Elder Abuse: Death from Neglect

Questions abound in death by starvation
Officials say they don't know why daughter allegedly stopped feeding 78-year-old woman

By JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST and CATHLEEN F. CROWLEY, Staff writers
First published: Saturday, April 26, 2008

ALBANY -- Beth Adams died in bed with her eyes open and little more than condiments in her refrigerator.

It was a death from neglect by her own daughter, authorities allege, that was as heartbreakingly avoidable as it was gruesome.

On and off for some time, Carol Adams, 47, shared the home at 18 Crestwood Court with her 78-year-old mother. On Friday, the daughter remained at the Albany County jail without bail, charged with manslaughter.

City police and paramedics arrived to find the home a shambles and, inside, Beth Adams frightfully emaciated and dead from "profound malnutrition."

For a while she had been sustained only by pieces of chocolate doughnuts, police said. She looked, according to law enforcement officials, like people held in prison camps.

The case also highlights the phenomenon of elder abuse, which experts call a hidden problem that may be more prevalent and under-reported than spousal abuse.

Prosecutors said Carol Adams had been looking after her mother for some months, exclusively so after a falling out with her brother. At some point, and for reasons that remained unclear Friday, she stopped feeding her mother enough to keep her alive.

New York's Adult Protection Services office received 33,380 referrals in 2007, about 60 percent of which involved adults over 60. According to 1997 data, 34 percent of elder abusers were adult children, 26 percent were spouses and 26 percent were unrelated, according to the state.

Suspected abuse can be reported by calling the county's Department of Social Services Adult Protective Services. In Albany County, the number is 447-7177.

Jordan Carleo-Evangelist can be reached at 454-5445 or by e-mail at jcarleo-evangelist@ timesunion.com.

Abridged
SOURCE: timesUnion
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It is not pleasant to post awful cases like the one above, where we get the graphic image of the elder abuse victim.
More must be done by governments at every level. Why governments hesitate, or just ignore the important measure of raising public awareness of Elder Abuse is beyond my comprehension.
The hidden cases of elder abuse, such as those involving Neglect, Psychological and Emotional Abuse by family members, are often ignored. Violation of Human Rights in private homes, should not be "brushed off" as family dynamics issues. We should not accept any excuses for Elder Abuse!

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