Police give tips on recognizing elder abuse
By Vicky Wicks
Black Hills Pioneer
“People aren't scared to report anymore,” Sargent said. “This is great. I got enough investigators under me ” we can handle this.”
To spur even more reports Sargent conducted a seminar on Monday, hosted by the sheriff's Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (S.A.L.T.) Committee and the local AARP. He spoke to a group primarily made up of AARP members, some of whom expressed concern about their family members.
Sargent encouraged them to make reports - “I have more power when good people call,” he said ” and took time after the seminar to talk to some of them individually.
The term “abuse” evokes images of injuries and bruises, and physical assault is indeed one aspect of elder abuse. But Sargent lists other crimes that fit the category: property crimes such as identity theft, embezzlement, forgery, and theft of valuables; emotional abuse such as threats and isolation; and neglect, or failure to provide adequate food, water, shelter, clothing, sanitation, medical equipment, medical care, and prescriptions.
And who is committing these crimes against the elderly? In 85 percent of cases, it's someone living inside the home, Sargent said.
People have a hard time believing that someone they know is a victim or that someone in their family is capable of abuse, but Sargent said the evidence is there if people know how to recognize it.
“You've got to look for the red-flag indicators - to show you who the victim is,” Sargent said. “It can be anyone. It crosses all social classes, economic classes and culture classes. There's no typical victim.”
Red flags for physical abuse are often visible ” injuries and bruises, especially those that occur frequently. Elders “get bumps and bruises on occasion, but it's on occasion,” Sargent said. “When you start to see these injuries develop and they're in different stages of healing, I'd be concerned. I would at least ask some questions, if nothing else.”
Less obvious are the indicators for financial victimization: changes in a will, power of attorney, or bank accounts; transfer of titles; or disappearing property, he said.
Because these crimes are most frequently committed by family members, the national financial crisis could exacerbate the problem.
Marcia Mayer, community resource coordinator for the Western South Dakota Meals Program and chairwoman of S.A.L.T., said layoffs and other recession issues will likely result in more residential doubling-up.
Adult children who were once able to support their households now can't make it without incorporating an elderly parent's income, or adult children can't afford to pay for the assistance their parents need to live independently, she said.
“Sometimes we might see, when we're out delivering [meals], maybe three or four generations living under one roof,” Mayer said. “With the way the economy's going, I think we're going to see more of that, unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it.”
This co-mingling of finances could lead elders to be shortchanged.
“I think whenever you have a major financial crash, you're always going to have more crime,” Sargent said.
Economic crisis doesn't necessarily lead to dishonesty, Sargent said, but hard times can bring hard behavior.
“When people are at their end, sometimes their moral values might go out the window,” he said.
Potential predators can be hindered with an “airtight will,” drawn up early enough that competence is not an issue, Sargent said.
But danger enters the home through other channels: Internet, phone, and mail. Elders need to know how to avoid the life-crashing crisis of having their savings wiped out by a scam artist.
“If you're receiving a phone call about, 'Hey, if you give us $500, you win $500,000' ” well, that doesn't make sense to me,” Sargent said. “If I won $500,000, just give me my $500,000. Don't pay money into something you don't know about, and if it's an Internet deal, delete, delete, delete. Get rid of it, because it's not true.”
Elders can further protect themselves, as well as live a more vibrant life, by maintaining close ties to friends and families.
Sargent tells of a friend who went to Canyon Lake Senior Center every day to play cards.
One day, Sargent took him out to breakfast, causing the friend to miss his card game.
Later that day, the man's fellow card players called to check on him.
That's the kind of care neighbors used to give each other before we built fences around our houses, he said.
“Have that support network of healthy relationships,” Sargent said. “If you're in a healthy relationship, you can tell this person, 'Hey, this is what's happening to me, and I want it to stop. I need help.”
Elders can further protect themselves, as well as live a more vibrant life, by maintaining close ties to friends and families.
Sargent tells of a friend who went to Canyon Lake Senior Center every day to play cards.
One day, Sargent took him out to breakfast, causing the friend to miss his card game.
Later that day, the man's fellow card players called to check on him.
That's the kind of care neighbors used to give each other before we built fences around our houses, he said.
“Have that support network of healthy relationships,” Sargent said. “If you're in a healthy relationship, you can tell this person, 'Hey, this is what's happening to me, and I want it to stop. I need help.”
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