By Darrell Clem

Abuse of elderly people, even by their own children, has become the fastest-growing crime in Wayne County and the nation, and the problem will only worsen as baby boomers age, officials said Wednesday.
"It can be financial, physical or emotional, and the consequences can be deadly," Westland Mayor William Wild told nearly 150 seniors who attended a seminar at Westland's senior Friendship Center.
Elder abuse by nursing home and assisted-living facility workers, financial predators, siblings, adult children and even spouses has spiraled into one of the most troubling crimes facing law-enforcement agencies, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said.
"Elder abuse is the fastest growing crime we have in America," Worthy said during the seminar, which she led along with Wild, Westland Police Chief James Ridener and county Adult Protective Services investigator Monique King.
Worthy's office has an Elder Abuse Unit that was started in 2004 and includes just two prosecuting attorneys who investigate some 250 cases every year. Despite the workload, they boast a 99 percent conviction rate on crimes that get reported.
Nearly two-thirds of elder abuse crimes involve finances stolen by health-industry workers, relatives and other caregivers, Worthy said. Some seniors have had to find jobs after losing their life savings, she said.
One mortgage industry worker, now in prison, bilked tens of thousands of dollars from 83 seniors in southeast Michigan by swindling elderly homeowners of money they were supposed to receive from reverse mortgages - loans made possible by converting home equity into cash.
BE AWARE
Other scams involve caregivers who steal personal checks or credit cards from seniors and use the information to pay for items ranging from groceries to vehicles, Worthy said. One defendant stole from an elderly couple battling dementia and Alzheimer's disease, she said.
"I don't want you to be paranoid," Worthy told the crowd. "I just want you to be aware."
Elderly people can be victims of home-improvement scams, mortgage fraud, bogus sweepstakes offers and inheritance theft, Worthy said. Even going shopping has its risks to those who aren't careful, she said, because a predator can use a cell phone camera to take pictures of credit cards that are pulled from purses and wallets.
Worthy offered warning signs of possible elder abuse: Caregivers often have expensive gifts supposedly given to them, or their names are added to bank accounts. Financial records are missing. Victims may appear fearful, depressed or confused, and they may make contradictory statements. Offenders may exhibit aggressive behavior or try to prevent seniors from talking to others.
In all, two-thirds of elder abuse victims are women, Worthy said, and 80 percent of victims have annual incomes of less than $10,000 a year. The average age of those abused is 75.
Wayne County prosecutors have asked officials with the county purse strings to try to allocate more money to hire elder abuse attorneys, but that has been difficult amid tough economic times, Worthy said.
She urged anyone who suspects elder abuse to call their local police departments, which work with the prosecutor's office to get convictions. In Westland, the phone number is (734) 722-9600.
Ridener said local police aggressively investigate complaints they receive, whether those involve physical or emotional abuse, neglect or exploitation.
King also said complaints may be made to Adult Protective Services by calling (877) 963-6006 in Wayne County or (800) 996-6228 elsewhere. King said investigations can range from one day to several months.
Seniors who attended Wednesday's seminar found it helpful.
"It makes us aware that it is not only a local concern but also a national concern," said Reasther Everett, area representative for the Southeast Westland Homeowners Association.
Everett voiced hope that victims will come forward with suspected abuse, even though they may feel embarrassed that they allowed someone to take advantage of them.
"It's OK to admit that something is wrong," she said.

SOURCE: hometownlife