Sick and elderly citizens that depend on others for care are perhaps the most vulnerable of our population. Unfortunately, this populations is too often taken advantage of. Financial elder abuse is a prevalent form of abuse and something that occurs far too regularly. Seventy-eight year-old John H. “Herb” Friedlund has been arrested and faces charges of criminal mistreatment of 106 year old Frances Swan, in addition to first and second-degree theft. Friedlund is the former caretaker for Swan and has had power of attorney over her finances for the past ten years. He was arrested for neglect after Swan was found in her home in what can only be described as deplorable conditions: scattered dog feces, rotting food, firearms and ammunition. They found the elderly woman in a back room where the first words she said were “Please feed me. I haven’t eaten since yesterday.”
Friedlund was released on bail but was arrested again after signs of financial elder abuse were uncovered. According to Stevens County Deputy Prosecutor Lech Radzimski, “The investigation into the criminal mistreatment has revealed that there was financial exploitation and our office will be filing charges as a result of that investigation.”
Caretaker Wires Money Out of Elderly Woman’s Account
According to county records, Swan and her late husband, Severt Swan, sold land to Friedlund in 1985. The men became friendly with one another and Friedlund obtained power of attorney over Frances Swan’s finances in 2001. Authorities say that over $800,000 was removed from Swan’s account through a series of wire transfers to different individuals around the country and in Europe. Even though Friedlund had access to her accounts, under law he is bound to use those funds only for her benefit. Abusing the access is considered elder abuse. In addition to wiring the money, he also purchased a tractor, horse trailer, and other items that provided no benefit for Swan. Authorities have not yet decided whether to try the theft and mistreatment charges together or separately. Swan was removed from the home and is doing well at the Buena Vista nursing home in Colville, Washington.
Elder Abuse Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia
It is very important that you monitor the finances of your elderly loved ones as theft and fraud are not rare forms of elder abuse. If your loved one is currently being taken advantage of financially, or if you believe that, as a resident of a care facility, they are being treated negligently or abusively, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Jawara Henry, a 27 year old autistic patient at the South Beach Psychiatric Center, a state run facility in New York, died after a supervisor tried to restrain him. Henry was “agitated and aggressive and was biting staff and other patients,” when Erik Stanley, 37, a supervisor for disabled adults at the Staten Island mental health facility held him in a wrongful restraint. Stanley allegedly applied excessive pressure to the neck and torso of Henry. According to a source, he placed the patient in a “chokehold,” forced him onto his stomach, and got on top of the patient while he was face down on the floor. Stanley did “not follow protocol nor use proper techniques while to trying to restrain” and used “excessive force.” The medical examiner determined that the cause of death was asphyxiation by neck and chest compression. Stanley was charged with criminally negligent homicide and endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person. He pleaded not guilty and was released without bail.
A certified nursing assistant at the Fieldston Lodge Care Center in the Bronx, New York was attempting to treat an elderly female resident on January 2, 2011 with incontinence care when the resident resisted. The certified nursing assistant then grabbed the woman’s arm and twisted, causing the bone to fracture. The nursing home did not document the incident in the daily report and did not perform an x-ray on the victim until the next morning.
The facility now wants to transfer her to another nursing home. MetroHealth spokeswoman Susan Christopher said it was “in order to ensure her safety and welfare.” But Steve Piskor is afraid that the move is because he refused to remove the hidden camera from his mother’s room and that moving his mother would not be good for her. “My mother is the victim,” Steve Piskor said. “She’s not the problem. Metro wants to make it out like she’s the problem.” MetroHealth is saying that the camera is a violation of their policies and that caring for Piskor is becoming “too much of a financial burden.”
Stage IV bed sores are horrifying wounds that cause incredible damage to the health of a person. If you or your loved one has a Stage IV bed sore that is currently not being treated, it needs to be treated immediately for the health and safety of the patient. Unfortunately, Stage IV bed sores start off as Stage I bed sores, as discussed in previous blog posts, which are entirely preventable by attentive medical professionals.
An example of abuse that was not sanctioned by the state occurred in one of Hawaii’s premiere facilities, Kahala Nui. The home failed to protect their residents from a sexually abusive nurse’s aide and failed to properly investigate the allegations of abuse. they also failed to examine or interview any of the nine women who said the employee mistreated them between April 2008 and June 2009.
Stage III bed sores are incredibly serious and need immediate attention, as healing bed sores that progress past Stage II is extremely difficult. A stage III bed sore will display skin loss involving damage or death to the subcutaneous tissue that may extend to the connective tissue. The wound will look like a deep crater which is black around its edges. Subcutaneous fat may be visible, but bone, tendon, or muscle is not. There may be tunneling and undermining in the skin.
Myrna Siegel, a former registered nurse at the Sullivan County Adult Care Facility in Liberty, New York, is being charged with abusing patients. She has surrendered her license to practice as an RN after an investigation by the State Office of Medicaid Inspector General uncovered the abuse. She is being charged with physically and verbally abusing patients. According to a report from the Long Term Care Community Coalition, “In one instance she forcibly held down a resident while giving care, calling the resident an ‘evil witch’.” In another case of abuse, she told a resident who was not ready to receive his medication that “he had a death wish and was going to die if he didn’t take his medicine.”
In a disturbing case of