Our state’s senior population will grow by 40 percent to about 8.9 million by 2020, according to the California Department of Finance’s Demographic Research Unit. This simple statistic tells me that the number of potential victims of elder abuse will skyrocket in the next decade – just as dire financial issues combine to hinder law
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By Eric Hovatter Mickey Rooney, 90, recently testified before the Senate Special Committee on Aging about abuse he suffered at the hands of his own stepson. To watch the 90-year-old actor speak was both sad, humbling, and a lesson that elder abuse can happen to anyone: rich and famous, or poor and unknown. This wake-up
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How can seniors know if they are potential victims of elder abuse? Here are some questions aimed at determining your vulnerability to fraud and abuse. Answer the yes-or-no questions below, keeping in mind that your answers must be very candid. Do you live alone or in an isolated area? Do you have valuables in the
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The downturn in the economy has everyone worried, and as an elder abuse prosecutor I believe financial elder abuse will only increase as crooks become more desperate. In my last column I discussed an elder abuse case I prosecuted, and the lessons that could be learned from it on how to protect yourself from becoming
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Having prosecuted financial elder abuse for nearly seven years now, I can tell you that each case has a unique set of facts, problems, and ramifications. And naturally, each case involves a unique person with his or her own story. But in almost every case, the abuse might have been prevented! With an eye toward
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When Suzy Hopkins approached me with her plan to start a magazine dedicated to seniors in Tuolumne County I was very excited. Our county has a significant senior population with diverse experience and needs, and the magazine sounded like a perfect way to keep them informed and entertained. When I was asked to write a
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