New York Elder Law Attorney Blog

The covid-19 pandemic has disrupted many aspects of our lives. One of the most overlooked aspects of how the pandemic has altered our lives is the pandemic has led to increased reports of elder abuse and mistreatment. Despite the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ guidelines to provide appropriate care, various reports exist of clients dying in long-term facilities without access to family members. The National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life organization also reports that elder abuses are utilizing the threat of the pandemic to provide misinformation to people. To better prepare elderly individuals and loved ones for navigating the current climate, this article reviews some critical details about elder abuse during the covid-19 pandemic.

# 1 – The Pandemic Has Led to an Increase in the Risk for Elder Abuse

The pandemic has led to an increase in the rate at which elder abuse is occurring for several reasons. On its simplest terms, the pandemic has resulted in elderly individuals being further isolated than ever before. Elderly individuals also have reduced access to healthcare as well as other essential services due to the pandemic. Consequently, abusers are more likely to get away with abusing elderly individuals. The pandemic has also reduced access to respite services for caregivers and increased that make individuals likely to be abusive. Consequently, the atmosphere is riper than ever for elderly abuse.

The Department of Justice recently indicted four men including two individuals who are located in Canada and two in the state of New York for a mass-mailing scheme that robbed thousands of senior citizens of tens of millions of dollars. 

Based on the Canadian indictments, the accused fraudsters sent mail to thousands of elderly individuals whose names and addresses were obtained from mailing lists. The mail promised cash prizes in exchange for a fee of anywhere from $19.95 to $39.95 and included a return envelope to mailboxes across the United States that were rented using fake identities.

Based on the New York indictments, the accused fraudsters sent mail to hundreds of thousands of elderly individuals in the guise that they could win millions of dollars in cash rewards if they paid a fee between $19.99 to $24.99. Many of the people who sent money in response were elderly. These alleged fraudsters obtained the names and addresses of victims through mailing lists and netted $7.5 million per year.

Placing a loved one in a nursing home is one of the most difficult decisions that many people make. It isn’t easy for a person to make the transition from living at home to living in a nursing home. To make the place feel more in common, it’s common to bring personal belongings to the nursing home to make your loved one feel more at ease. Unfortunately, however, items can sometimes go missing. As a result, this article reviews some critical things about nursing home theft as well as how to deal with it.

# 1 – What Type of Property Goes Missing Most Often

Any item can be stolen from a nursing home. Some objects, however, tend to go missing more often than others. Some of the most frequently stolen items include:

An elderly individual or person who is receiving care at a nursing home should not be required to live with bed sores. In many situations, bed sores are a good indicator that a person is being neglected. These sores can lead to infections that can jeopardize a person’s health and even lead to death. Sometimes also referred to as “pressure sores”, if you see these on your loved one you should not hesitate to speak with an experienced elder abuse lawyer. It also helps to understand some important details about the nature of bed sores.

# 1 – The Names for Bed Sores

Bed sores are injuries that occur when the pressure of a person’s weight reduces the blood supply to certain points on both the skin and underlying tissue. If not adequately treated, skin and other issues eventually die and leave an open wound. Bed sores occur among individuals who are unable to move to relieve that pressure, which is most common among the bedridden. While they’re frequently referred to as bed sores, these injuries are also sometimes referred to as pressure sores, pressure ulcers, or decubitus ulcers.