom are retired professionals, such as doctors, nurses, accountants, investigators, law enforcement personnel, attorneys, and teachers, to help Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries become better health-care consumers.

Since the SMP program , http: You Pay" campaign is an example of a successful outreach effort to combat Medicare fraud.

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Department of Health and Human Services, and the U. It establishes a line of defense against a problem that costs the Medicare program billions of dollars each year.

The campaign asks beneficiaries to regularly review their Medicare statements and ask questions such as: Did my doctor order the service or product for me? And, to the best of my judgment, is the service or product necessary given my health condition? Medicare beneficiaries receive cash rewards for successfully identifying fraud and abuse.

Domestic violence against older adults is a phenomenon that first gained publicity during the late s, when the congressman Claude Pepper — held widely publicized hearings about the mistreatment of older adults. In the three decades since those hearings, policy makers, health professionals, social service personnel, and advocates for older Americans have sought ways to protect the older population from physical, psychological, and financial abuse.

CRIME AGAINST OLDER ADULTS

It is difficult to determine exactly how many older adults are the victims of abuse or mistreatment. As with child abuse and domestic violence among younger adults, the number of actual cases is larger than the number of reported cases. There is consensus among professionals and agencies that deal with issues of elder abuse that it is far less likely to be reported than child or spousal abuse. The challenge of estimating the incidence and prevalence of this problem is further compounded by the varying definitions of abuse and reporting practices used by the voluntary, state, and federal agencies, as well as the fact that comprehensive national data are not collected.

Furthermore, research suggests that abuse often occurs over long periods of time and that only when it reaches a critical juncture, such as instances of severe injury, will the neglect or abuse become evident to health, social service, or legal professionals. Even though the magnitude of the problem of abuse and mistreatment of older adults is unknown, its social and moral importance is obvious. Abuse and neglect of older individuals in society violates a sacred trust and moral commitment to protect vulnerable individuals and groups from harm and to ensure their well-being and security.

With just thirty-two states reporting, Adult Protective Services received over , reports on people aged sixty and older. Senate Special Committee on Aging estimates that there may be as many as five million victims every year. Federal definitions of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation appeared for the first time in the Older Americans Act Amendments of Broadly defined, there are three basic categories of abuse: Most documented instances of elder abuse refer to a form of maltreatment of an older person by someone who has a special relationship with the older adult, such as a spouse, sibling, child, friend, or caregiver.

Until recently, most data indicated that adult children were the most common abusers of older family members, but Pamela B. The major types of elder abuse and mistreatment include:. The criminal justice system documents the fact that money and property are stolen from older adults at an alarming rate. John Wasik writes in "The Fleecing of America's Elderly" Consumers Digest , March — April that just one out of twenty-five cases of financial abuse of older adults is reported, which suggests that there may be five million financial abuse victims each year.

Because financial abuse is difficult to define, the identification, investigation, and prosecution of perpetrators is made even more difficult. One challenge that even stymies law enforcement agents is to distinguish an unwise but legitimate financial transaction from an exploitative one resulting from undue influence, duress, or fraud.

The crimes are even more complicated to resolve because a large portion are committed not by professional criminals but by relatives, friends, home health aides, household workers, and neighbors. In-home care for older adults frequently offers hired caregivers ready access to the financial and property assets of the older adults in their care. Financial abuse also differs from physical and emotional mistreatment in that it is more likely to occur with the unspoken permission of the older adult and, as a result, may be more difficult to detect and confirm. In some instances the older adult may feel that the perpetrator is entitled to the older person's assets.

Older adults may want to compensate their relatives and caregivers. These complex family and caregiver dynamics may make it difficult to distinguish between a transfer of assets made with consent from one performed in response to coercion. Like other forms of mistreatment, financial abuse in a family is generally not a single identifiable event.

Instead, it reflects actions that may have started out as legitimate efforts to help but over time became abusive. As a result, determining when financial abuse began can be difficult. According to the NCEA, most of the reported cases of mistreatment are older women; this may simply be the result of the disproportionate number of older female adults, or it may mean that older women are at greater risk for mistreatment than are older men. Like child abuse and sexual assault crimes, many crimes against older adults are not reported because the victims are physically or mentally unable to summon help or because they are reluctant or afraid to publicly accuse relatives or caregivers.

Crime, Abuse and the Elderly

Loneliness or dependency prevents many victims from reporting the crimes, even when they are aware of them, simply because they are afraid to lose the companionship and care of the perpetrator. When financial abuse is reported, the source of the information is likely to be someone other than the victim: Since most states have required physicians and other social service professionals to report evidence of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Teaster finds that reporting requirements vary widely. Thirty-four states stipulated time frames for reports ranging from immediately twenty-three states to more than four days in one state. Nine states had prosecuted individuals for failing to report abuse. According to the NCEA, no single theory can explain why older people are abused. The causes of abuse are diverse and complicated.

Some relate to the personality of the abuser, some reflect the relationship between the abuser and the abused, and some are reactions to stressful situations.

Crime, Abuse and the Elderly - Mike Brogden, Michael Brogden, Preeti Nijhar - Google Книги

Even though some children truly dislike their parents and the role of caregiver, many others want to care for their parents or feel it is the right thing to do but may be emotionally or financially unable to meet the challenges of caregiving. Meeting the daily needs of a frail and dependent older adult is demanding and may be overwhelming for some family members who serve as caregivers.

When the older person lives in the same household as the caregiver, crowding, differences of opinion, and constant demands often add to the strain of providing physical care.

When the older person lives in a different house, the pressure of commuting and managing two households may be unduly stressful. Stress may be a reality in the life of caregivers, but research does not support its role as a contributing factor in abuse of older adults.

Brandl and Cook-Daniels strive to explain why perpetrators abuse older adults and serve to dispel the popular belief that the stress of care-giving prompts abuse. The working party concluded that while it may be relevant to know if the victim is elderly, and that this may affect the range of appropriate solutions available, it should not change the principles of the approach.

A successful response also required agencies to develop protocols which defined their respective responsibilities, and improve their own understanding about the range of situations which have come collectively to be defined as elder abuse. A number of speakers at the conference referred to the need for multi-agency co-operation in the development of effective responses to both elder abuse itself, and to crime against older people in general.

A multi-agency approach was promoted not only as an efficient use of existing services and resources, but also as a means of meeting the diverse needs of the older population. In addressing the issue of crime prevention strategies, Marianne James of the Australian Institute of Criminology Australian Capital Territory argued that preventing crime and reducing fear of crime is not just about law enforcement, it is also a community concern. While multi-agency co-operation was seen as important at national and regional level, co-operation at a community level was also vital to the success of programmes.

James suggested that the community should be used as a resource, with the skills of a wide range of organisations and people being mobilised to manage and implement programmes. She stressed that older people should be encouraged to participate in their communities, and should be consulted regularly to ensure that they contribute fully in the decision-making process. Developing a multi-agency approach also requires clear agreements between service providers about policy objectives, points of contact and referral, as well as individual areas of responsibility.

Many New Zealand organisations are already adopting a multi-agency approach towards elder abuse and crime prevention. Three such New Zealand initiatives are discussed below, including one, the Safer Community Council initiative, which was presented at the Adelaide Conference. This approach also provides support for service providers and an opportunity to share knowledge, experience and skills which enable new approaches to be tried and tested. There are two further pilot projects which have not received Lottery Age funding, but which are proceeding in close liaison with Age Concern.

Crime and Abuse of Older Adults

In setting up these pilot projects, Age Concern has acknowledged that the differing needs and resources of each community must be addressed, and as a result, each pilot project will be unique. Staff of the Senior Citizens Unit have assisted with these projects by providing policy input to those establishing the pilot projects. An independent Advisory Group has been established to monitor and maintain a general overview of the pilot projects, and the Unit will maintain an ongoing advisory role through membership in this group. In addition, the national office of Age Concern will act as a clearing house for information about elder abuse and, through funding from the Public Health Commission, will develop a computerised system for compiling statistical information about the incidence and types of elder abuse cases being dealt with by each of the pilot projects.

This will be the first time that such information about elder abuse in New Zealand will be collected in a systematic way. Age Concern New Zealand has also obtained Lottery Aged funding to produce a quarterly newsletter, through which information about elder protection and care issues will be disseminated nationally. It is hoped that the distribution of this newsletter will provide the impetus that is needed to ensure that progress is made in this area.

The Safer Community Council SCC initiative offers another example of a co-operative approach to developing programmes to promote the safety of older people. Four pilot projects have been successfully completed in different locations throughout New Zealand. In addressing the Adelaide conference, Ms Shannon noted that the results of the survey were quite surprising to the younger members of the Council:. The findings from this survey also underline the importance of seeking input from older people themselves, when attempting to identify and address their needs.

The Police have also adopted a co-operative approach in their current drive to address issues related to crime in New Zealand. The primary goal of the five year strategic plan recently released by the Police is to reduce the incidence and effects of crime on victims and communities. This goal cannot be achieved without the assistance of communities, government, and other social services and organisations. To this end, the Police have adopted the motto "Safer Communities Together".

The Police are particularly interested in utilising the skills and wisdom of older people by encouraging them to participate in neighbourhood crime reduction through Neighbourhood Support groups, citizens in police stations, and Neighbourhood Crime Watch patrols. Staff of the Senior Citizens Unit have been meeting regularly with the staff of Police National Headquarters to examine ways in which community police stations, in particular, can effectively engage older people in a voluntary capacity.

Members of the Unit have met with a group of older people working as volunteers in Hamilton community police stations, and were impressed by both the enthusiasm of the volunteers and the valuable work they did for the local community. It is now hoped that a number of pilot programmes can be set up at Community Police Stations, with the aim of establishing how older volunteers can most usefully be recruited to work programmes that are of benefit to the wider community.

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