Elder Abuse - 'The Invisible Crime'

Elder Abuse is an unnoticed crime
reports Tom Smith, Senior Staff Writer
FLORENCE, Alabama (Times Daily), November 11, 2007:

Annette L. spends the majority of her day sitting in a wheelchair, either watching television or looking out a window. With no family around, the 73-year-old has to rely on friends or a caregiver for help. The problem is finding someone she can trust.

"I had some people who were supposed to be taking care of me, but all they did was take advantage of me and the situation I'm in," said Annette, whose last name is being withheld to protect her privacy. "They ran up my telephone bill, and there were some things that came up missing in my house. I can't say if they took it or not, but it made me suspicious."
Recently in Franklin County, a man was arrested and later pleaded guilty for his role in exploiting money from an older resident.

"The man said he would do work for the person and took $300,000 for materials and work, but the work wasn't done," said Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing. "Exploiting people who are incapable of making rational decisions that they used to be able to do because of age or sickness is against the law. It's elder abuse."

"Elder abuse is not just a physical abuse of a senior citizen," said Jerry Groce, director of the Franklin County Department of Human Resources. "There's the physical aspect, but there is also neglect and exploitation, which are the two primary contributors."

According to information from the National Center on Elder Abuse, between 1 million and 2 million Americans 65 or older have been injured, exploited or otherwise mistreated by someone they depend on for care or protection.

"Neglect and exploitation of the elderly is running rampant," said Washington Assistant Attorney General Cathy Hoover. She said in the Washington attorney general's office, there are 30 assistant attorney generals who devote a part of their time to Adult Protective Services.

"It's a national problem that has no boundaries," she said.
A lot of the abuse among the elderly population is not reported because the victims are ashamed or afraid, said Alabama Commissioner on Aging Service Irene Collins.
"They don't want to think about a loved one taking advantage of them, and they're ashamed and embarrassed it happened, or they're afraid if they report the incident, there could be some retaliation," Collins said.

Abridged Article. SOURCE

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Time and time again, we read articles from around the world with the same theme. This is the reality! Unless we do something to ensure that this sort of abuse do not happen to us, or our loved ones, in the near future; the problem will continue to grow.