Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Wednesday July 30, 2014 We began with a discussion with Deb Maddy, our Project Advisor, of several questions about what should go into our annual report for this meeting and following our timeline. Then we launched into learning to use NVivo software, using a 30 day free trial, to analyze interview transcripts. We had all down loaded the free trial software onto our own computers so that we could each learn to use it. We had decided to read and individually analyze two transcripts 1) HK and 2) RJ and MJ, a couple interviewed in sequence concerning the same family situation. Since we don’t have an NVivo server at this time, we had to have one of us, Ginny Vincent, work in NVivo while sharing her screen through Skype so the other teammates could work together. After we figured out how to enlarge the image so all team members could read it, we were able to work well together. That night we were to individually read and refine into more specific codes three broad codes, Financial Management Behavior, Family Relations, and Family Communication that had many excerpts in them. We had to do our individual work outside of NVivo and then entered the next day into NVivo by hand as we came to agreement after discussing our own individual insights and coding. Thursday July 31, 2014 Each of us did our individual work on paper or in Word after I copied the list of coded excerpts in each of the three broad codes identified the day before and emailed them to the team members. This day we worked on refining the codes with large numbers of excerpts, Family Financial Behaviors and Family Relations, but didn’t have time to complete the Family Communication code. In the process of doing this, we created additional codes and combined and reorganized others. Our assignment for this night was to continue working on individual analysis of Family Communications and work on a new transcript by participant JM. Friday August 1, 2014 One team member had done her individual analysis homework in her copy of NVivo on her computer. We had to merge her work into Ginny Vincenti’s project in NVivo on her computer which we had used for our joint work on the previous two days. However, that proved to create problems because it duplicated some codes since the updated work done together the day before had not been done on this individual’s own version of NVivo. Because of this problem, it was even more apparent that an NVivo server would help us to be more efficient. Thus, we learned by trial that without individuals being able to work on a common server, working on separate computers and then trying to merge them creates problem that must be corrected before the group can proceed to work together. With an NVivo server, we would be able to individually without creating this problem and we would then be able to check inter-rater reliability.

Objective 1: Understand the participants lived experiences (knowledge and feelings) related to elder financial exploitation. We have revised our interview protocol twice and created a survey to be the first step in data collection with the interviews to follow with those participants who meet our criteria and are willing to provide more in-depth accounts of their experiences with elder financial exploitation. This means that our survey participants are likely to have a broader range of experiences. In spite of focusing our research on risk factors for elder financial exploitation within families, we are still coding interviews for participants’ experiences before, during and after the exploitation. Objective 2: Identify factors in the victims/perpetrators family system that participants consider to be significant antecedents to the Power of Attorney elder financial exploitation in their family. We have focused our research since our last annual meeting to focus on identification of risk factors in families which increase the likelihood of later elder financial exploitation happening by family members. Both the survey and the interview protocol are more structured now than the earlier two versions. Although we wrote an article using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, we have recently decided that we need to use NVivo qualitative analysis software which helps us to manage a large volume of interview data with more precision and detail and to do it more quickly, although the process is still quite time consuming. We are likely to broaden our criteria for participation in our research beyond the use of powers of attorney as a means of exploitation. The survey tracks the means of exploitation and our coding of interview pilot data is tracking multiple means and methods of financial exploitation. We are also planning to recruit participants whose families have successfully moved through their elders’ dependent period without experiencing exploitation. Comparison of factors between the two groups of families could further clarify factors that increase risk and factors that seem to reduce risk. We are, however, concerned that successful families may be more difficult to recruit. So far families who have experienced exploitation have indicated that participation in this research, although somewhat painful to relieve, also eases their pain by attempting to prevent such experience for others by sharing their experiences. Objective 3: Gain insights into the victims’ and perpetrators’ family experiences that could assist professionals in facilitating healing of emotional and relationship wounds within families. We may have some insights that will address this objective, but we need to do more in-depth analysis after we complete all the coding using NVivo. Objective 4: Identify the range and scope of family experiences related to foundational antecedents, exploitation situations, and impact and meaning of the elder financial exploitation that could contribute to prevention and effective redress. We will need to continue collecting data and analyzing it to be able to identify what seem like a range and scope of family experiences. Objective 5: Refine and/or expand the Conceptual Model of Elder Financial Exploitation by Rabiner, OKeeffe, and Brown, 2004. We gaining much more insight into the family dynamics, values, and relationships that will expand the conceptual model of Rabiner et al. We have incorporated Jackson & Hafemeister (2011) and Acierno’s (2009) research on risk factors into our survey and interview protocol so that we can build on their work as well. Acierno, R., Hernandez-Tejada, M., Muzzy, W., & Steve, K. (2009, March). National elderly mistreatment study. National Institute of Justice. (Document No. 226456). Jackson, S.L., & Hafemeiser, T.L. (2011). Risk factors a ssociated with elder abuse: The importance of differentiating by type of elder maltreatment. Violence and Victims 26(6): 738-757. Rabiner, D. J., O'Keeffe, J., & Brown, D. (2004). A conceptual framework of financial exploitation of older persons. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 16 (2), 53-73. doi: 10.1300/J084v16n02_05 Objective 6: Refine the current research design and identify future studies that could contribute to prevention and more effective redress of familial elder financial exploitation. Don Rudisuhle with assistance from graduate student, Catherine Webb, developed a system for searching and assigning pseudonyms to the interview transcripts. The detailed coding and analysis we are doing now will provide guidance for future studies by identifying potential patterns in the data that will need to be researched further. This approach using NVivo software is helping us manage much more detail than our earlier more general approach without the use of analysis software. Objective 7: Create a means of measuring the prevalence of elder financial abuse by family members who have had Powers of Attorney. This objective may not be doable until states have a common database and collect the same data that can be compiled. Even then, the secrecy surrounding this “family problem” makes is extremely difficult to measure prevalence. More important is the potential for this research to identify risk factors that can be addressed proactively in addressing family problems and in making better planning decisions for later life to avoid the risks of elder financial exploitation. Once these are identified, dissemination of this information is a key component of prevention. (2014-2015 Plans): (Objective 1 & 4): Continue grant writing as needed. Although not an attorney, Don Rudisuhle, as a fraud investigator who has worked with attorneys on numerous cases of elder financial exploitation, has contributed legal expertise to our team that has helped us understand some legal aspects of participants’ experiences. (Objectives 1-5): Continue the in-depth interviews and now conduct surveys of family members of exploited elders and those who have had successful experiences with family POA agents. We will continue to submit manuscripts on the findings and share findings with academic and lay audiences. (Objectives 1-6): We will continue to seek additional researchers for this multi-state project and use the findings to design new studies. (Objectives 4, 5, & 6): We will also continue grant writing as needed.

Grants We have submitted ten grant proposals during this period of time, with two being funded. Feedback from reviewers has contributed to the revisions we have made. Vincenti, V. B.; Betz-Hamilton, A.’ Schatz, M. C. S.; Goebel, K. P.; Rudisuhle, D. P. (2014). Understanding Elder Financial Exploitation in the Family: Identifying Relational Complexities. National Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society. National Alumni Chapter Grant $1,000 and the New Initiatives Grant, $3,000 for a total of $4,000. Funded. Vincenti, V. B.; Rudisuhle, D.; Browne, L.B.; Jasper, C. R.; Goebel, K. P.;Betz-Hamilton, A. (2013). Financial Exploitation by Family Members with Powers of Attorney: What Family Members’ Experiences Reveal About This Problem, Its Causes, and Consequences. Alumni Research Grant, Phi Upsilon Omicron, Inc., December 31, 2013-December 31, 2015. $2,500. Funded. Jasper, Cynthia (PI). 2013. Elder Financial Exploitation in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. October 2013 to April 2015. $500 Funded. Vincenti, Virginia B.; Schatz, Mona S.; and Noy, Shiri. (2014). Understanding Elder Financial Exploitation in the Family: Identifying Relational Complexities, University of Wyoming President’s Office New Initiative Grant. February 3, 2014. $24,919.09 Unfunded. Vincenti, Virginia B.; Browne, Lorna B.; Betz-Hamilton, Axton; Jasper, Cynthia R.; Goebel, Karen P.; Rudisuhle, Donovan; and Schatz, Mona S. (2014) Elder Financial Exploitation by Relatives with Powers of Attorney: What Family Members’ Experiences Reveal About this Problem, Its Causes, and Consequences. Social Justice Research Center. January 17, 2014. $4,000. Unfunded. Vincenti, Virginia B. (2014). Faculty Development in Aging Mini-Grant. Wyoming Geriatric Education Center. February 3, 2014. $3000. Unfunded Vincenti, V.B.; Browne, L.B.; Betz-Hamilton, A.; Jasper, C.R. and Rudisuhle, D. (2013). Elder Financial Exploitation via Power of Attorney Abuse: What Family Members’ Experiences Reveal About This Problem, Its Causes, and Consequences. Agriculture Experiment Station Competitive Grant, July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2017. $75,000. Unfunded. Vincenti, V.B.; Betz-Hamilton, A.; Browne, L.B.; and Rudisuhle, D. (2013). Elder Financial Exploitation via Power of Attorney Abuse: What Family Members’ Experiences Reveal About This Problem, Its Causes, and Consequences. National Council on Family Relations Innovation Grant. December 1, 2013 through December 1, 2014, $10,000. Unfunded Virginia Vincenti (PI), Cynthia Jasper, Professor, U. of Wisconsin, Madison Karen Goebel, Professor Emeritus, U. of Wisconsin, Madison. UW Faculty Grant-in-aid Program. Elder Financial Exploitation by Family Members within the Family System. 05/01/2013 04/30/2014 $7,496.00. Unfunded. Virginia Vincenti (PI), Lorna Browne, Cynthia Jasper, Karen Goebel. Axton Betz-Hamilton, Donovan Rudisuhle. Retirement Research Foundation. Elder Financial Exploration Within the Family System. September 1, 2013 to March 31, 2015 $126,410.00. Unfunded. Jasper, Cynthia (PI). Elder Financial Exploitation: Impact on Families. Hatch Proposal. Submitted to Agricultural Research Station in Wisconsin. October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2019. $162,152. Unfunded. Publications Vincenti, Virginia B.; Brown, Lorna B.; Jasper, Betz-Hamilton, Axton; and Jasper, Cynthia R. 2014. Secrecy and Elder Power of Attorney Financial Exploitation within the Family System. Journal of Consumer Education. Accepted with revisions. Jasper, C.R.; Vincenti, V.; and Goebel, K. P. (2014). Power of Attorney and the Financial Exploitation of Elders: Family Impacts. Phi Upsilon Omicron Honor Society. The Candle. Spring 2014 95 (1): 14-15. Abstracts and Posters Vincenti, V., Betz-Hamilton, A., Browne, L., Goebel, K., & Jasper, C. (2014). Elder financial exploitation via Power of Attorney abuse: An analysis of in-depth interview data from a pilot study. Consumer Interests Annual, 60. A poster was presented at the annual meeting of the American Council on Consumer Interests. Milwaukee, WI on April 11, 2014. Presentations Goebel, Karen P. 2013. Elder Financial Exploitation through Power of Attorney. Madison Financial Abuse Specialist Team. February 28, 2013. Vincenti, Virginia B. 2013. Elder Financial Exploitation: Why is it a Family Affair?. University of Wyoming, Wyoming Union. Shepard Symposium on Social Justice. April 5, 2013. Vincenti, V. B., Goebel, K. P., and Jasper, C. R. 2013. The Crime of Elder Financial Exploitation: A Threat to Community and Family Stability. Newton, MA. Groves Conference on Marriage and Family. June 5, 2013. Vincenti, V. B. 2013. Elder Financial Exploitation Via Powers of Attorney: Insights from Family Members’ Experiences. Laramie, WY. 13th Consumer Issues Conference, October 4, 2013. Vincenti, Virginia. 2013. Elder Financial Exploitation: What Families Contribute and How They Are Affected? Keystone, CO. Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance. October 29, 2013. Rudisuhle, Don. 2013. Overcoming Impediments to Effective Protection of Elderly Victims’ Assets. Keystone, CO. Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance. October 30, 2013. Vincenti, Virginia. 2014. Elder Financial Exploitation via Power of Attorney Within Families: Family Contributions and Consequences. American Society on Aging, San Diego, CA, March 12, 2014. Vincenti, Virginia. 2014. Elder Financial Exploitation: What Professionals Can Do. UW Wyoming Union. Shepard Symposium on Social Justice. April 3, 2014.