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Sean D. Reyes
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Elder Abuse Awareness Day

June 15, 2020

Today we bring awareness to elder abuse in our communities and reaffirm our commitment to protecting our senior citizens and bring perpetrators to justice.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 1 in 6 people 60 years and older experienced some form of abuse in community settings during 2018. In institutions such as nursing homes and long-term care facilities, rates of elder abuse are high, with 2 in 3 staff reporting they have committed abuse in the past year.

Elder abuse is a criminal offense and can include physical, emotional or sexual harm; financial exploitation, or neglect of a person’s welfare by those who are directly responsible for their care. The abuse can lead to serious physical injuries and long-term psychological consequences. Elder abuse is a violation of human rights and violates their trust in relationships where it is expected and required.

Our staff works tirelessly with community partners and local law enforcement to stop elder abuse, ensure the safety and well-being of our senior citizens, and bring perpetrators to justice.

The Utah Nursing Assistant Registry (UNAR), which oversees the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training and certification, monitors abuse cases in Utah, blacklists those convicted of abuse, and regularly updates an abuse registry which is available to the public.

If you believe that someone you love is experiencing abuse at the hands of their provider, please contact Adult Protective Services (APS) at 1-800-371-7897, or call 911 if there is an emergency. You can also submit a report online 24/7 with the Utah Department of Human Services Aging and Adult Services here.

Elder Abuse Awareness Day

June 15, 2019

Every year, millions of older persons experience elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. The Utah Attorney General’s office prioritizes protecting senior citizens from suffering due to these crimes and inflictions, and our office supports efforts to increase prosecution of elder abuse. 

Like any kind of violence or neglect case, elder abuse is a criminal offense and can include physical, emotional, or sexual harm; financial exploitation, or neglect of a person’s welfare by those who are directly responsible for their care. Elder abuse can happen at their home or in institutional care settings, by family members or professional caretakers.

Our staff works tirelessly with our community partners and local law enforcement to stop elder abuse, bring the perpetrators to justice, and ensure the safety and well being of our older citizens.

The Utah Nursing Assistant Registry (UNAR), which oversees the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training and certification, monitors abuse cases in Utah, blacklists those convicted of abuse, and regularly updates an abuse registry which is available to the public.

If you believe that someone you love is experiencing abuse at the hands of their provider, please contact Adult Protective Services (APS) at 1-800-371-7897.

ICYMI: Utah AG In the News

Friday, April 19, 2019

Welcome to the weekend, Utah.
Its been a great week with lots going on and we don’t want you to miss a single thing. Below are a few highlights of our team working to protect and keep all Utahns safe.

Utah opioid overdose deaths are down thanks to Utah Naloxone and its founder, Dr. Jennifer Plumb, who is part of the Utah Opioid Task Force, co-chaired by Attorney General Sean D. Reyes along with U.S. Senator Mike Lee, and DEA District Agent-in-Charge Brian Besser.

For more on the story, see St. George News: Utah Naloxone credited with reducing opioid overdose deaths.

The Children’s Justice Center Program, part of the Utah Attorney General’s Office, participated in this year’s planting of pinwheels in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month up at Primary Children’s Hospital.

Check out KSL.com’s article: ‘It is preventable’: Utah children’s hospital honors child abuse victims for more information.

Thanks to the great work of Assistant AG Jacob Fordham, some of the most vulnerable in our communities are a bit safer.

Standard-Examiner: Ex-nurse’s aide sentenced to jail for abusing elderly assisted living patients

The Utah Attorney General’s Office is once again partnering with FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention to provide a 24/7 harassment hotline, sending a clear message to participants that bullying, abuse, assault, and harassment of any kind will not be tolerated.

Watch coverage on KUTV below:

Abuse registry helps families protect loved ones

November 29, 2018

Seven cases of elder abuse have been reported in the state of Utah in 2018. Seven. 

That number may seem low, unless one of the seven was your elderly mother or father or grandparent.

Did you know that families can be more involved and proactive in monitoring caregivers and the care their loved ones receive?

The Utah Nursing Assistant Registry (UNAR), which oversees the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training and certification, monitors abuse cases in Utah and blacklists those convicted of abuse. This abuse registry is regularly updated so that abusers won’t be hired again.

The registry is also available to the public. That means families can check that the person caring for your beloved family member does not have a history of abuse. 

If you believe that someone you love is experiencing abuse at the hands of their provider, please contact Adult Protective Services (APS) at 1-800-371-7897.

Below is the process that will happen so you know what to expect once that report is received. 

  1. Adult Protective Services launches an official investigation.
  2. If evidence of abuse is found, APS reaches out to the Utah Department of Health (DOH).
  3. Utah DOH reaches out to the Utah Attorney General’s Office for legal representation and prosecution of the case.
  4. Utah DOH notifies the Utah Nursing Assistant Registry. If convicted, the name is added to the abuse registry.

The Standard-Examiner recently reported on a case being handled by the AG’s Office, which you can read here: Nurse’s aide charged with abusing vulnerable adults appears in court.

Photo by rawpixel

AG Office in Action

November 9, 2018

Protect the people of Utah. 

This is a big deal for the Utah Attorney General’s Office and one of its core functions. Domestic abuse, human and drug trafficking, sexual assault, crimes against children – the list of crimes that destroy our families and neighborhoods goes on and on. No matter what it is, our team of investigators and prosecutors work hard to remove from our communities those who would seek to take advantage or do us harm. 

Here’s a highlight of the last several weeks looking at the Office in action. 

Attorneygeneral.gov: Utah registered nurse convicted of sexual assault

KSL: Alleged big play in Utah drug trafficking charged

Standard Examiner: Nurse’s aide charged with abusing vulnerable adults appears in court

Gephardt Daily: Task force arrest Layton man for crimes against children

Daily Herald: Investigators say Lehi man created, sold fake green cards

Gephardt Daily: Smugglers arrested in Utah with 2.33 pounds of contraband after multi-agency operation

The Herald Journal: Logan man pleads guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor

Salt Lake Tribune: Utah nurse charged with beating a 2-year-old foster child to death

Deseret News: Salt Lake police officer arrested in child pornography investigation

Fox13Now: Salt Lake City officer arrested in child porn investigation

KSL.com: Charges filed against police office in child pornography case

Standard-Examiner: Salt Lake City police officer, Syracuse man in jail for allegedly possessing child porn

Thanks for paying attention!