Updated: April 26, 2008 08:44 AM
News 3 has obtained a police report which describes how a grandmother was found in deplorable conditions at her home. Her bed was filthy, infested with bugs. The 86-year-old's body was covered with open sores.
She's now being treated at spring valley hospital. Her daughter and grandson are in jail for the alleged neglect.
One day after we brought you this exclusive story, elderly advocates across the Valley are outraged. They say as shocking as this case may be, it's one that is actually common, especially here in southern Nevada.
News 3's Marie Mortera has more on what one woman calls a scary epidemic.
Jean Bryant may have started at S.A.F.E House only about a year ago, but it's been devastating and frustrating year because of what she's found since she started looking into local elderly abuse.
She's over 60 years old herself and became involved because she wanted to help others like her. Little did she know she'd come across so much. "To me it's epidemic. I see it everyday," Bryant says.
She says because southern Nevada has a large retirement community, the elderly seem an easy target and are preyed upon.
Earlier this week, News 3 told you about robbers targeting older men and women. Then came Thursday's story of a grandmother neglected at her Spring Valley home, her wounds so severe her legs were fused together. Police arrested her own grandson and daughter.
According to Clark County statistics, family perpetrators make up 90 percent of neglect cases. Many times, the victims have dementia or Alzheimer's.
Clark County has a special department dedicated to elderly abuse. It says in an average year, the department investigates about 1,000 cases of abuse.
SOURCE: K http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=8229420&nav=menu107_2VBC
--------------------------------------------------
More Recent Posts from Spotlight on Elder Abuse
No comments:
Post a Comment