Events / Blog

“Last Will and Embezzlement” on Arise News in New York City

4/24/2014

On Monday, 14 April, 2014, just after Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney passed away, I was invited to NY City to speak with news anchor(and former Miss America!) Debbye Turner-Bell about “Last Will and Embezzlement”, elder financial exploitation, what happened to my parents, and how people can protect themselves and those they love.

It was wonderful working with everyone at Arise News – they were incredibly professional about absolutely everything and Debbye herself was perfectly prepared. Her questions were excellent,and she and I plenty of time to touch on the most important points for the listeners. It’s an interview I am particularly proud of.

And …. It was so well-received that evening, that it was aired a second time: on the weekend edition of Debbye’s show.

If you missed it, you can still hear it by following this link (http://www.arise.tv/headline/arise-america-14-04-5851) … all you have to do is hit the play button, then advance to 33:30. That will bring you right to the beginning of the elder financial abuse segment.

Connecticut Association of Area Agencies on Aging Conference

11/6/2013

Hello, everyone -- Pamela Glasner here. Two screenings today at the Legislative Office Building of "Last Will & Embezzlement", both with post-screening audience Q & A sessions. The conference was called "Same Story Different Age: Sexuality, Money and Mental Health".

The audience was almost entirely made up of professionals who deal directly with the elderly as part of their daily work, and nearly every one of them had had clients who had been exploited. It confirmed what I already knew and it should not have surprised me, but it was still hard to see that -- it still hurt.

They asked a lot of excellent questions; we had lively discussions about a number of different aspects of the film and the issues surrounding the topic and, to top it all off, I received invitations for additional speaking engagements. It was exhausting --- I don't usually do two seminars back-to-back --- but it was also gratifying. A very successful day.

To read more from Ms. Glasner, click here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pamela-glasner/

Pamela S. K. Glasner is a published author and a filmmaker. You can learn more about Ms. Glasner at http://www.starjackentertainment.com/ and on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/am5mjoy

Copyright by Pamela S. K. Glasner © 2013, All Rights Reserved

Advocacy for the elderly meets mega film distribution meets Starjack Entertainment

10/19/2013

18 October 2013, North Yorkshire, England & Connecticut, US – Starjack Entertainment partners Deborah Louise Robinson and Pamela S. K. Glasner are about ready to get all dolled up to paint the town pink – yes, pink, not red! – ever since their distributor, SnagFilms Inc. of New York City, informed them that their documentary film, “Last Will and Embezzlement”, would be broadcast across the US via seven of the largest platforms, meaning as of this week, the movie is now available to an audience of approximately 200 million.

The platforms are Comcast, iTunes, Verizon, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, and xBox, all of which are available immediately, except xBox, which is coming in just a few weeks.

“If anyone had ever told me,” Glasner laughed, “just three short years ago, that I, along with a woman I met on Facebook, who lives 3000 miles away, in another country, on another continent, would make a movie and it would be broadcast by the largest cable company in the United States, let alone seven companies, I’d have told them they were nuts!”

But that’s precisely what happened. “Last Will and Embezzlement”, which takes on the ever-burgeoning problem of elder financial exploitation, has been making waves nationwide since it was launched at the Quad Cinema on West 13th Street in Manhattan on April 13th, 2012. It is being utilized as a teaching tool by such notable institutions and organizations as Penn State Law School, the Utah State Law Library, Wells Fargo Advisors, Area Agencies on Aging across the country, as well as banks, insurance companies, law offices … and the list goes on.

Robinson’s reaction was equally excited and animated: “That this, our first film, should be accepted by America’s most prestigious networks is just amazing! Because of the importance of the subject matter, I could not be more delighted that millions upon millions of people will have the opportunity to see our film - and learn how to protect themselves and their loved ones.”

To learn more about Last Will and Embezzlement and Starjack Entertainment, please visit:

Last Will and Embezzlement website: www.lastwillandembezzlement.com
Starjack Entertainment website: www.starjackentertainment.com

UPDATE on Upcoming Elder Financial Abuse Event: “Safeguarding The Golden Generation”

8/29/2013

Announcing: Lynne McCollum – Michigan Office of Services to the Aging

Starjack Entertainment is delighted to announce that we have added a new panelist to our conference in West Bloomfield Township on September 30th : Lynne McCollum – Elder Abuse Prevention Specialist, Michigan Office of Services to the Aging. She will be speaking about the state’s initiatives for the safety, security, and dignity of the elderly, as well as enumerating the many resources available to those who wish to protect their senior citizen clients, patients, and/or loved ones before tragedy strikes.

Ms. McCollum’s participation is going to be fabulous !!

Pamela Glasner, Starjack Entertainment, Last Will and Embezzlement, Senior Citizens, Embezzlement, Harry Glasner, Victimization, Forgiveness, Financial Exploitation, Elderly, wills, advocacy, power of attorney, medical surrogacy, taking advantage, Elder Exploitation, Elder Abuse, Senility, Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Mickey Rooney, Artie Pasquale, Alan Rickman, Jane Fonda, The Butler, Rupert Grint, Harry Potter

There Are No Poor Elderly in Fairfield County

7/24/2013

Ever since 2011, when my 89- and 91-year-old parents were financially exploited and I became embroiled in the issue — and in the battle — I have been wracking brain to try and comprehend how. After all these years of teachings, preachings, beseechings and rooftop proclamations, after congressional testimonies and reams of paper packed with pages and chapters of meticulously-researched statistics, heart-rending anecdotal evidence, and advice and counsel from some of the finest and most highly-educated minds on the planet — how in the world can the problem elder financial exploitation still be alive and well, thriving and spreading like a cancer all across the globe?

Then something happened this past Saturday. An associate said something to me that came as such a surprise, I was, for a brief period of time, literally left speechless.

To read the entire article, please visit Pamela S. K. Glasner’s Huffington Post blog at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pamela-glasner/there-are-no-poor-elderly_b_3639581.html

Copyright by Pamela S. K. Glasner © 2013, All Rights Reserved

Pamela Glasner, Starjack Entertainment, Last Will and Embezzlement, Senior Citizens, Embezzlement, Harry Glasner, Victimization, Forgiveness, Financial Exploitation, Elderly, wills, advocacy, power of attorney, medical surrogacy, taking advantage, Elder Exploitation, Elder Abuse, Senility, Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Mickey Rooney, Artie Pasquale

“Last Will and Embezzlement” Honored on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2013

5/31/2013

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, in support of the United Nations International Plan of Action acknowledging the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue, was launched on June 15, 2006, to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting senior citizens.

Conferences, symposiums, seminars and training classes happen all around the world with this mission in mind.

As a victim’s daughter and also one of the two producers of the ground-breaking documentary “Last Will and Embezzlement”, Pamela S. K. Glasner will be addressing audiences in Washington DC (hosted by Wells Fargo Advisors, at the Mayflower Renaissance) and Phoenix Arizona (hosted by the Area Agency on Aging, at the Chandler Fashion Center) at events where the topic of the day will be the growing epidemic of elder financial abuse.

The DC event is on June 13th and the Phoenix event is on June 14th. If anyone is interested in further information, please visit the film’s official website: www.lastwillandembezzlement.com

Details of both conferences:
Washington DC Event:
Day & Time:
Thursday, 13 June, 2013, beginning at 5:30PM
Location:
Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington D.C. (202-347-3000)
Event Description:
Introduction and Welcome Reception followed by screening of “Last Will and Embezzlement”, which will by an audience Q&A featuring Film Producer Pamela S.K. Glasner. After that there will be a Panel Discussion with Professionals
·        Liz Lowey – Chief, Elder Abuse Unit, Special Victims/Special Prosecutions Bureau New York County District Attorney’s Office
·        Barbra Dieker, Director of Elder Rights, AoA
·        Rachel Lakin - Administrator for Adult Protective Services - New Hampshire
Closing comments by Angel Zapata of Wells Fargo Advisors
Conference Contact:
Tobie Steele
Assistant Vice President, Regulatory Affairs
Wells Fargo Advisors
St. Louis, MO 63103
314.955.4592 (T)

Phoenix Arizona Event:
Day & Time:
Friday, 14 June, 2013, beginning at 10:30AM
Location:
Chandler Fashion Center, Chandler, Arizona (right near Phoenix)
Event Description:
Introduction and Welcome Reception followed by a performance by Ms. Senior Arizona. After that, there will be a screening of “Last Will and Embezzlement”, followed by comments from Keynote Speaker, Film Producer Pamela S.K. Glasner.
Awards will then be given for annual Junior High Arts Poster Competition: “Why Should I Care About Elder Abuse?”
Closing comments: Thank you and Call To Action
Conference Contact:
Sally Dawn
Area Agency on Aging – Region One
Phoenix, AZ
Phone: 602 280 1050

Tags: Pamela Glasner, Starjack Entertainment, Last Will and Embezzlement, Senior Citizens, Embezzlement, Harry Glasner, Victimization, Forgiveness, Financial Exploitation, Elderly, wills, advocacy, power of attorney, medical surrogacy, taking advantage, Elder Exploitation, Elder Abuse, Senility, Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Mickey Rooney, Artie Pasquale

Something Beyond Survival – Part Four

4/9/2013

In 'Part Three' of this series of articles, I closed with the very explosive idea of sympathy for the devil: feeling sorry for — and going so far as contemplating forgiveness for — someone who victimizes and devastates you, or those you care deeply about.

The question I posed last time was: after everything the perpetrator has done, in light of all the wreckage he has left behind, does he not deserve every bit of hate and venom my wounded heart can dredge up? I used to think so. In fact, I was certain of it. But then a dear friend said something to me, one single, simple sentence which I must have heard a million times throughout my life, and probably a million more since 2011, when I joined the ranks of those who wear the label of “victim” on their backs, just slightly below the hastily-scribbled sign which reads “kick me!” She said she felt sorry for the man, and it was clear, in the way she said it and in they way she looked at me as the words passed her lips, that she was suggesting I follow suit.

Feel sorry for him???

Except for instances in the entertainment industry, I have never heard the words “I feel sorry for you” used as anything other than a weapon. In fact, I cannot think of a single phrase packed with more insincerity than that one. When I was growing up, mothers used it as a precursor for how their errant children’s hind ends were going to feel as soon as Daddy got home from work; members of the Bertha-Better-Than-You cliques at school used it as reminders of their families’ financial superiority; I am not proud to admit that during my formative years, I myself bandied it about as an insult when all other verbal methods of humiliating some young foe had been exhausted. I never once thought of that phrase as something which could actually be a positive force in anyone’s life.

Then along came this woman-friend who calmly, lovingly, led me to what I have come to know as one of those Ah-ha! moments in life, a.k.a. an epiphany.

She said the perpetrator had to be a miserably unhappy man, that every act of hostility and misconduct from him was a pre-determined, ill-fated, piteous attempt on his part to fill a bottomless pit inside himself, a place where love should reside but, because of some twist of fate or some twisted wiring, simply does not. Like a heroine addict, he temporarily numbs the pain of his emptiness with another injection of human misery, but as soon as that short-lived euphoria wears off, which is as inevitable as the proverbial sunrise, he is off in search of another fix.

Yes, he may well be deserving of hate but, what he is, even more than that, is pathetic, and if I am going to spare him any part of myself at all, better it be my pity than my venom — better for me, if nothing else.

Join me next time when I discuss, in greater depth, actually letting go of the hate, finding a way to forgive, and healing my heart. One footnote: Please indulge me as I take a moment to extend a very special thanks to that woman-friend I mention above — first for being one of the most insightful women I know and, second, for being a good enough friend to generously share her love and her peace.

Pamela S. K. Glasner is a published author and a filmmaker. Learn more about Ms. Glasner at http://www.starjackentertainment.com/ and on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/am5mjoy . You can read parts one thru three of this series of articles on The Huffington Post.

Copyright by Pamela S. K. Glasner © 2013, All Rights Reserved

Pamela Glasner, Starjack Entertainment, Last Will and Embezzlement, Senior Citizens, Embezzlement, Harry Glasner, Victimization, Forgiveness, Financial Exploitation, Elderly, wills, advocacy, power of attorney, medical surrogacy, taking advantage, Elder Exploitation, Elder Abuse, Senility, Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Mickey Rooney, Artie Pasquale

“Power of attorney: It’s easily abused”

3/20/2013

“A friendly neighbor offers to go pick up an elderly couple’s license plates. He has them sign a specific power of attorney for that sole purpose, printed from an automobile-club website. He takes that to the bank and uses it to withdraw money from the couple’s account.”

“Power of attorney: It’s easily abused”
‘How to protect ailing relatives from fraud and abuse’

Excellent article by renowned journalist and prolific writer Elizabeth O’Brien (Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch).
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/power-of-attorney-its-easily-abused-2013-03-19