County no place for elder abuse
February 23, 2009
By Carolyn M. Tenaglia
Regional Ombudsman CoordinatorTo the Editor:
Recently, there has been a lot of activity in the Schuylkill County law enforcement community as they try to respond to the increasingly more prevalent crime of elder abuse.
This month, Republican-Herald readers learned of a local couple sentenced for misappropriating personal funds of an elder, a local waitress accused of a similar crime and a former long-term care professional charged with swindling the residents entrusted to her care.
It would be really easy to become angry and to think that Schuylkill County is a hostile place for elders. But, actually, the opposite is true.
The Schuylkill Elder Abuse Prevention Alliance Inc. was created approximately three years ago to try to address the increased incidents of abuse that were being experienced by seniors in Schuylkill County.
It has not been easy. Raising awareness requires us all to take a long, hard look at our problems. It requires training and re-learning strategies that may no longer be effective. It necessitates the discussion of difficult, embarrassing and painful topics — having people you trust take advantage of you, for example. It forces us to take a stand and stare down those who want to do harm.
But, despite the challenges, we have responded to the problem. Recently, a loud and clear message can be heard over the disappointment and fear. That message is: “We will NOT tolerate elder abuse in Schuylkill County.”
Potential abusers are now fully aware that Schuylkill County is equipped to identify and prosecute such abuse. These growing “pains” have been necessary in our collective efforts to better protect our elders. And, out of those struggles has emerged a system that can be more responsive to the people we serve.
I am a proud member of SEAPA and I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues for a job well done. I would like to congratulate our local law enforcement, our district attorney and his staff and the staff of the Schuylkill County Office of Senior Services. Your tireless investigation and prosecution of abusers/suspected abusers makes a huge difference in the quality of life experienced here in Schuylkill County.
I ask everyone to be supportive of the efforts of SEAPA. Please consider participating in one of its excellent training opportunities. Please keep our annual “Silver Ribbon Campaign” in mind as spring approaches. Please educate yourselves about how and when to report suspected elder abuse so we can continue to make Schuylkill safer for all of us.
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