Elder Abuse: By Caregiver

By Daniel Wells
Staff Writer
Thursday, May 01, 2008

MIDDLETOWN — Abena Afrakomah was convinced the elderly woman she cared for was having sex with evil spirits and needed to be "punished," according to Middletown police.
Afrakomah, 57, a Ghana native who lives in West Chester Twp., is accused of abusing the 74-year-old woman who was found this week with cuts and swelling on both sides of her face and bruising on her arm. She also allegedly pinched the woman in her groin area, said Middletown police Detective Rich Bush.

Afrakomah, who works for Griswold Special Care, was arraigned Wednesday, April 30, in Middletown Municipal Court on a charge of assault by caretaker. She faces up to 18 months behind bars if convicted of the fourth-degree felony.

Abuse of the elderly is a growing problem in the United States, according to the National Center for Elder Abuse.

Between 1 million and 2 million elderly Americans are abused each year in the U.S. according to center estimates, but it's still relatively unusual for the abuse to come at the hands of an in-home caregiver. Children, spouses and other family members made up more than 60 percent of abusers in 1996, according to the center. Private and volunteer service providers made up only 3.5 percent of abusers.


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