In Parts 1 and 2 of our series on Elder Abuse, we discussed the prevalence of elder abuse and how to prevent it. In this final part, we will explore what to do if you suspect elder abuse is currently occurring.

If you thoroughly screen your care provider, you’ve greatly reduced the chances of abuse occurring. However, there are no guarantees and in some cases, it may not be possible to choose your caregivers, whether for family or financial reasons. We previously listed some of the signs that can indicate elder abuse is happening. But if you suspect it is happening to your loved one, what should you do?

First of all, if you believe there is an life-threatening situation, don’t hesitate to call 911 or the police immediately. The police and/or social workers can investigate and intervene if there is an immediate danger.

Unfortunately, we have heard from families who have reported abuse but the police were unable to come up with enough evidence to pursue a case. Law enforcement resources are stretched across the country, and oftentimes, with high caseloads, they do not have the manpower to concentrate on your case. In this situation, retaining a private investigator may be appropriate. A private investigator will prioritize your case and devote the necessary time and resources into investigating the situation and finding the evidence you need to stop the abuse or hand over to the authorities for police investigation and possible prosecution.

If you are unsure whether your loved one is being abused, an investigator can use a variety of techniques and tactics to discover the truth, including installing hidden cameras, conducting surveillance, interviewing potential witnesses, reviewing medical records, and examining financial accounts. With these techniques, a private investigator can discover evidence to either confirm your suspicions or put your mind at ease.

Sadly, in our experience, when someone suspects abuse is occurring, their intuition is usually correct. And if abuse is occurring, it is critical to act quickly so that your loved one doesn’t suffer any further.

The post If You Suspect Elder Abuse: Reporting and Investigating Abuse (Part 3) appeared first on Nadal Investigative Services.

The first step in preventing elder abuse is to ensure that the caregiver you’re hiring is trustworthy. While many home care agencies conduct background checks, there is no federal law or regulation that requires them to do so, and there is no federal law or regulation that prevents them from hiring those convicted of crimes or those with a history of abuse allegations.

Furthermore, there is often no set standard for what a caregiver background check must include. As a result, unsuitable candidates can slip through the cracks. A study by the US Department of Health and Human Services found that at least 4% of home health agency employees had at least one criminal conviction in their background; these convictions included domestic violence, sex offenses, and assault. Even more worrisome, the study found that 28% of home health agencies allowed direct-care employees to begin work even before their background checks had been conducted.

In light of these issues, having a background check conducted by an experienced private investigator can give you much more peace of mind than relying on an agency’s process or one’s own intuition. A thorough caregiver background check will include:

1. Criminal background check
2. Sex offender registry check
3. Verification of identity, contact information, and Social Security number
4. Verification of previous employment and references
5. Licensing verification, if applicable
6. Driving history (note that not all states make this information available for background checks)

In some cases, a thorough background check may also need to investigate unexplained gaps or discrepancies in employment or residential history.

An in-depth background check conducted by a professional investigator can help you make a smart decision in choosing the right provider to care for your elderly loved one.

The post Preventing Elder Abuse with Caregiver Background Checks (Part 2) appeared first on Nadal Investigative Services.

Elder abuse is a serious problem in this country. Increasing physical frailty, mental impairment due to dementia or other disease, and social isolation can all make seniors vulnerable to abuse. According to the National Council on Aging, more than one in ten adults aged 60 and above has experienced some form of elder abuse. In most cases, the abuser is a caretaker of the victim, either a family member or someone hired to give care. Elder abuse usually occurs where the senior lives, whether that’s in their own home or in a facility setting and can take many forms.

Physical abuse – inflicting pain or injury
Sexual abuse – forced, coerced, or unwanted sexual activity
Emotional abuse – verbal assaults, threats, harassment, or belittlement
Neglect or abandonment – failure to provide necessities and care for basic needs
Exploitation – misuse, withholding, or theft of property or assets

Recognizing the signs of abuse is crucial for getting your loved one help and preventing more suffering.

Signs of physical abuse

• Unexplained bruising, pressure marks, broken bones, abrasions, burns, scratches, or other injuries
• Odd or implausible explanations for injuries
• Malnourishment unrelated to an illness
• Overdoses of medication

Signs of sexual abuse

• Bruises or bleeding around breasts or genitals
• Evidence of venereal disease
• Depressed or withdrawn behavior
• Sudden difficulty walking
• Inappropriate behavior or relationship between caregiver and elder

Signs of emotional abuse

• Abrupt withdrawal from or apathy towards usual activities
• Depression and anxiety
• Changes in alertness and responsiveness
• Fear or nervousness regarding caregiver
• Sudden change in attitude or demeanor when in the presence of the caregiver
• Senior is being isolated from family, friends and/or the community

Signs of neglect or abandonment

• Bedsores or poor hygiene
• Unusual weight loss
• Extra prescription pills remaining, indicating medication not being taken on schedule
• Missing medical aids, such as glasses, hearing aids, or canes
• Dirty or unsanitary living conditions
• Unlaundered clothing and linens
• Missed doctor’s appointments

Signs of exploitation

• Sudden changes in financial situation
• Missing checks, credit cards, or debit cards, or unexplained withdrawals and “gifts”
• Missed payments for utilities or other bills
• Sudden unwillingness to discuss finances
• Missing property
• Altered wills and trusts

In Part 2 we will discuss how to prevent elder abuse, and in Part 3, what to do if you suspect a senior is being abused.

The post How to Recognize Elder Abuse (Part 1) appeared first on Nadal Investigative Services.

What can a private investigator do to help your criminal defense case?

1. Find new witnesses to establish reasonable doubt.
New witnesses could have additional information about the crime, your alibi, or other aspects of the case that contradicts other testimony, or information that casts doubt on the prosecution’s theory of the crime. Any or all of these could create reasonable doubt in the mind of the jury.

2. Re-interview known witnesses for inconsistencies.
Witnesses’ stories can change over time and begin to reveal inaccuracies or inconsistencies, raising issues about credibility and the reliability of their testimony. An expert private investigator knows the right questions to ask and he right way to ask them, spotting weaknesses in their stories and identifying meaningful gaps.

3. Find new evidence that may have been overlooked.
The news frequently features stories about cases where new evidence has surfaced in a major case, evidence that could make a huge impact on the outcome of the case. There could be missing evidence in your case too. Did someone inadvertently film or photograph the scene at a critical time? Did someone post about the crime on social media, indicating the existence of new witnesses or even a different suspect? Police officers frequently handle multiple cases and can miss evidence; an experienced PI can help find it.

4. Investigate witnesses for ulterior motives and credibility issues.
A witness’s testimony can make or break a criminal case, and witness credibility is a huge issue for any jury. If someone testifying against you has a history of lying, the jury needs to know that. The jury also needs to know if that witness may have some ulterior motives to be testifying. Maybe they have some sort of personal grudge against you or maybe someone else is influencing their testimony. These are all issues that should be raised and can have a big impact on the outcome of the trial.

5. Identify potential flaws in police work and evidence.
The police are human, and they make mistakes just like anyone else. An experienced investigator with solid knowledge of police procedures can analyze the body of evidence and identify flaws in the evidence or the way it was collected. Some of these issues could include holes in the case, improper or even illegal collection of evidence, leads they neglected to investigate, or technical mistakes that could taint evidence.

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Nationally, examples of repercussions from failure to complete an adequate background check abound. A high school principal was forced to resign after the school newspaper’s staff investigated her credentials and found that they were not as she had presented them. Though she had supposedly been vetted by the school district, nobody thought to verify her education and it went unquestioned until the students began to investigate.

This school district isn’t the only organization to be embarrassed by a failure to complete a thorough vetting. Wal-Mart’s Vice President of Corporate Communications resigned after it came to light that he had falsified his degree on his resume, and the University of Notre Dame discovered that their new head coach hire, George O’Leary, had lied about having played football in college (he never actually played a single game).

To prevent a hazardous hiring error, consider implementing a background check policy. This type of procedure will help decrease the likelihood of a hiring mistake that could drastically impact your business.

Why can’t I just Google them?

While it can be tempting to simply do a quick online search of your prospective employee, this tactic is fraught with problems. First, there is plenty of inaccurate or misleading information online that may give you a false impression of your candidate. Second, there may be multiple people with the same name, making it impossible to determine whether what you’ve found applies to the right person. Finally, some of the most important information you need may not be available to the public, or may require deeper digging. For example, criminal records may require searching individual court websites, a time-consuming and labor-intensive process.

What kind of background check is necessary?

Not every position requires an in-depth vetting. For most positions, a basic background check will suffice. The most critical things to discover with a background check are:

1. Is the information the applicant provided true and accurate?
2. Is there any important, relevant information the applicant failed to provide?

For positions that deal extensively with large sums of money or sensitive financial information, a credit check is always appropriate, and for positions that involve a high degree of physical safety concerns, a drug test may be necessary.

To do a background check, the prospective hire should sign a consent form. If you are engaging a company to perform background checks for you, they will usually supply a standard form to have your employees sign. Credit checks and background checks performed by a third party are governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and you must obtain written consent beforehand, as well as follow additional requirements set out by the law. If you are performing the check yourself, written consent is not legally required, but it’s considered good practice to have employees sign anyway. This way, they are aware that the background check is being performed and you have a record of obtaining their consent.

A small investment in background checks can help your business avoid the headache of expensive and potentially embarrassing damage from dishonest or unqualified employees and provide you with peace of mind, knowing that you have the truth about those you trust to work for you.

This post was originally published in Broad Run Lifestyle Magazine.

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