Contra Costa Agencies Join Together to Fight Elder Financial Abuse

Concord, Calif., November 2, 2009 – Eleven Contra Costa County organizations join in educating senior adults about financial abuse.  Fighting Back! How to Avoid Frauds and Scams will be held on Thursday, November 19 from 8:30am – 2pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Concord.  Elder Financial Protection Network (EFPN) in partnership with Communities Against Senior Exploitation (CA$E) will present this one-day event for senior adults.  The event will be free of charge for attendees and will include lunch.

The Special Celebrity Master of Ceremonies will be Diane Dwyer of NBC Bay Area.

Fighting Back! will cover a variety of issues related to financial abuse presented by experts in the fields of law enforcement, social services, health care, and legal services.  Topics covered are:

• An overview of elder financial abuse – identifying frauds and scams
• Consumer protection – how to fight back
• Local resources available – whom to call

Speakers will include:

• Honorable Joyce Cram, Superior Court of Contra Costa County, Elder Court
• Honorable Robert Kochly, District Attorney of Contra Costa County
• Virginia George, Esq., Supervising Attorney, JFK University Elder Law Clinic
• Jenefer Duane, Founder and CEO, Elder Financial Protection Network
• Prescott Cole, Senior Staff Attorney, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform
• Jason Peck, Esq., Deputy District Attorney, Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office
• Joaquin Murphy, Program Representative III, California Department of Consumer Affairs
• Maria Guzman-Kennedy, Community Outreach Coordinator, Contractors State License Board
• Ruth Atkin, Senior Staff Assistant, Contra Costa Aging and Adult Services
• Tina Olton, Volunteer, Contra Costa Senior Peer Counseling
• Barbara Procter, J.D., Program Director, Center for Human Development
• John Cottrell, Director of Aging and Adult Services

The Special Celebrity Master of Ceremonies will be Diane Dwyer of NBC Bay Area.

Fighting Back! is sponsored by EFPN, CA$E, Contra Costa Federal Credit Union, Pacific Service Credit Union, Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, JFK University Elder Law Clinic, California Department of Consumer Affairs, Contra Costa Aging and Adult Services, Contra Costa for Every Generation, City of Richmond Commission on Aging, East County Senior Coalition, California Department of Corporations – Seniors Against Investment Fraud Program, and NBC Bay Area.

Space for the event is limited. RSVPs are due on or before November 13, 2009.  Please call (415) 956-5556, e-mail cococase@gmail.com, or register Online at www.bewiseonline.org.

EFPN is a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of financial abuse of elders through innovative partnerships that build public awareness, drive community outreach, and provide professional training. CA$E is a program that recruits and trains a professional Speakers’ Bureau to reach out to senior adults throughout Contra Costa County on the issue of elder financial abuse prevention.

An Age for Justice: Confronting Elder Abuse in America

done

Watch this compelling video,  produced by the Elder Justice Now campaign. It shows the families and individuals whose lives have been turned upside down by elder abuse. The video provides stark proof of the financial, emotional, and physical and psychological impact of the violence and abuse that an estimated five million Americans face every day. We hear from Vicki Bastion, 92, who installed a security gate inside her home to protect herself and what valuables she had left from her grandson and his gang‐related friends; Betty Beckles talks about her daughter beating her; Bob Lee tells us about his father, who was victimized by a paid caregiver causes depression that contributed to his death; and Pat Smith tells us about her husband, who has Alzheimer’s disease and was victimized financially by a young woman in Las Vegas who walked with $750,000. The video was produced by the National Council on Aging and WITNESS, to shine the light on what one interviewee called a “dark mark on our humanity.” (Note: copy  from The Hub blog, by Kelly Matheson,  of Witness)

Nearly 2,200 Signatures… have you and your friends been counted?

ELDER JUSTICE ADVOCATES AT THE CAPITOL OCTOBER 19.
From right to left - Kathleen Quinlan, Executive Director, National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA); Marci Philips, National Council on Aging (NCOA); Jenefer Duane, EFPN; Scott Parkin, NCOA;
Bill Benson, NAPSA; Bob Blancato, Elder Justice Coalition and Kelly Matheson, North American Program Coordinator, Witness.

The momentum is strong with people all across America and beyond signing the Elder Justice Act iPetition. Nearly 2,200 people have raised their voice to demand that Congress enact this long-overdue legislation to protect our country’s greatest generation.  Jenefer Duane, CEO/Founder of EFPN will present the results of the iPeition to the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi at her District Office later this week. Congress is set to vote on this early next week as part of our nations Health Care Reform initiative!

Now is the time to help us make the presentation of the petition as strong as it can be…please forward a message to everyone you know asking them to  SIGN THE PETITION to bring our collective national voice to our Nation’s leadership.

Astor case shows need for Elder Justice Act, op-ed

Opinion piece published in The Hill, © 2009 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

By Jenefer Duane, October 15, 2009

The conviction of 85-year-old Anthony Marshall for bilking millions from his philanthropist mother Brooke Astor gives a glimpse of a tragedy national in scope: elder abuse and neglect, which affects an estimated 5 million elderly people annually. In nearly 90 percent of all abuse cases, the perpetrator is a family member, two-thirds of whom are spouses or adult children.

But most financial elder abuse cases don’t have the tabloid drama of the rich and famous. It goes on quietly in towns and cities throughout the country where adult children tire of caring for sick parents, or caregivers resent or feel entitled to the relative wealth of the elder whom they bathe and feed. Elder financial abuse straddles all socioeconomic classes at a cost of $2.6 billion to our nation’s seniors annually — with family, friends, neighbors and caregivers as the perpetrators in 55 percent of cases. Read the full article about why we need the Elder Justice Act.

Get the facts:  Elder Abuse Fact Sheet produced by National Council on Aging (NCOA) and WITNESS, an international human rights organization that uses video to affect change, supporting the 573-member Elder Justice Coalition to urge Congress to pass the bill this year.

Hello Washington DC!

Hi everyone!  I’ve just joined the Elder Financial Protection Network as Program Manager and what exciting things are brewing, starting NOW!

First, Jenefer Duane, CEO of EFPN has been working closely with the National Council on Aging and the Elder Justice Coalition in Washington DC to advocate for the passage of the Elder Justice Act!  She’s off to Washington DC to be one of four presenters at a policy briefing to Congress on Capitol Hill on Monday morning.  The passage of the Elder Justice ACT by Congress is imperative for the safety and security of today’s elders and the elders of the future.  That’s every one of us!

Second, we need you to raise your voice!  On Monday, Jenefer will present a report on the online petition EFPN has hosted in collaboration with the National Council on Aging, the Elder Justice Coalition, Witness and OWL.  Here’s what you can do to help: please sign our online petition to pass the Elder Justice Act. It’s fast, easy, anonymous and secure. No one else will see or receive your email info (we have complete control over all the data received). Nearly 2,000 have signed to date and we need to gather as many as possible by Sunday night! 

How do you sign the online petition?  Easy.  Go to our beautiful new website at www.bewiseonline.org.  There is a tab on the home page that says Elder Justice Now! Raise your Voice to Congress! Sign the Petition. This will take you to the Info page where you can click on “sign the petition” button.

One more favor please…pass this on to everyone you know that you think will support this and ask them to raise their voice to Congress to protect our nation’s elders from abuse and exploitation.

We can’t drive this important legislation without your support!

You have the power to change the future with just a click!  Thank you.

Patricia Berry – Program Manager

Farewell to Sam…

We ended last week with a fond farewell to our program coordinator, Sam Leichter. For the past year, Sam has been at the epicenter of the coordination of EFPN’s community programs and the co-producer of two very successful Call to Action events. His contributions to our organization are many. We will miss his bubbly energy, sense of humor and mostly his genuine concern for the safety and security of elders. As some of you may know, Sam came to San Francisco last year from the East Coast to pursue career in acting and has been working ever since. Now he has decided to devote his full attention to his blossoming career. We are very excited for him and wish him all the best in the pursuit of his passion.

Jenefer Duane, Founder and CEO

Call To Action – Southern California

Call to Action: Southern California a major success!

On Wednesday, September 16, 150 of Southern California’s leading professionals from the fields of banking, law, social services and law enforcement came together for a day of building bridges and sharing best practices for combating the financial abuse of elders.

The event was a complete success! From the Welcome Address, delivered by Long Beach Deputy Chief of Police William Blair, to Judge Aviva Bobb’s dynamite Keynote Address at the end of the day, the event was jam-packed with cutting edge information on how we can work together to end the financial abuse of elders.

The elegant luncheon and awards ceremony honored those who have led the way in the prevention of elder financial abuse. Mike Gargiulo of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office received the Professional Leadership Award. Susan Montoya, First Bank and Gary Dunn, CapitalSource Bank shared the Visionary Leadership Award.  The Los Angeles Financial Abuse Specialist Team (FAST) took home the Donald N. Phelps Community Service Award, and Judge Aviva Bobb was honored with the Sentinel Award for Lifetime Achievement. We are so proud of our honorees, and look forward to continued collaboration with them.

***BREAKING NEWS***

The date for Call to Action 2010, to be held in San Francisco, has been set! On March 25,  EFPN will present another groundbreaking conference, luncheon and awards ceremony for California’s leading professionals. Also, EFPN will partner with Wise and Healthy Aging to produce another Call to Action event in mid June 2010 in Los Angeles to coincide with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Stay tuned!

Photos from Call to Action: Southern California On Facebook!

Click here to become a fan of EFPN on Facebook, and to see our exciting photos from Call to Action: Southern California.

Board Members Celebrate at Call to Action: Southern California!

Registration open for “Fighting Back! How to Avoid Frauds and Scams”

Registration is open for Fighting Back! How to Avoid Frauds and Scams, so click here to register today!

Fighting Back! is a day-long event for seniors and their caregivers, families and friends in Contra Costa County. EFPN is thrilled to partner with Contra Costa Communities Against Senior Exploitation (CASE) to present this event.

Attendees will hear from expert panelists, and have an opportunity to share their stories. A nutritious lunch will be served, and a raffle will be held!

Speakers include Honorable Robert Kochly, District Attorney, Contra Costa County; Honorable Joyce Cram, Contra Costa County Superior Court – Elder Court; Virginia George, Esq., Director, JFK University Elder Law Clinic; Jenefer Duane, Founder & CEO, Elder Financial Protection Network, and more!

Admission to the event is only $10, and scholarships are available for seniors.

Learn more about the event by clicking here, or by calling 415.956.5556. You can also email CASE at cococase@gmail.com.

Call to Action: Southern California a major success!

Last Wednesday, Southern California’s leading professionals from the fields of finance, law, social services and law enforcement came together for a day of building bridges and sharing best practices for combating the financial abuse of elders.

The event was a complete success! From the Welcome Address, delivered by Long Beach Deputy Chief of Police William Blair, to Judge Aviva Bobb’s dynamite Keynote Address at the end of the day, the event was jam-packed with cutting edge information on how we can work together to end elder financial exploitation.

The elegant luncheon and awards ceremony honored those who have led the way in the prevention of elder financial abuse. Mike Gargiulo of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office received the Professional Leadership Award. Susan Montoya of First Bank and Gary Dunn of CapitalSource Bank shared the Visionary Leadership Award.  The Los Angeles Financial Abuse Specialist Team (FAST) took home the Donald N. Phelps Community Service Award, and Judge Aviva Bobb was honored with the Sentinel Award for Lifetime Achievement. We are so proud of our honorees, and look forward to continued collaboration with them.

***BREAKING NEWS***

The date for Call to Action 2010, to be held in San Francisco, has been set! On March 25,  EFPN will present another groundbreaking conference, luncheon and awards ceremony for California’s leading professionals. Stay tuned!