It was DeLeon’s job to make sure Palko’s care was paid for. Instead, she went on a shopping spree, even paying cash for a new car and using Palko’s vehicle as a trade-in. Within two years, Palko was left with just $47 in her bank account and more than $55,000 in nursing home fees.

Last February, DeLeon applied for medical assistance government benefits, which led to the investigation that uncovered the theft.

”In my 18 years on the bench, I’ve never seen one with such an exorbitant amount,” District Judge David Plachko told DeLeon at her arraignment on two felony theft counts and one of theft by failure to properly handle Palko’s finances and pay for her care. While this is the largest fleecing seen by authorities there, District Attorney James Goodman said, “unfortunately, we’re starting to see cases like this, with large amounts.”

Cases of financial abuse are not uncommon among the elderly. In January, we told you about Connie Gay Cole, who conned her grandparents out of nearly a half million dollars. And then there is the story of Larry Bekis, who swindled all the money from his mother’s account leaving her in debt to the nursing home where she lived.

Safe State, a program by the California Attorney General’s Office, offers these tips to help identify the signs of elder financial abuse. Those who suspect financial abuse of a loved one should contact police.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Another nursing home resident becomes a victim of financial abuse

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Rose of Sharon nursing home pressured Larry to pay his mother’s bill. He promised to sell her house, but instead took out the loan. And still, the bill was left unpaid. The nursing home contacted the county’s adult protection department which found that Larry had been pocketing his mother’s social security and pension checks, totaling $3,000 per month. Reports also show that Larry drained nearly $11,000 from his mother’s checking account, leaving her with a balance of just $86.

Larry told police he was using the money from the sale of his mother’s house to carry out her wishes. He paid utilities and medical bills, paid his son’s mortgage, and gave another $10,000 to $20,000 to his nephew. But none of the money went to pay for his mother’s care.

Larry was accused of intentionally exploiting his mother, though he claimed he was simply just poor at managing money. He was charged in Ramsey County District Court last week with theft by swindle.

The county began paying for Nora’s hospice care last spring, according to reports.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Nursing home resident’s son charged with theft by swindle

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While she was away, a 47-year-old disabled woman had a heat stroke and seizures. She was found around 5 a.m. by another resident who called 911. The woman who had fallen ill was rushed to the hospital, according to the story.

An investigation found that the air conditioning had been out for days at the facility and the temperature in the room in which the woman was found was extremely high, according to an affidavit.

A housekeeper at the home told investigators that Shaw said she was headed to the beach. Another report said she was heading home to get medication. Regardless, she never returned. One resident said that Shaw had played the disappearing act before in her 10-year career at Personal Care II.

An investigation into Shaw’s past revealed she had a history of mental health problems, including bipolar disorder. She, too, had been a resident in an assisted living facility for a decade. She also has previous convictions, one in 1991 for retail theft and 1994 for assault and battery.

Shaw was arrested and faces up to five years in prison for a charge of neglect of a disabled adult, a third-degree felony.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Caregiver leaves 16 unattended at assisted living facility

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Chmura had scooped the ice from the ice bin at By the Lake senior assisted living facility she owns in Hayden, Idaho. She immediately had a suspect in mind – a disgruntled employee who had just joined two other employees in a walkout to protest of a firing of two employees three days prior, according to The Seattle Times.

“I won’t put up with this crap,” Chmura told the newspaper. Chmura opened the facility two years ago.

Chmura contacted Kootenai County officials and informed them of the urine-in-the-bin incident as well as suspected theft and fraud by the former employees. The facility owner accused the former employees of stealing money and prescription drugs from the assisted living center, including OxyContin and hydrocodone. She claims the three made more than $10,000 in credit card purchases for personal items such as groceries and gift cards, restaurant dinners and theater tickets.

She told police that before the walkout, the employees woke up residents and told them the assisted living center was closing and that all employees had been fired.

Chmura is part of an advocacy group that fights for stronger laws against those who abuse and neglect vulnerable adults. The group is credited with triggering the 2005 state legislation that made abusing the elderly a felony instead of a misdemeanor.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Disgruntled employee accused of putting urine in ice bin

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The caregiver was spotted by neighbors five to 10 times over the next several weeks carrying the items out of Fenton’s house by the armload. When questioned by neighbors, the caregiver said she was a friend of Fenton’s and was simply delivering Fenton’s winter wardrobe to her in the nursing home.

When Fenton’s brother went to his sister’s home, he noticed several items missing. He called the police and filed a report. Officers questioned the caregiver. In her car were several items, but no clothes. The suspect also had a key to the Fenton’s front door.

Police scoured pawn shop records and suspected at least three of the rings had been pawned. Several other pieces of jewelry remain missing. Family members put the price tag of the missing jewelry at about $20,000. A search warrant turned up so much of Fenton’s belongings officers had to execute a second search warrant to actually take possession of the items, according to the story.

As it turned out, the suspect had a prior felony stealing conviction. She was since fired from the nursing home and now faces burglary charges in the Cambridge Retirement Residence case.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Caregiver steals thousands from patient’s home

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WKTV News Channel 2 featured a story of an 89-year-old resident of Bethany Gardens Skilled Living Facility in Rome, N.Y. The elderly woman wore two rings on her fingers – a gold-and-diamond engagement ring given to her in 1940 by her husband, and a family ring made of various gemstones. The rings hung loose on her frail fingers, and when Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) Amanda Thaler offered to take the rings and have them fitted for her, the elderly women obliged. But Thaler never returned the rings, probably thinking the nursing home resident would forget. But she didn’t. She asked Thaler about the rings a half hour later and then later that day in the dining room. Finally, Thaler returned the family ring but kept the engagement ring.

When questioned about the engagement ring, Thaler suddenly claimed to feel ill, and caught a ride with her boyfriend, Sheldon Stoddard, who was a dietary technician at the nursing home. The two then drove to a pawn shop and sold the heirloom ring for a mere $15.

Bethany Gardens, rightly so, fired the couple over the incident, and the ring was recovered. It is currently being held by Rome Police as evidence. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said his office will take significant steps to protect New York’s seniors from those who abuse or steal money or personal possessions from seniors. “These employees are accused of stealing a personal heirloom with priceless sentimental value from a vulnerable nursing home resident for whom they were supposed to be caring,” he was quoted by the station.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Nursing assistant caught stealing rings from elderly woman

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When officials at Genesis Rehabilitation suspected Dellarma’s credentials were at fault, they immediately suspended him. Then they contacted the Department of Health, local authorities and the Attorney General’s office. Dellarma was later terminated by his employer.

Dellarma was arrested Friday and charged with aggravated forgery, a Class B felony, for allegedly filing a public document with a public office with the intent to defraud or deceive. Dellarma also was indicted on two counts of felony theft by deception and one count for unlicensed practice of physical therapy, a misdemeanor.

The Morning Sentinel quoted a statement released by Genesis Rehabilitation: “We take issues like this very seriously and are cooperating fully with the authorities as they handle this situation. This is an isolated incident and is not a reflection of the overall quality of care provided to our patients every day. We remain committed to providing a safe, nurturing environment for the patients in our care.”

There was no evidence that any patients were harmed or endangered. No other information about the case was released, and the case remains under investigation by the state’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Health Care Crimes Unit.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Physical therapist charged with unlicensed practice, forgery

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