The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "senior citizens" ...
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Returning Home to Battle
While the Obama administration declared care for returning U.S. military personnel to be a top priority, reporter Aaron Glantz found something entirely different when he drilled down in the San Francisco Bay Area – home to more than a quarter-million veterans. In a series of stories for The Bay Citizen, which is part of the Center for Investigative Reporting, Glantz exposed an alarming failure inside the Department of Veterans Affairs, where mistakes and massive delays in processing disability claims for ailing veterans were the norm, sometimes leading to tragic consequences. Glantz was the first to detail this trend, finding that tens of thousands of Northern California veterans had been waiting an average of 313 days for a decision from the Oakland office on compensation claims for conditions as serious as traumatic brain injury. The Oakland regional office ranks fifth in the nation for number of veterans served – nearly 1 million veterans from the Oregon border to Bakersfield. The story was so shocking it prompted 16 members of Congress to demand immediate help for veterans filing through Oakland. More action quickly followed. Glantz had found through his reporting that the problem was not limited to the Bay Area. Next he set out to show it. The decision to dig deeper – to go beyond the local story – helped bring greater context to such a critically important issue. Through rich storytelling and clear writing, Glantz ably captured the plight of our veterans in his series, Returning Home to Battle.
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Bankers Life and Casualty
Bankers Life & Casualty is a 100-year old insurance company based in Chicago that prides itself on serving hte senior citizen community. But Inside Edition exposed a major financial scheme that propted a Senate investigation.
Tags: Bankers Life & Casualty; senior; elderly; Medicare
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Questionable Care
This five-part series looked into to accidental deaths in nursing homes in the province of Manitoba, which had tripled since 2000. Series installments discussed an overview of findings, problems with bed rails, staff shortages, neglect and reactions to the findings.
Tags: Canada; international journalism; Manitoba; nursing homes; senior citizens; health care; negelect; bed rails; staff shortages
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Dateline NBC: Tricks of the Trade
In this investigation, Dateline exposed what experts call deceptive sales practices in the marketing of equity indexed annuities - especially to senior citizens. Hidden cameras captured the claims agents made and the critical disclosures they glossed over when they thought they were alone with retirees.
Tags: fraud; abusive sales tactics; equity indexed annuities; marketing; sales methods; retirement planning seminars; scare tactics; insurance licenses;
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Bogus Billing: Primetime Special
WPTV "uncovered 100 million dollars in Medicare fraud and met dozens of senior citizens who were in jeopardy of losing their health care benefits."
Tags: health; health care; Medicare; fraud; senior citizens; benefits; public forum; Ellen Griffith Cohen; Department of Health and Human Services; registration; equipment
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Beaten Down: Fear and Violence in Canada's Nursing Homes; Off Limits
"Beaten Down" takes a look at how seniors are being poorly treated in nursing homes and that violence had increased significantly from 2003 to 2006. There were found to be increases in all types of violence: resident to resident, staff to resident, and resident to staff. In the "Off-Limits" series, prescription medication sales data for a 24-month period were examined after Health Canada warned doctors about prescribing medication that carried an increased risk of heart attack.
Tags: Long Term Care Medical Directors Association of Canada; Ontario; British Columbia; senior citizen; elderly; abuse; mistreatment; rest home;
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Omnicare
A lawsuit has targeted Omnicare, the "nation's largest supplier of drugs to senior citizens in nursing homes and assisted living facilities." Spurred by the whistle-blower's tip, the CBS Evening News investigates the lawsuit, which alleges that Omnicare CEO Joel Gemunder conspired to defraud Medicaid.
Tags: Omnicare; Medicaid; Medicare; fraud; Joel Gemunder; Total Pharmacy
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Detroit Election Fraud
The Detroit News found negligence in election oversight and election fraud in Detroit. Reporters found that city employees were coaxing nursing home residents to vote, ballots were sent to juvenile detention homes, the voting rolls had 300,000 registrants who had moved or died, and people were voting from abandoned homes and vacant lots. After the story ran, the FBI and state officials seized city voting records.
Tags: Detroit; elections; election fraud; absentee ballots; voter registration; FOI; senior citizens; city clerk; absentee ballots
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RX for Fraud
Forbes delves into attempts to defraud Medicare, focussing on the new drug benefit for seniors. A smaller version of the program has already been assailed by fraudulent HMO's, pharmacies and some individuals peddling phony prescription cards. Already millions of dollars in fines for prohibited activities have been levied against companies and individuals, a mere prelude of what is to come as a result of a complex program that leaves the "work of guarding the henhouse" to foxes.
Tags: Medicare; fraud; senior citizens; prescription drugs; pharmaceuticals; drug benefits
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Assisted Living: How Much Assistance Can You Really Count On?
There is no standard for the care that should be provided in an assisted living facility. States regulate the industry but provide little oversight or protection for residents.
Tags: nursing homes; elderly care; health; health care; aging; senior citizens; assisted care facilities