Elder Abuse Still Rampant

By Kay Soldier

We hope no one we know is being abused physically, emotionally or financially. Yet, every once in a while, a news brief appears that raises the issue of elder abuse, causing readers to express shock and surprise. Elder abuse is more common than most imagine…..

You would be astounded at the number of committees, coalitions and groups whose task it is to study this issue. When I look at the list of groups working on solutions to the problem, I’m amazed that any elder abuser feels safe. Still, thousands of people in their elder years fall victim every year, thousands of situations that no one reports.

It is likely that local police departments may be the first to be aware of elder abuse, but it is an issue seldom publicized. Statewide, the attorney general’s office reports an estimate of more than 14,000 cases of elder abuse last year – yet 84 percent went unreported. Why? No doubt because most elder abuse happens in the family setting. In fact, it’s estimated that 70 percent of abuse – and some say much more than this – is perpetrated by family members.
In one case from a small Maine town, a granddaughter robbed her grandmother of $400,000. The grandmother didn’t report it because she loved her granddaughter and didn’t want her to go to jail. So how did that crime come to light? The grandmother was found unconscious, outside, alone, abandoned.
Victims of elder abuse are often unable to report the crime or make a safety plan for themselves or are too afraid to tell someone. We need to pay more attention. Maine is the second most rural state in the nation, which contributes to an increased sense of isolation and distance from services.
Though the crime of elder abuse continues to be underreported, an increase in public scrutiny is raising awareness. A 2004 survey of State Adult Protective Services shows a 19.7 percent increase in reports of elder and vulnerable adult abuse and neglect, since 2000.

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Elder Abuse is still under reported. However, if we continue to work towards making the public aware of the problem and where to get help, things will turn around in the near future.
Most elder abuse are perpetrated by family members. We must continue to report on this sort of elder abuse. They are often difficult to prove and document. However, we must not allow that to stop us.