Elder Abuse: Reports Increasing, Experts Say (

A crying shame
October 26, 2008
New Bedford Standard Times

Elderly abuse reports increasing, experts say Exploitation or outright abuse of the elderly is on the rise across the state, and experts say the number of potential victims is growing just as an economic downturn is leaving government and nonprofit groups strapped for cash to combat the problem.

With the elderly population poised to grow dramatically over the next decade — by almost 50 percent, the state predicts — agencies committed to helping people over 60 are scrambling to provide for their growing number of clients.

"We've already started to see younger and younger elders" as baby boomers inch their way into the age range of what is considered elderly, said Jennifer Dias-Rezendes, director of crisis services for Bristol Elder Services in Fall River. At her agency, anyone 60 or older is an elder, making them eligible for assistance from the agency's Protection Department, which helps seniors deal with neglect and abuse.

As the reporting agency for the approximately 100,000 elders in 23 communities in the Greater New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton and Attleboro areas, Bristol Elder Services receives reports of abuse from those bound by law to report it, including physicians, social workers and police officers.

According to the agency, the number of elder abuse reports it has received has jumped. From July 2006 to June 2007, there were 1,500 reports to the agency, Ms. Dias-Rezendes said. From July 2007 to June 2008, that number rose to 1,635. The rising trend continued into the first quarter of fiscal 2009, which includes July, August and September 2008. During this time, 475 reports were received, up from 408 for the first quarter last fiscal year.

Elder abuse is on the rise statewide, as well. According to the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, there were 11,503 elder abuse reports and 3,713 newly confirmed cases of elder abuse in fiscal 2005, the latest figure available at the agency's Web site. Both figures represent increases of more than 16 percent compared to fiscal 2004.

In October 2006, Elaine Romero, 66, of Bourne was found dead on a neighbor's porch after being repeatedly stabbed. Her husband, William Romero, 71, is charged with the crime. According to a spokesperson from the Cape and Islands District Attorney's Office, the case has not yet gone to trial.

Abuse can take on many forms, although it is legally defined by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs as an act or omission that puts an elderly person at risk of harm.

The elderly can be abused physically, mentally, emotionally or sexually. They can be exploited financially or face neglect from a caretaker, which are both legally considered abuse. In 2005, federal mandates added self-neglect to the list of incidents that must be reported by certain professionals. Since then, self-neglect numbers have been factored into statistics of elder abuse, accounting for 49 percent of the reports Bristol Elder Services received in fiscal 2008.

As the elder population increases, reports of abuse likely will rise, as well.

SOURCE: AARP Bulletin