By Lynn Melling
Staff Writer
March 9, 2009
As the economic crisis deepens, advocates for the elderly fear more and more vulnerable senior citizens will lose their life savings to predators that have power of attorney over their finances. As people look for new sources of income, the AARP warns, financial abuse of the elderly could sky-rocket.Here in Iowa, we have good reason to be worried: our state ranks first in the nation, when it comes to the percentage of the population age 85 and older. We're second when it comes to folks 75 and older.
While most victims of elder abuse, as well as their family members, are too shamed and embarrassed to talk about it publicly, the issue is very real. Experts say, without public awareness, it is a painful situation that will only get worse.
A few days a week, you'll find 68-year-old Sally Solomon and her husband at the Southside senior center. Already, they're finding their golden years are going to be anything but leisurely. "My husband is 70. He just had carotid artery surgery," she says.
A few years ago, a slip on the ice left Sally with a brain injury. "That's when I started thinking about these things. What if I wouldn't have been able to talk or take care of myself? What would have happened? With everything we worked for all of our lives?" To make sure her wishes are honored, everything from long-term health care to burial arrangements, she drew up a power-of-attorney document and appointed her daughter attorney-in-fact, giving her daughter the legal power to make decisions on her behalf. "I chose my daughter because I know she'll do what's best for me, even if she doesn't agree with it," Sally says.
Unfortunately, across Iowa, many aging adults don't have a trustworthy family member or friend to fill that role. That's where Iowa's Office of the Substitute Decision Making comes in. "Right now, we're averaging 50 requests for assistance per month. There are only two of us, so that's quite a bit," says Kim Murphy, administrator for the state office which opened just 17 months ago.
An Elder Abuse Initiative is now underway in just 21 of Iowa's 99 counties. During Fiscal Year 2008, the number of financial abuse cases in those counties hit 94, compared to 57 reports in the first half of Fiscal Year 2009. If that pace continues, Iowa could see a 21% increase in cases in 2009 over last year. Yet, according to the National Center on Elder Abuse, only one in 14 cases of abuse is actually reported.
If you or someone you know is experiencing elder abuse, or if you have questions about how to protect yourself from potential predators, call the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs at 1-800-532-3213.
Copyright © 2009, WHO-TV
Abridged
SOURCE: WHO-TV - Des Moines,IA,USA
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