Contra Costa County Elder Abuse report
By Matthias Gafni
staff writer
Contra Costa should find a way to restore funding to elder abuse prevention programs to protect a growing silver-haired population, according to a civil grand jury report.
As of Jan. 1, adult protective services lost one public health nurse, one mental health specialist, nine social workers and two social work supervisors as part of the county's budget slashing. The grand jury recommends the county restore the nurse, mental health specialist and four social worker positions to maintain case management and outreach for the elderly.
The fastest growing segment of Contra Costa's population is the 85 and older group. In the next decade, that population will grow by 55 percent and the 65 and older segment will grow by 37 percent, according to the report. The past two years have seen more than 3,500 reports of elder abuse sent to Adult Protective Services.
The Contra Costa County Conservatorship/Guardianship Program deals with elderly persons with dementia and dependent adults who need assistance managing their financial affairs. A staff of 20 manage the funds of 500 people, but for elderly persons without the financial resources, there is no county option for legal counsel. Many of those clients get lost in the system, according to the report.
"Currently, Contra Costa County elderly residents who lack financial, physical or mental health support have little or no protective options provided by their local government," the grand jury
wrote.
The state mandates that counties provide adequate resources to adult protective services and the conservatorship program, so the grand jury says the county should:
· Obtain a state waiver freeing it from the mandate.
· Obtain state funding to adequately fund the programs.
· Fund the programs with its own money.
The county trimmed the elder abuse programs amid across-the-board cuts to each county department, along with significantly less state funding.
Reach Matthias Gafni at 925-779-7174 ormgafni@bayareanewsgroup.com.
View the entire Contra Costa grand jury report titled "The Lost Generation: The Elderly Citizens of Contra Costa County" at www.contracostatimes.com.
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