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Connecticut Association of Area Agencies on Aging Conference

11/6/2013

 
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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

 
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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 


GRATEFULLY THANKING OUR SPONSORS

9/19/2013

 
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Mickey Rooney film topic of Clinton Township elder abuse seminar

9/19/2013

 
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By JAMESON COOK, [email protected]
Harry and Ethel Glasner’s retirement in Florida allowed them to enjoy sun and warmth for many years. But their golden years ended on a sour note for their children as the mentally deteriorated Harry was exploited out of the couple’s life savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The nefarious act was accomplished by a man who claimed to be his son.

Making recovery of the funds virtually impossible, “The police refused to do anything about it,” said their daughter, Pamela Glasner, 59, of Connecticut.

The experience inspired Glasner to write and produce a documentary film about the proliferation of elder abuse that includes an extensive interview with actor Mickey Rooney, who testified before Congress about his victimization by a younger perpetrator.

“After six weeks of banging my head against the wall, I called my business partner and said, ‘We need to do a documentary about it,’” Glasner told The Macomb Daily. “It was at the same time Mickey Rooney was testifying about his experience, so I called his agent, and he called me back a couple of days later and said he would do it.”

The film, “Last Will and Embezzlement,” will be the subject of a Sept. 25 seminar, “Safeguarding The Golden Generation,” at the Italian American Cultural Center in Clinton Township. It will feature Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith, senior crime Assistant Prosecutor Suzanne Faunce, Wayne State Law School Associate Professor Susan E. Cancelosi, Natalie Pearce of the Area Agency on Aging 1–B, and elder law attorney Terri Giampetroni.  The moderator will be Catherine Emerson, elder law assistant prosecutor for the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan.

A second event will take place Sept. 30 at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts at the Jewish Cultural Center in West Bloomfield Township.

Rooney, now 92, says in the fiilm, “Don’t worry, I’m taking care of you, that’s what (his perpetrator said). And he was taking care of himself.

“Gosh, if it can happen to Mickey Rooney, it can happen to anybody.”

Glasner said there needs to be more effort by the legal system and law enforcement into protecting the elderly against abusers, who typically are not strangers but someone close to the victim, sometimes a family member who may have initial good intentions but may be having financial troubles and takes advantage of an opportunity for exploitation.

“We’re going to have the biggest shift in wealth in our history” over the next 20 years, she said. “We had better put something in place now or we’re going to have the same risk of elderly abuse that we’re having now.”

Glasner said her late father, who had Alzheimer’s Disease and died in 2012 at 90, was persuaded to sign away his power of attorney by a man who developed a relationship with both Glasners and was able to visit him in his nursing home by telling authorities he was Harry Glasner’s son.

“He didn’t know what he was signing. It could have been the Magna Carta,” Glasner said. “After my mother died (in April 2011), my brother (Corey) called the nursing home to tell them he would be now taking care of him. The nursing home said, ‘Don’t worry about it. Your brother is taking care of it.’ My brother said, ‘I don’t have a brother.’”

Glasner said she was naïve that her parents could be exploited. She believes the perpetrator, a man in his 60s, began ingratiating himself into her parents’ lives in 2008, when her parents suddenly changed their tax status, a move that surprised her but failed to raise suspicions.

“It never occurred to me that my parents could be at risk, and it never occurred to me after we found out that the police’s attitude would be so lackadaisical,” she said. “Most of the time they say, ‘Oh, this is a civil matter. Go get a lawyer.’

“The perpetrator even looked at me and boasted to me about it. He said we couldn’t do anything about it.”

The film – of which a shortened, 23-minute version will be shown at the event – and an accompanying guide can help the elderly and their adult children learn how to guard against abuse as the population ages and baby boomers enter their retirement years.

The most vulnerable are seniors who “feel alone and abandoned,” she said.

“That’s why perpetrators are easily able to work themselves in,” she added. “That’s why a smiling face at the front door can be so convincing. The perpetrator says to them, ‘Oh, your kids are 1,300 miles away? I can take you to the doctor. I can take you to the store.’”

To protect themselves, the elderly should remain in consistent communication about finances with a trusted loved one. If seniors don’t have a confidante, they should contact the Area Agency on Aging if they suspect anything unscrupulous, she said.

“One phone call to the (AAA), and they can send somebody over to the house,” she said. “They have specific training on what to do and on the right questions to ask.”

The AAA’s telephone numbers are 586-226-0309 in Macomb County and 248-357-2255 in Oakland County.

An adult child, meanwhile, should try to ask pointed questions about anything that may seem unusual about their parent’s finances, she said.

The best advice she can give to middle-aged people to prepare for their future in senior citizen-hood is to set up legal protection, such as wills, trusts and “advanced directives,” through an attorney, she said.

The film is directed by Deborah Louise Robinson.

The event, sponsored by Starjack Entertainment, takes place 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the hall, located at 43843 Romeo Plank Road. Tickets are $18-$29, some of which include the book, “Silver and Gold … Discussion Guide.” For tickets (for the Clinton Township Conference) or more details, call 586-806-9875. 

 


PROSECUTOR CATHERINE A. EMERSON Chosen to be Panel Moderator at Upcoming Conferences on elder Financial Exploitation

9/15/2013

 
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Pamela S. K. Glasner is delighted and honored to announce that Catherine A. Emerson, Michigan Elder Justice Resource Prosecutor at the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, has consented to be the panel moderator at their upcoming “Safeguarding the Golden Generation” conferences in Metro Detroit, on the 25th and 30th of September, in Clinton Township and West Bloomfield, respectively.


Emerson has devoted 26 years of her life to obtaining justice for victims, having served Ingham County since 1987, the last five years as the Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor and the past three as a Special Assistant United States Attorney.  Additionally, Emerson is the current chair of the Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton County Elder Death Review Team, a core member of the Community Response Team for Elder Abuse, a member of the Ingham County Bank Fraud Investigative Team, and a certified trainer for law enforcement investigations of elder abuse by the National Committee on Abuse Later in Life (NCALL).

“With her obvious commitment to (and passion for) the safety and protection of the elderly, Ms. Emerson could not be a better fit for our conferences and for our mission if we tried,” says Glasner.  “I am awed by the caliber of professionals and experts who are supporting our work.”


Our the primary goal is always to help America’s senior citizens avoid financial abuse and exploitation.

To get tickets for the conference on the 25th, call 586-806-9875
To get tickets for the conference on the 30th, follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/l59vzr9
Tickets will also be available at the door

To learn more about Last Will and Embezzlement and for updates about the tour including additional cities & dates, ticket information, etc., please visit:

Last Will and Embezzlement website: www.lastwillandembezzlement.com

These vitally important events have been made possible, in part, by the support and generous sponsorship of the following:
Messrs Basil Bacall and Joseph Bacall — owners - Hampton Inn, Novi
Ms. Kimberly Frane — Speedpro Imaging, Novi
Mr. Richard Blondy — photographer, West Bloomfield
Rygiel Sprague Attorneys and Counselors — elder law attorneys, Clinton Township
Ms. Patty Leonard — event tickets, Clinton Township


Events arranged by Natasha Vassallo / Red Angel Promotions


Upcoming conference on elder financial abuse features “Last Will and Embezzlement” as well as Dr. Peter Lichtenberg

9/15/2013

 
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The partners of Starjack Entertainment, Pamela S. K. Glasner and Deborah Louise Robinson, are delighted and honored that Dr. Peter Lichtenberg, Director of the Wayne State Institute of Gerontology, will be one of the many distinguished panelists at its upcoming “Safeguarding the Golden Generation” conference in West Bloomfield, Detroit, on the 30th of September. 

In addition to the aforesaid, Dr. Lichtenberg is also the Founding Director of the Wayne State University Lifespan Alliance, the Director of the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, the author of six books, a Professor of Psychology and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and has authored or co-authored over 150 peer review journal articles — in short, he has dedicated his life to the safety, well-being, good health, protection of, and advocacy for, the elderly. 

Starjack Entertainment is actually conducting two conferences in Detroit, both of which will feature Starjack’s documentary, “Last Will and Embezzlement”, and will include keynote addresses from each township’s supervisor (the equivalent of a Mayor), as well as audience Q&A sessions and panel discussions …the panelists being, in addition to Dr. Lichtenberg, some of the finest minds and most notable and dedicated professionals in the fields of elder care and elder protection.

With the primary goal being to help America’s senior citizens avoid financial abuse and exploitation, the conferences will be on September 25th and 30th, at the Italian American Cultural Center in Clinton Township and the Berman Center for the Performing Arts in West Bloomfield Township, respectively.  

For Berman Theater/West Bloomfield tickets, go to
https://theberman.jccdet.org/ticketing/ and scroll down to Sept. 30th

For Italian American Cultural Center/Clinton Township tickets, call 586-806-9875 (no online ticket services for this one)   

Tickets will also be available at the door for both conferences.


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

8/29/2013

 
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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

 
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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


Wells Fargo Advisors’ World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Conference

6/23/2013

 
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Wells Fargo Advisors’ World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Conference, which was held at the Renaissance Mayflower hotel in Washington DC last week (June 13th, 2013) was a resounding success.  “Last Will and Embezzlement” was screened to a standing-room-only house, followed by a Producer Q&A with Washington Post’s super-star reporter Michelle Singletary asking pointed, pertinent (…and sometimes slightly IMpertinent – LOL!) questions, and Pamela S. K. Glasner responding with powerful (and equally amusing when the occasion called for it) answers.  Then the audience was given an opportunity to ask questions of their own.
  
This was followed by a panel discussion between Ms. Singletary and two of the most well-known women in the elder abuse prevention world:  Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Loewy (who successfully prosecuted the famed Astor elder exploitation case), and US Administration on Aging’s Director of the Office of Elder Rights, Ms. Barbara J. Dieker. 

The audience’s attention remained glued to screen and stage the entire time — all in all a grand, successful event, from which (we all hope – and believe) everyone walked away armed with even more information that can be used to protect our seniors and thwart the efforts of those who would abuse and exploit them. 

Bravo, Wells Fargo Advisors, and thank you!  You did a marvelous job! 


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

 
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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

Please – Don’t Remind Me! (New Huffington Post Article)

4/18/2013

 
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"If someone shares something in confidence, particularly something that's difficult to bear, maybe we should go a step further with our definition than just not bringing it up at the next town meeting. Maybe we should not bring it up at all, to anyone, ever ………"

Read the article in its entirety here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pamela-glasner/please-dont-remind-me_b_3104766.html

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

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, Confidentiality, Humane, Cancer, Huffington Post



Something Beyond Survival – Part Four

4/9/2013

 
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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 


The Second Installment of “Something Beyond Survival” is Published!

3/21/2013

 
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The Second Installment of “Something Beyond Survival” is Published!  And it’s even more powerful than the first.  Read it on The Huffington Post by following this link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pamela-glasner/something-beyond-survival_1_b_2915070.html 

… and please, check back weekly for the next chapters!

Here's a bit of what's in this week's installment:
If I spend my time — and my love and my peace — hating the perpetrator, then I have given him my power.  Without even being in my presence, indeed, most likely, without even giving me a second thought, he has power over me and I am his victim.  If I choose to participate in his war, on his terms, on his battleground, I have given him my power and, again, I am his victim.  And if I lose that war, which is all but predetermined because the battleground — and all the ground rules — are of his choosing and his making, then he has power over me and I am his victim.

(Sooooo -- after reading it in its entirety on The Huffington Post, if you feel so inspired, it'd be lovely if you could scroll all  the way down to the bottom of the page and post a comment.  Thanks!!)

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
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Something Beyond Survival

3/17/2013

 
The first of a series of new articles by Starjack partner Pamela S. K. Glasner is now on the Huffington Post:  an uncompromising look at being victimized, the long road to recovery, the hunger to live again, and one woman’s successful journey.
Bill Clinton, Alan Rickman, China, American Idol, Tim Allen, Obamacare, Sarah Palin, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Charlie Sheen,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pamela-glasner/something-beyond-survival_b_2878145.html

Click on the image to go to the Huffington Post to read the complete article … and then check back weekly for the next chapters!
(and, after reading it, if you feel so inspired, it'd be lovely if you could scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page and post a comment.  Thanks!!)
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LAST WILL AND EMBEZZLEMENT ~ honored by the State of Utah

1/17/2013

 
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What a pleasure it was to wake up this morning to such awesome news!!
 
The absolutely stunning Nancy Tessman Auditorium seats 300 — that’s 300 people who will learn, just four weeks from now, how to protect those they love and those they care for.  

Our deepest gratitude goes out to Karolina Abuzyarova (USLL Court Visitor Program Coordinator) for organizing this event, and for being part of the solution to this global epidemic which is now being called the “Crime of the 21st Century”

For more information about the Utah State Law Library’s “Court Visitor Program” and the work they do on behalf of vulnerable adults, please visit: http://www.utcourts.gov/visitor/

Pamela S. K. Glasner, Deborah Louise Robinson, Mickey Rooney, Senior Citizens, Embezzlement, Starjack Entertainment, Financial Exploitation, Elderly, wills, advocacy, power of attorney, medical surrogacy, taking advantage, Elder Exploitation, Elder Abuse, Senility, Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Artie Pasquale, The Sopranos 






America’s preeminent authority on educational films can’t say enough about “Last Will and Embezzlement”

11/12/2012

 
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Called “the best single all-around source of video information available,” Video Librarian has been the review publication of choice among librarians for over 25 years.  And Mr. Phil Hall, the well-respected author of “The History of Independent Cinema” and “The Encyclopedia of Underground Movies” — and one of Video Librarian’s more prolific contributors, who also regularly reviews films for such notables as EDGE Boston, American Movie Classics Magazine, and the New York Times — has given “Last Will and Embezzlement” 3 & ½ stars out of a possible 4, and has proclaimed to his readers that our film is a “timely look at a serious social issue,” and is “highly recommended.”

Director Deborah Louise Robinson says of the review, “What an honour to receive such praise from this highly respected publication. Getting such a fantastic review from a completely objective source reaffirms our belief that “Last Will” is truly needed by our society.”


PBS HONORS "LAST WILL AND EMBEZZLEMENT" 

8/27/2012

 
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PBS HONORS "LAST WILL AND EMBEZZLEMENT" --- they asked producer/director, Deborah Louise Robinson to write an article for their new online site, NextAvenue. And she did! Please read it and share it -- it's beautifully written and very memorable!

http://www.nextavenue.org/article/2012-08/what-making-documentary-about-elder-fraud-taught-me 

TAGS: PBS, Mickey Rooney, Last Will and Embezzlement, Pamela Glasner, Deborah Louise Robinson, elder exploitation, elder abuse, financial exploitation, embezzlement, Starjack Entertainment, senility, dementia, olympics, Alan Rickman, Tom Criuse, Bill Nye, oil prices, Obamacare, mortgage rates, Romney, The Amazing Spider Man, Channing Tatuma Stone, magic Mike, Ted, Brave, Johnny Depp, Nora Ephron, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Aber,  

The Council on Social Work Education honors 'Last Will and Embezzlement'

8/1/2012

 
The Council on Social Work Education honors "Last Will and Embezzlement" … one of only 12 films chosen for their 58th Annual Program, to be held this year in Washington DC

Go to
http://www.cswe.org/Meetings/2012apm/52079/2012CSWE-Film-Festival/2012CSWEfilms.aspx
for additional information 
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TAGS: Mickey Rooney, Last Will and Embezzlement, Pamela Glasner, Deborah Louise Robinson, elder exploitation, elder abuse, financial exploitation, embezzlement, Starjack Entertainment, senility, dementia, olympics, Alan Rickman, Tom Criuse, Bill Nye, oil prices, Obamacare, mortgage rates, Romney, The Amazing Spider Man, Channing Tatuma Stone, magic Mike, Ted, Brave, Johnny Depp, Nora Ephron, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Aber, 

“Last Will and Embezzlement” featured in the Journal Inquirer

7/30/2012

 
Manchester woman’s film details embezzlement from elderly
By David Huck, Journal Inquirer

Published: Wednesday, July 25, 2012   11:47 AM EDT
MANCHESTER — It wasn’t until resident Pamela Glasner traveled 1,300 miles to Florida to bury her mother last April that she began unraveling a web of mistrust in which she learned a complete stranger had embezzled her parent’s life savings.

Since the start of 2011, it is estimated that 11,000 Americans each day are turning 65 years old. With that aging population is a shifting of money from one generation to the next — and increasingly it is finding its way into the wrong hands.

Glasner’s story and others, including that of actor Mickey Rooney, are chronicled in her first film, “Last Will and Embezzlement,” which recently premiered in New York City to a packed theater and a standing ovation.  In the documentary, the New York City-born author and filmmaker details how a man in his 60s had befriended Glasner’s parents, who were both in their 80s, at their local synagogue. In time, the stranger drew up a will giving him the ability to make all of Glasner’s parents’ financial decisions “unconditionally.”

Glasner’s father, a veteran who served during World War II in Normandy, France, died this year. He was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and was living in a nursing facility in the Orlando area. The couple had lived in Connecticut for years, but moved south for their retirement.  Though the care facility was only a short drive away, Glasner’s mother was left isolated in their modest home. They had several hundred thousand dollars saved from the father’s pension as a former pharmacist in their checking and investment accounts.

Several days before their mother’s death in April 2011, Glasner’s brother called up the nursing home and said he was going to take care of his parent’s finances.  Though Glasner has only one sibling, “The social worker said you don’t need to worry about it, your brother is taking care of it.” They learned that a new will had been generated by a man they would soon meet face-to-face.

“The day of my mom’s funeral in Orlando, the perpetrator came to my parents’ house and told me what he had done,” Glasner said. The man calmly explained that years earlier he had become executor of her parents’ will, had put his name on their checking account, and visited the nursing home where her father was and had the power of attorney transferred to his name.  “He told me he was going to sell my parents’ house and put the proceeds into the checking account and said there is nothing you can do to stop me because I have more money than you and I can keep you tied up in court forever,” Glasner said. “And he was exactly right.”

She reported the incident to police — but by that point “everything had already been cleaned out of the accounts.” The detective said he spoke to the man and said he seemed like a really nice guy, Glasner said.

When the hospital gave their records to the chief state’s attorney’s office in Seminole County, that office said there was “insufficient evidence to warrant an investigation.” A paper trail was nowhere to be found — likely burned as part of a finely executed plan.

The perpetrator hasn’t been charged and the money hasn’t been recovered.

“Now looking back, I see the signs, but I didn’t at the time,” Glasner said. In hindsight, she says, she should have recognized something was wrong when her parents called and said they didn’t need her to fill out their tax filings any more.

Following her mother’s death, Glasner’s father’s health began deteriorating because the family couldn’t afford to transfer him to a more intensive care facility to help him recover from a bout of pneumonia.

Glasner said. “My parents died paupers. There was nothing left.”

Feeling helpless and having read a story about the millions of dollars that a member of Rooney’s extended family had embezzled, Glasner decided in the summer of 2011 to write her first film. She runs a production company called Starjack Entertainment with her friend and screenwriter, Deborah Louise Robinson, who lives in North Yorkshire, England.

“I said, you know what we really need to do is make a documentary about this because it’s a bigger problem than I made it out to be,” Glasner said to her friend soon after her mother’s death last year. “We wanted to make the point that this crime doesn’t know any bounds.”

The most common victim of these types of fraud schemes, Glasner says, are women between the ages of 80 and 89, alone, and generally dependent. The most common embezzler is a family member, followed by a stranger.  A lack of security at the nursing home where the perpetrator frequently visited Glasner’s ailing father also played a role in keeping the fraud secret for several years.

During the incident, the perpetrator’s wife was also complicit in the scheme, having acted as a witness in the signing over of the power of the attorney, Glasner said. Pushing the case through court would have likely cost between $20,000 and $70,000 — money she didn’t have.  “It was ridiculous big business, so I could never get the court to challenge those documents,” she said. “The perpetrators exist just within the law and exist with impunity because they know what the law is.”

In some states, Glasner says, there is a threshold where the “the state doesn’t even bother prosecution,” such as if the amount of embezzlement is less than $100,000.

Similar fraud cases happen to about 5 million seniors each year, in which a reported $2.9 billion changes hands, Glasner said. In some instances, the victim never reports it, for fear of being relocated to a nursing home due to perceived incompetence.

Glasner says the response to her film has been overwhelming, including positive reviews from Elizabeth Loewy, a prosecutor who works in the elder abuse unit of the New York County District Attorney’s Office, the office that investigated the fraud case involving the socialite Brooke Astor.

Other institutions, like Penn State’s law school, have purchased copies of the film, which was produced on a $130,000 budget, to screen for fraud courses. Another theatrical screening is scheduled for Los Angeles in early August, while a distribution deal is being worked out to bring it to a wide audience.

Glasner graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University with a degree in English after moving to the Nutmeg State at the age of 18. Her second film, a “rockumentary” that chronicles a heavy metal music festival in Leeds, England, is set to be released later this year or in early 2013.  Her first book, “Finding Emmaus,” was released in 2009 and is a historical novel that covers the treatment and mistreatment of mentally ill patients over the course of 300 years. She is currently working on the second part of that trilogy.
TAGS: Mickey Rooney, Last Will and Embezzlement, Pamela Glasner, Deborah Louise Robinson, elder exploitation, elder abuse, financial exploitation, embezzlement, Starjack Entertainment, senility, dementia, olympics, Alan Rickman, Tom Criuse, Bill Nye, oil prices, Obamacare, mortgage rates, Romney, The Amazing Spider Man, Channing Tatuma Stone, magic Mike, Ted, Brave, Johnny Depp, Nora Ephron, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Aber,

Deborah Louise Robinson hits the headlines with 'Last Will and Embezzlement'

7/17/2012

 
Last Will and Embezzlement director, Deborah Louise Robinson, hits the headlines as she speaks to journalists
about the experience of making Last Will and Embezzlement
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Tags: Deborah Louise Robinson, Director, Last Will and Embezzlement, julianne hough, Mickey Rooney,  kitty wells, Artie Pasquale, 123getsmart, Financial Exploitation,  jennie ketcham photos, Elder Abuse, kitty wells death, Seniors, write my paper, Elder Law Attorney, marissa mayer, 

Age Plus Bad Decisions Don’t Necessarily Equal Senility!

7/4/2012

 
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The benchmark of 65 for “old age” dates back to the days of Kaiser Wilhelm in the late 1800’s, followed by the creation of America’s Social Security program in the early 1900’s.  But keep in mind, the average life expectancy back then was considerably shorter than it is now.  We need to ask ourselves: just because Mama celebrated her 65th birthday, did that automatically drop her onto the slippery slope to dementia and incapacity? 




Read the complete article here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pamela-glasner/age-plus-bad-decisions-do_b_1635613.html
.
 
And please … if, after reading the article, you can think of a friend or loved one or associate who might benefit from reading this, please do
send it to them.  And you might want to do it now, while you're thinking about it, so it doesn't slip through the cracks. 
TAGS: Mickey Rooney, Last Will and Embezzlement, Pamela Glasner, Deborah Louise Robinson, elder exploitation, elder abuse, financial exploitation, embezzlement, Starjack Entertainment, senility, dementia, Anderson Cooper, Andy Griffith, Alan Rickman, Tom Criuse, Bill Nye, oil prices, Obamacare, mortgage rates, Romney, power outages, Colorado fires, The Amazing Spider Man, Channing Tatuma Stone, magic Mike, Ted, Brave, Johnny Depp, Nora Ephron, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Aber, Bristol Palin sued

Beautiful Write-Up in the Connecticut Episcopal Diocesan News

7/2/2012

 
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“Local filmmaker releases documentary on financial exploitation of the elderly”  ---- Karin Hamilton (Communications & Media Director for the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut) wrote an excellent article about Last Will and Embezzlement in the Connecticut Episcopal Diocesan News, 18 June 2012.  Read it in its entirety here:  https://www.ctepiscopal.org/News/newsView.asp?NewsId=40968117&NewsCategoryID=1    

It’s actually an article within an article, because within hers is a piece which I wrote: “a personal reflection,” Karin calls it, “about the work and the emotions of the past year, starting with a quote from St. Irenaeus which I recalled from a Grace Church parish retreat.” That “reflection” can be found here:
https://www.ctepiscopal.org/images/customer-files//PamelaSKGlasnerReflectionApril29_2012.pdf

TAGS: Mickey Rooney, Last Will and Embezzlement, Pamela Glasner, Deborah Louise Robinson, elder exploitation, elder abuse, financial exploitation, embezzlement, Starjack Entertainment, Anderson Cooper, Alan Rickman, Tom Criuse, Jade Jagger, Health Care Law, Obamacare, mortgage rates, Romney, power outages, fires, The Amazing Spider Man, Channing Tatuma Stone, magic Mike, Ted, Brave, Johnny Depp, Nora Ephron, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Aber

Last Will and Embezzlement's Recent Interview with Popcorn 'n' Candy

6/28/2012

 
Below are some excerpts from and interview with Deborah Louise Robinson and Pamela S.K. Glasner which was recently featured on Popcorn'n' Candy  - please see the entire actual article here   
WHAT IS YOUR GOAL FOR LAST WILL AND EMBEZZLEMENT? 

Deborah Louise Robinson - "To raise awareness and to make people sit up and take notice and realise just how serious an issue this is." 

MICKEY ROONEY SPEAKS CANDIDLY ABOUT HIS OWN EXPERIENCES IN SOME VERY EMOTIONAL SCENES. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THAT HIGH PROFILED STARS LIKE MICKEY ROONEY SPEAK OUT? 

Deborah Louise Robinson - "Very important – the film follows four very different stories, and I think it is really valuable that Mickey Rooney is one of them, it shows that elder financial abuse can happen to literally anyone, even an academy award winning Hollywood icon – people need to know that it’s okay to speak out about it, that it’s not something to be ashamed of. Mickey Rooney courageously speaking out will certainly help others to feel more comfortable doing so."

WHY NOW? OBVIOUSLY THIS PROBLEM HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE, WHAT MAKES NOW THE RIGHT TIME TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE? 

Deborah Louise Robinson - "Because right now we are heading toward the largest transfer of wealth from one generation to the next in history – what is already a very common crime, is about to become a global epidemic." 

Pamela Glasner - "Because there are 500 million baby boomers in the world right now who are on their way to being senior citizens, at a rate of 61,000 PER DAY. And, since baby boomers control a full 80% of all the spendable personal money in the world, we are heading toward the largest transfer of wealth from one generation to the next in history. What is already a multi-billion-dollar crime spree is about to become a global epidemic." 

HOW DO YOU THINK WATCHING THIS FILM WILL AFFECT PEOPLE? I WATCHED THE TRAILER, AND IN THOSE FEW BRIEF MOMENTS, I FELT A MIXTURE OF ANGER AND SADNESS. THERE IS BOUND TO BE AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE TO THIS FILM, WAS THIS INTENTIONAL? 

Deborah Louise Robinson - "Yes, I wanted this film to be much more than just a news piece – this is a very real issue that impacts massively on the families of those involved. There are real emotions here, and I wanted those raw emotions to be shown. I want people to know that this is a serious crime, and that it matters." 

Please see the entire article at www.popcornncandy.com  

Vulnerability is NOT Limited To Mental Impairment

6/23/2012

 
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A Wall Street Journal blogger posted a brief article on 14 June 2012 entitled “Financial Abuse of Elderly: Getting Worse.”  (link below)  Stated in this article, “…medical professionals can play an important role when they are trained to spot and report the warning signs of elderly investment fraud or financial exploitation.  The Investor Protection Trust has trained 3,000 medical professionals so far to spot the impaired mental capacity that can leave older adults vulnerable to financial abuse.”

And that’s all well and good but, all due respect to the article’s author and those conducting the survey, the answer is just not that simple.  In fact, the matter of vulnerability is addressed at length in our documentary, “Last Will and Embezzlement”  (directed by Deborah Louise Robinson). 

Mental impairment is far from the only reason an elderly person gets financially abused. Filmmaker Pamela Glasner’s mother did not have any such impairment.  She had a whole different set of issues.

“My parents,” Glasner explains, talking about the neighborhood in New York City, where she grew up, “did what most of the parents did: they waited for their kids to graduate and then they moved to Florida.”  But eventually, what started out as an escape and a dream became a prison and a nightmare.

Glasner's mother, an elderly woman of 89, had two children, but they lived 130 miles and 1300 miles away;  the love of her life, her 90-year-old husband, whom she’d been with quite literally for 80 years, was permanently moved into a nursing home, leaving her suddenly on her own; a bout with glaucoma left her unable to drive.  She was a proud and intelligent woman with a past history of being what Glasner describes as “the best business person my brother and I had ever known.” Then Glasner goes on to say, “She never let on that there was a problem and there was no reason for either my brother or me to presume to keep a watchful eye on Mom’s finances or on her choice of associates.   We’d never been involved with financial abuse and had no notion of what was happening until it was too late.”  Ethel Glasner was not impaired — she was 89 and lonely and dependent. 

This is not to say that what the Investor Protection Trust is doing is a bad idea, but there are probably as many ways to financially exploit the elderly as there are elderly people to exploit.  Vulnerability comes in all shapes and sizes and it’s vital that we, as a society, start learning what those shapes and sizes look like, and what the signs are, and stop assuming that dementia is the only cause. 

“Vulnerability is absolutely NOT limited to mental impairment,” Glasner insists, “And it is, in my humble opinion, dangerous to assume that diminished capacity is the perpetrator’s only – or even primary – avenue in.”

WSJ Article:
http://blogs.wsj.com/totalreturn/2012/06/14/financial-abuse-of-elderly-getting-worse/


Pamela S. K. Glasner is a published author and a filmmaker.  More information about “Last Will and Embezzlement” and Ms. Glasner can be found at www.lastwillandembezzlement.com, http://youtu.be/WJCDQpqHPEQ, and http://tinyurl.com/2cn8bpo. 

Copyright by
Pamela S. K. Glasner © 2012, All Rights Reserved

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