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Amass awareness, action to reduce abuse of elderly
A front-page story in Sunday’s Vindicator shocked the senses in its detailed account of a Boardman woman accused of cunningly and connivingly scamming a 78-year-old Canfield woman suffering dementia out of more than $100,000.
The defendant, Linda Kovachik, a former aide to the late U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. of Poland, has been charged with felony theft. The victim and her family have been left in ruin.
One would like to believe that such exploitation of our older and vulnerable population is isolated. Sadly, however, it is not.
Last year, Ohio reported more than 16,000 cases of elder abuse, an increase of nearly 3,000 cases from the previous year, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
What’s even more troubling, however, is that elder abuse remains a grossly underreported crime. Only 1 in 23 of elder- abuse cases overall and only 1 in 44 cases of financial exploitation are reported to authorities, the National Center for Elder Abuse reports.
Given those grim findings, today’s international observance of Elder Abuse Awareness Day should take on added significance. In Ohio, the state JFS agency is encouraging all to wear purple today in solidarity with the mission of the World-Health Organization-declared event.
We agree the mission is noble and the stakes are high in appropriately responding to this public-health and human-rights dilemma. We therefore encourage heightened awareness of abuse, greater understanding of the signs of abuse and intense lobbying of lawmakers to take the crime and its punishment seriously.
WHO defines elder abuse as “a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person.”
The Ohio JFS says it deals with myriad types of abuse reports from victims, their families and loved ones. They include, in decreasing order of frequency, neglect by others, self-neglect, financial exploitation and sexual, physical and emotional abuse.
Because so many victims are too proud to reveal that they unwittingly let others take advantage of them, it is up to all of us to recognize the most common signs of abuse, neglect or exploitation.
According to the Ohio Department of Aging, these include scratches, cuts, bruises and other visible evidence of physical harm; sudden and inexplicable behavioral changes; caregivers who refuse to allow visitors to see the adult alone; hazardous or unsanitary living conditions and unexplained, sudden transfers of assets or finances to another person.
LOW PUBLIC-POLICY PRIORITY
Despite many positive trends such as increased state and federal funding for elder-abuse prevention, the mistreatment of seniors remains low on the list of public- policy priorities, a report issued this year by the FrameWorks Institute asserts.
“There’s a widespread fatalistic notion in our country that ‘nothing can really be done’ to prevent elder abuse, but that couldn’t be more wrong,” said Terry Fulmer, president of the John A. Hartford Foundation, which helped fund the report.
Fortunately for Ohioans, some state legislators are taking Fulmer’s point to heart.
In January 2015, State Rep. Mike Dovilla of Berea, R-7th, introduced House Bill 24, popularly known as the Ohio Elder Justice Act. It includes reforms to laws governing procedures of the JFS and Adult Protective Services in all 88 counties to better protect seniors from mistreatment.
For example, the bill adds financial harm to the list of violations against an elderly person that trigger reporting to the county JFS for investigation and prosecution. Its provisions also require the state to create and manage a registry to identify patterns of elder abuse and creates a commission to regularly study and issue recommendations on strategies to help local communities combat such abuse.
In spite of its quick three-month jaunt from introduction to passage in the Ohio House, the bill has been languishing in the state Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee for the past 15 months.
An aide to Dovilla said Tuesday that efforts are being made to change the bill without diluting it of its force for passage by the full General Assembly when it reconvenes this fall.
That must be a priority in the waning days of the Legislature or the bill will die an ignominious death when this session of the General Assembly ends Dec. 31. Inaction would represent a slap in the face to Ohio seniors.
On this Elder Abuse Awareness Day, we must muster up more than mere awareness. Today and every day, we must commit to act to lessen the scope of these pernicious crimes that rob our state’s proud elder residents of their hard-earned dollars and well-deserved dignity.
Wear purple on June 15 to raise awareness of elder abuse
Know the signs. Step up. Speak up.
Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) and the Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) join Governor John R. Kasich in observing June 15 as Elder Abuse Awareness Day in Ohio. To raise awareness of available supports for older adults and their families, both agencies encourage all Ohioans to wear purple on Wednesday, June 15, as well as to learn the signs of elder abuse and know what to do if you suspect someone you know is being abused, neglected or exploited.
“Elder abuse is a terrible but preventable problem,” said ODJFS Director Cynthia C. Dungey. “It affects all socioeconomic classes, races and genders. The more we spread the word about how to recognize and report it, the easier it will be to stop it from occurring and to make sure our older friends and family members get the help they need and the care they deserve.”
“The most disturbing statistic about elder abuse is that approximately 1 in 10 older adults have experienced some type of abuse, yet as few as one in five cases of abuse are reported to authorities,” added ODA Director Bonnie K. Burman. “Aging is everybody’s business, which is why it is critically important that none of us turn a blind eye to abuse and neglect of an elder. Know the signs. Step up. Speak up.”
Potential signs of elder abuse, neglect or exploitation include the following:
• Signs of physical harm
• Sudden behavioral changes
• A caregiver who refuses to allow visitors to see the adult alone
• Hazardous or unsanitary living conditions
• Dehydration, malnutrition or poor personal hygiene
• Previously uninvolved relatives showing sudden interest in the adult’s affairs and possessions
• Unexplained, sudden transfers of assets or finances to an individual
• Unexplained disappearances of funds or valuable possessions
• Abrupt changes in a will, financial documents, bank accounts or banking practice
ODJFS supervises the state’s Adult Protective Services program, which helps vulnerable adults age 60 and older who are in danger of harm, are unable to protect themselves and may have no one to assist them. County departments of job and family services receive and investigate reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation and evaluate the need for protective services. Last year, county agencies received more than 16,000 reports of elder abuse, neglect or exploitation.
If you suspect an older adult is being abused, neglected or exploited, contact local law enforcement or your county department of job and family services immediately. For a directory of county agencies, go to jfs.ohio.gov/county/County_Directory.pdf.
Older Ohioans who could use some support to continue to live safely in their communities can contact their local area agency on aging. Area agencies can connect elders to community-based services and supports to maintain or increase their independence and help prevent abuse, neglect and exploitation. Area agencies also provide services and supports for family caregivers to help them be more effective at what they do. Visit aging.ohio.gov or call (866) 243-5678 to be connected to the area agency on aging serving your community.
Individuals who live in nursing homes or other care facilities also have the right to receive quality care and remain free from abuse, neglect and exploitation. Long-term care ombudsmen advocate for the rights of consumers and help resolve issues with care providers. For assistance, call (800) 282-1206. Visit stepup.ohio.gov to learn how you can volunteer to support the ombudsman program.
About ODA – The Ohio Department of Aging works to ensure that our elders are respected as vital members of society who continue to grow, thrive and contribute. We collaborate with state agencies and community partners, including area agencies on aging, to help integrate aging needs into local plans and ensure that aging Ohioans have access to a wide array of high-quality services and supports that are person-centered in policy and practice. Our programs include the PASSPORT Medicaid waiver, caregiver support, the long-term care ombudsman program, the Golden Buckeye Card and more. Visit www.aging.ohio.gov.
CANFIELD
The financial demise of a 78-year-old woman with dementia came at the hands of an especially devious predator, police and other officials said.
“It was a perfect storm,” said Canfield police Detective Brian McGivern, describing how Linda Kovachik used her former status as an aide to former U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. to financially prey upon a victim and discourage neighbors from getting involved.
Kovachik, 69, of Flagler Lane, Boardman, is charged with one count of felony theft after being accused of taking more than $100,000 from the Canfield woman. The Vindicator reached out to Kovachik at the Mahoning County jail, but she refused to comment.
Kovachik was hired by Traficant in January 1985 in his first month as a congressman as a part-time staff representative. Within a few months, she was promoted to full time but left in 1990 after personality conflicts with other congressional staffers. She returned in 2000 to Traficant’s staff and remained there until he was expelled from Congress in July 2002.
During Traficant’s trial for racketeering and bribery, she was by his side every day and remained a close family friend during his incarceration. When Traficant was released from prison in 2009, she again resumed her role as a close confidante.
When a neighbor called Kovachik to express concern about the way she was managing the victim, the neighbor claimed she was threatened.
“When a couple of condo neighbors asked where the victim was, she [Kovachik], at one point, said, ‘Well I used to work for Jim Traficant – don’t question me,’” McGivern said, adding Kovachik said she “knows people, and she would make [the neighbor’s] life a living hell.”
Kovachik then hung up on the neighbor.
John Saulitis, director of the long-term care ombudsman program at the Area Agency on Aging 11, said consequences for crimes against elders should be looked at in the harshest terms possible.
“Individuals who exploit or abuse the elderly deserve special consideration in terms of enforcement,” he said. “Agencies, or society as a whole, need to send the message that we are not going to stand aside and let our elders, our seniors or our veterans be exploited in any way whether it is 10 cents or $100 or $100,000.”
Kovachik befriended the victim in 2013 after the elderly woman confided in her at church on the West Side of Youngstown that she thought her children were stealing her money, McGivern said.
Soon after, Kovachik offered to care for her and look over her finances. According to police, Kovachik did this by gaining the victim’s power of attorney and securing access to bank accounts.
“A year and a half later, more than $100,000 is reported missing from our victim,” McGivern said, noting Kovachik cashed 93 savings bonds and took an additional $65,000 from the victim’s bank account – most of which went to what Kovachik told him was a gambling addiction.
“[Kovachik] said she did in fact steal money from [the victim] without her knowledge to support the addiction,” reports said.
He described how Kovachik would forge the victim’s signature as she issued checks with large payouts for minimal tasks such as $800 for cleaning the condo or $900 for groceries.
The fraud expanded from there, police said.
“At one point, she withdrew money from an annuity and put it into a separate life-insurance policy, and she signed herself as beneficiary of the life-insurance policy,” McGivern said.
Reports said Kovachik also admitted taking and selling the victim’s diamond wedding ring.
Kovachik also took the victim – and money she took from the victim – to Las Vegas as well, McGivern said.
Dorothy Barto, Alzheimer’s Assistance and Referral Network director, said this type of crime against elders – especially those with dementia or similar conditions – is becoming more common because addiction is on the rise. In Kovachik’s case, she admitted a gambling addiction.
“The more people need money, the more they look to some place it’s available to get that money,” Barto said, though she noted this type of crime is underreported – resulting in $2.6 billion lost in the United States each year, according to the Administration on Community Living.
Saulitis said predators also look for these types of people because the chances of someone prosecuting them aren’t very high.
Embarrassment is the chief reason these types of thefts are underreported, said Lisa Solley, Area Agency on Aging 11 director of communications.
“Some of them [elders] are very intelligent, very successful people,” said the Rev. Ed Noga, pastor of St. Patrick Church in Youngstown. “They“By 2018, 30 percent of the population in Mahoning County will be 60 or older, and right now at least 25 percent are,” she said. “We are an aging community.”
Currently, 25 percent of the county’s population is at risk to become another statistic in the world of scamming.
“The best thing a family can do if a person is getting to an older age is to take custody of their bank account,” suggested Jim Henshaw, Austintown Senior Center director.
He said this is to help monitor activity in case a loved one gets into trouble.
Barto agreed, and suggested having multiple people monitoring the elderly.
McGivern said the biggest key to prevention is looking for red flags.
“Isolation is a big one. They’re not returning your calls, not sending birthday cards, just completely falling off the face of the Earth or things these people wouldn’t normally do,” he said. “It doesn’t hurt to bring it to our attention.”
Solley suggested those who have a question as far as health or legal directives are concerned should speak with an elder-law attorney who specializes in protecting elders’ rights.
“Ask the questions. Make the effort. Make a call and reach out,” Solley said. “It’s better to be safe. ... We need to get involved if we want to try to handle this and try to prevent the issue from getting worse and worse.”
Henshaw said the senior center has a binder full of printed email scams to help get the word out to others.
“People are really slick and very convincing, but there isn’t a Nigerian prince out there who wants to give you money,” he said.
Barto, like Solley, stressed the importance of education both for the seniors and for their loved ones.
“We really want to try to tell older adults to empower themselves with educational tools not to become victims,” Solley said. “Be careful about what information you put out there. ... I always tell people to check in with Better Business Bureau. If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.”
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) was launched on June 15, 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations.
The purpose of WEAAD is to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.
WEAAD
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In additiLDER ABUSE IN OHIO DISPATCH JANUARY 2016
Despite breakthroughs such as increased state and federal funding for elder-abuse prevention, the mistreatment of seniors remains low on the list of public priorities, a new report says.
And it’s not likely to gain much traction unless Americans start seeing elder abuse as a problem that can — and must — be tackled through new policies and collective action, according to the FrameWorks Institute report released this week.
Elder abuse has remained a largely invisible problem, Fulmer said, because of the country’s “ profoundly private, pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps” values that encourage people to be strong and remain silent regarding their pain.
It’s not that anyone disagrees that abuse, neglect and exploitation of the elderly are serious problems, but there’s often a gap between how experts in the field and the p
A law to better protect seniors from neglect, abuse and exploitation deserves to be passed by the Ohio Senate.
Stories of senior mistreatment, as vividly reported in The Dispatch’s March 15-16 “Elder Abuse” series, are stomach-churning. People have been scammed of their life’s savings after years of living frugally. Others have been horribly neglected.
But Ohio’s current law is outdated and insufficient. House Bill 24 is a strong effort to address this growing problem.
The bill updates the state’s legal definitions of elder abuse to include financial harm, neglect and exploitation. This isn’t just a matter of compassion; scammers cost taxpayers, because elderly victims often must turn to public assistance to survive.
The bill would boost training for protective-services case workers. And it would have more people watching out for the elderly, by expanding the state’s current list of mandatory reporters. H.B. 24 would expand those required to report suspicions — such as clergy, attorneys and nursing-home employees — to include firefighters, accountants, notaries public, real-estate brokers, bank employees and pharmacists, among others.
“If it can be caught early, people can be protected from empty bank accounts,” Beth Kowalczyk, chief policy officer for the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging, told legislators. “Bank employees and financial planners are frequently in a position to see what may be going on in an older adult’s home.”
Charlie Holderman, the retired supervisor of Adult Protective Services for Montgomery County, recalled working a case where a bank had caught a couple draining the account of a 94-year-old man whose worth totaled $5 million.
A bank had taken the initiative to alert Holderman’s agency that the husband of the couple, a prominent attorney, and his wife were writing themselves checks every day for $2,000 or more. Holderman’s agency went to court to stop the exploitation, but the man had lost $700,000.
“Although this was an extreme case,” Holderman told a House committee, “there are many instances of exploitation that are happening all over the state.”
How many is anyone’s guess. The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates that 1 in 10 elderly Americans is abused or neglected each year, often by trusted family members or caregivers.
Kathleen Quinn, executive director of the National Adult Protective Services Association, called elder abuse “rampant, largely invisible, expensive and lethal.” Immediate action is needed, she told The Dispatch.
One of H.B. 24’s key provisions would require the state to create and manage a registry to identify patterns of elder abuse.
“For the first time,” said Rep. Mike Dovilla, R-Berea, “Ohio will be able to accurately monitor and track the abuse of our senior citizens.”
Sharing this information with law enforcement would allow for the tracking of perpetrators and victims across county lines. And by getting a handle on the size of this problem, advocates for the elderly can build a better case to increase state funding.
Some Ohio counties currently are without a single full-time adult-protective-services worker.
The Senate has twice before failed to pass elder-abuse laws sent by the House. Just who is for draining granny of her life savings? Or leaving grandpa hungry?
No senior citizen should have to endure the indignity of theft and mistreatment. The Senate should pass this bill.
House Bill 24 also includes provisions which would significantly expand the types of reports counties would have to investigate, including a new category for financial exploitation, as well as dramatically increasing the number of mandated reporters in the state. These actions would result in more reports, which are warranted, but will mean an even greater need for additional capacity at the local level to respond to these reports appropriately.