Washington County Elder Safe program aids senior crime victims
Help is offered to victims targeted because of age or vulnerability
BY BARBARA SHERMAN
The Regal Courier
Mar 26, 2009
Seniors who become victims of certain crimes have an ally in Marcia Langer, who is the Washington County Sheriff's Office senior program coordinator.
"We work with seniors who are victims of a crime if they were targeted because of their age or vulnerability," Langer said.
The Elder Safe program is available to people age 65 and older through the sheriff's and district attorney's offices plus Washington County's Disabilities, Aging and Veterans Services.
What is elder abuse? It can be physical and include inappropriate restraint or the use of force that may result in bodily injury, physical pain or impairment.
It also can be sexual abuse, defined as non-consensual sexual contact of any kind with an elderly person, or neglect, which is the refusal or failure of a caregiver to fulfill his or her caretaking responsibilities.
Finally, it can be financial abuse, which is the illegal or improper use of an elder's funds, property or assets, including forgery, fraud, unexplained transfers of assets or the unexplained disappearance of funds or valuable possessions.
The Elder Safe program helps victims with emotional support after a crime, assistance with filling out forms, information and referrals, and follow-up on the case on behalf of the victim through trial, sentencing and corrections.
Nearly 40,000 people age 65 and older live in Washington County, and more than 60 abuse or neglect cases are reported each month, although only 20 percent of elder abuse cases are reported to authorities, according to information distributed by the sheriff's office.
For more information on the county's elder abuse program or on becoming an Elder Safe volunteer, call Langer at 503-846-6048 or e-mail www.co.washington.or.us/eldersafe; to report possible abuse, call your local police agency, Washington County Disability, Aging and Veteran Services at 503-640-3489 or the Oregon elder abuse hotline at 1-800-232-3020.
Abridged
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