Statement of Joseph E Digenova, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, Before the House Subcommittee on Health and Long-Term Care Concerning Abuse of the Elderly on May 10, 1985

• NCJ Number: 98245
• Author(s): J E Digenova
• Date Published: 1985
• Length: 19 pages
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Justice
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Joseph E. DiGenova, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, presents a chronology of the fraud uncovered at the United States Soldier's and Airmen's home in Washington, D.C.

Abstract

The statement is based on case studies at the U.S. Soldier's and Airmen's Home. Six examples of 32 incidents are offered to demonstrate the financial exploitation an elderly person can suffer at the hands of the patient finance officer. Often the feeblest patients, immigrants, or the very old were subjected to joint bank account schemes, allowing the officer to withdraw money from these accounts at will. Following sentencing of the officer, the Home presented to the court an outline of various internal steps that had been taken to correct the appalling state of affairs in the Patient Finance Office. Mr. DiGenova suggests that increased public awareness of the need for vigilance of the caretakers of the elderly so as to prevent their financial exploitation may be a positive outcome of the unfortunate case at the Home.