March 22, 2008
We don't think weak and dependent old people are worth much.
For every government dollar spent on child-protective services training, only four cents is allotted for adult-protective services programs.
We have federal laws to protect animals but no federal law against elder injustice, just "information" centers.
Elder abuse just isn't a table topic for most people, says Mary Twomey, head of the University of California-Irvine Center for Excellence focus on elder abuse and neglect.
We like to imagine our elders as "sweet old ladies" or "old men who are bad drivers." Yet many are simply frail people totally dependent on someone who can care for them or rob them of their treasure and their dignity.
Geriatricians, psychologists, social workers, long-term care ombudsmen gathered in Newport Beach , Calif. , recently for the second international conference on ways to recognize - and stop - elder abuse.
The outcome was a call for Elder PEACE - Protection, Education, Advocacy, Collaboration, Eradication - a movement supporters hope will inspire a national audience.
"Aging boomers are already making a difference," says Rebecca Guider, director of adult services and assistance programs for Orange County , Calif. "They are more educated about their rights; less likely to put up with abusive situations."
Abridged
SOURCE: bradentonHeral--------------------------------------------------
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