Friday, August 12, 2011

Dorothy C. Tyse

SnippedShe was only 83 - a youngster. 

God rest her soul.  She is now safe in his loving arms.

Dorothy “Dotti” C. Tyse, nee Respond, beloved wife of the late Thaddeus, loving daughter of the late Anthony and Angela Respond, dearest sister of the late Henry (Adeline) and the late Norman (the late Marilyn) Respond, dear sister in law of Eleanore Tyse, cherished aunt and great aunt to many nieces and nephews. Prominent Niles local historian and author of “The History of Niles ; 1974” and a proud member of the St John Brebeuf Catholic Woman’s Club and the Golden Age Club, Visitation Sunday 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm, at the Skaja Terrace Funeral Home 7812 N. Milwaukee Ave. Niles, Funeral Monday 10:15 am. To St. John Brebeuf Church Mass 11:00 a.m. Interment Maryhill Cemetery, In lieu of flowers donations for Masses or to your favorite charity appreciated, for Inf. 847-966-7302

Thursday, August 11, 2011

KOHL LAUDS GAO RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE OVERSIGHT OF GUARDIANS

Report Recommends SSA Improve Information Sharing


Thursday, August 11, 2011

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.), Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, today released a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found a need for stronger screening and oversight of guardians appointed to make financial decisions for incapacitated adults.

In its report, GAO found that only 13 states require criminal background checks on all potential court-appointed guardians, and that there are gaps in information sharing that can adversely affect incapacitated adults. GAO recommends that the Social Security Administration (SSA) find ways to share information with state courts dealing with the appointment of guardians for SSA beneficiaries. GAO also recommends that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services consider supporting promising court pilot programs that monitor guardians.

“The bottom line is that we need to ensure that the people being put in charge of someone else’s Social Security checks are using the money appropriately,” said Kohl. “While I acknowledge that the Social Security Administration faces limitations, we must do more to combat abuses in the system.”

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) joined Kohl in reacting to the report’s findings.

“As a former prosecutor, I believe we need tougher oversight to protect seniors from bad actors and ensure their financial security,” said Klobuchar. “Our seniors deserve this common-sense accountability in our Social Security system.”

There are over 765,000 Social Security beneficiaries with a fiduciary or guardian. A 2010 GAO report identified hundreds of allegations of physical abuse, neglect and financial exploitation by guardians in 45 states and the District of Columbia between 1990 and 2010. In reviewing 20 of those cases, GAO found that guardians, who sometimes represent multiple wards, stole or otherwise improperly obtained $5.4 million in assets from 158 incapacitated victims, many of whom were seniors.

Part of the problem, according to national advocates for elder rights, is that courts often have difficulty obtaining information that could enhance the ability to protect the interests of beneficiaries, particularly from the SSA. SSA asserts that the Privacy Act and other considerations prevent the agency from sharing fiduciary information with state courts.

Earlier this year, Kohl introduced legislation to prevent elder abuse, including abuse perpetrated by fiduciaries and guardians. The Elder Abuse Victims Act (S. 462) would establish an Office of Elder Justice within the Justice Department that would protect seniors by strengthening law enforcement’s response to elder abuse. Additionally, the End Abuse in Later Life Act (S. 464) would enhance direct services to older victims of abuse, including financial exploitation.

# # #

The GAO report can be found here: http://gao.gov/products/GAO-11-678



New GAO Report

Going to DC is paying off!

Incapacitated Adults: Oversight of Federal Fiduciaries and Court-Appointed Guardians Needs Improvement



Summary


If Social Security (SSA), Veterans Affairs (VA), and state courts find that adults are incapacitated, they appoint federal fiduciaries and court-appointed guardians to make decisions on their behalf. Incapacity is often associated with old age, so if these arrangements are not overseen, older adults could be vulnerable to financial exploitation. This report assesses (1) SSA, VA, and state court procedures for screening potential fiduciaries and guardians; (2) SSA, VA, and state court fiduciary and guardian monitoring; (3) information sharing between SSA and VA and between each agency and state courts; and (4) federal support for court oversight of guardians. GAO interviewed federal and court officials and experts, and reviewed federal laws, regulations, and policies, and others' compilations of state guardianship laws.

http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-678



Friday, August 5, 2011

Janna Dutton

Snipped.

We don't know what criteria they use in order to hand out those awards or even how important they are?  (Just found out how she got the "leading lawyer" position - lawyers vote for each other so that title doesn't even count because lawyers give each other business.  It's all about $$$.)

Snipped.

(One more thing, she does NOT look like that in person.  They must have had a professional photographer, makeup artist and stylist because I met Howitt and she doesn't look like that either.  Or maybe they photoshopped themselves?)

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Banks Get Tools to Stop Elder Financial Abuse

Link to Chicago Tribune

SPRINGFIELD -- Employees of Illinois financial institutions are now required to be trained to identify the signs that someone is a victim of financial exploitation.

Rules adopted by the General Assembly took effect Monday requiring the training.

Brent Adams is secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. He says it's particularly important to safeguard seniors. The rules take effect during Elder Abuse Awareness month.

Signs of exploitation include sudden changes in accounts or banking practices; new names on bank signature cards; unauthorized use of ATM or credit cards and abrupt changes in financial documents.

More on elder abuse from the Illinois Department on Aging.

I think they should educate Devon Bank (or Richard Block and the new employee) in regard to how NOT TO exploit their clients.   Open a trust account at Devon Bank and you will see signs of exploitation from their own employees.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Elder Financial Abuse Spikes

Huffington Post

Financial abuse robbed elder Americans of an estimated $2.9 billion last year, up 12 percent from 2008, according to a MetLife Mature Market Institute study released in June. That statistic may only continue to climb if the government neglects to regulate the home-care service industry.


Because of the sour economy and increasing number of Baby Boomers, financial crimes committed by trusted caregivers are on the rise, The Crime Report noted Thursday. Even if they have an extensive rap sheet, they can walk right through their victims' front doors, since only 28 states require that private aides get licensed, according to the California Alliance.

"It's a common misconception that if someone holds themselves out to be a caregiver they must have been checked by someone, somewhere. When, in fact, they have not," Jeff Lesowski, a senior deputy district attorney in Washington County, told The Oregonian.

While non-profit and state-level adult protective agencies are safer bets since there is more oversight, funding cuts have hindered them from adequately serving the aging population, The New York Times reported in March.

The Guardian Project, for example, a non-profit that serves elderly and disabled New Yorkers, has been able to aid only 200 clients since it opened it 2005, because it runs on a meager $1.2 million budget, The Crime Report noted.

"Scores of helpless, frail people have collectively been physically abused, had their life savings depleted, and lost their homes due to the unscrupulous acts of guardians," Laura Negron, the organization's director, remarked later on in the article.

Such financial abuse cases span the country and the wealth spectrum.

Back in March, legendary actor Mickey Rooney, 90, told a Special Senate Committee on Aging how "trapped, scared, used and frustrated," he felt when a family member abused him emotionally, physically and financially, The Associated Press reported.

California--where Rooney obtained a restraining order against his stepson, according to The Associated Press--doesn't currently require private caregivers to get licensed. The state, however, is pursuing The Home Care Services Act of 2011, which could potentially clean up the industry.

The act would require the Department of Public Health to license private aids and perform background checks, among a number of other safety precautions.

Still, even New York, which requires licensing, sees a high incidence of financial abuse among seniors. "Under The Radar: The New York State Prevalence Study," published in May, found that 41 per 1,000 seniors surveyed were victims of major financial exploitation. That crime, which occurred at the highest rate, includes theft, using items without permission and misleading to get money, bank cards, accounts and power of attorney.

While preventative measures are critical, the elderly will likely remain desirable and easy targets unless the government implements punitive measures, too.

Chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, Senator Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) reintroduced the Elder Abuse Act in March, The New York Times reported, which could possibly accomplish just that by strengthening law enforcement responses to abuse.

"Financial exploitation against the elderly is very prevalent right now," said Sharon Merriman-Nai, project director for the National Center on Elder Abuse, in a recent ABC story on the topic. "The elderly have assets. They've had their lifetime to acquire savings and property."