By Steve Adams
Sep 04, 2010
Complaints of elder abuse and neglect have risen statewide in recent years while resources to investigate them have failed to keep pace.
Case workers investigated about 16,000 reports of elder abuse or neglect in the year ending June 30, 2009, the most recent statistics available. The data cover people 60 and older in private living environments.
“It could be the economy. It could be any number of reasons,” said Deborah Fogarty, director of protective services for the state Executive Office of Elder Affairs. “We have a rapidly growing population of people who are 60 and over.”
Only when an extreme case of neglect is alleged, as in the case of a 68-year-old Hanover man charged this week with allowing his 93-year-old father to live in squalor, does elder abuse attract widespread attention.
Prosecutors say John T. Hallinan, 68, left his father duct-taped to a chair while he went to work. Police found the elderly man lying in a diaper on the floor in excrement, with sores on his feet.
Hallinan has been charged with assault and battery on a disabled person over 60.
Massachusetts law defines elder abuse as physical, emotional and sexual abuse, caretaker neglect, self-neglect and financial exploitation of a person 60 or older.
There are 22 regional agencies in Massachusetts in charge of investigating cases of elder abuse, and they have a total of 179 case workers assigned to investigate complaints.
Old Colony Elder Services of Brockton is the designated “protective services” agency for 23 local communities including Hanover. It has a staff of 11 case workers for abuse complaints.
In the 11 months prior to June, it investigated reports of 794 abused or neglected elders.
Braintree-based South Shore Elder Services gets approximately 110 complaints of abuse and neglect a month, Executive Director Edward J. Flynn Jr. said. At any given time, its 11 case workers are handling 150 open investigations.
The agency serves 11 towns in Plymouth and Norfolk counties. It has shifted funding from other programs into the elder abuse unit to avoid cutting staff, Flynn said, and eliminated a supervisor’s position last year to retain field positions.
“I’m not sure what the future holds because we’re all running fairly high deficits in that program,” he said.
After someone files a report of abuse, it is screened by a supervisor at one of the local protective service agencies to determine whether it is covered by the elder abuse law. Cases then are assigned to three priority levels from emergency to routine response, Fogarty said.
Emergency cases call for contacting the alleged victim within five hours and visiting within 24 hours. Routine responses involve a home visit within five days.
Protective service agencies can assist elders with medical, legal, psychological, financial and housing assistance. In extreme cases of abuse, they refer cases to local district attorneys.
But investigations can come to an end if the senior refuses to answer the door or declines assistance.
“Self-determination is one of the underlying philosophies,” Fogarty said. “If an elder has the capacity to make decisions and declines an investigation, they have that right.”
Educating members of the community on how to spot signs of elder abuse is a priority of the state and local agencies, Fogarty said. A housekeeper visiting the Hanover residence reported the alleged abuse Aug. 23 after finding the 93-year-old man bound to a chair with duct tape.
Agencies held public events around the state in June to commemorate World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. They also have worked with local banks and trained employees to spot signs of financial exploitation, such as seniors withdrawing large sums of money frequently.
Steve Adams may be reached at sadams@ledger.com.
READ MORE about the Hanover elder abuse allegation.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
According to the World Health Organization, the population of those aged 60 and older will more than double by 2025. And older people, in general, tend to be more vulnerable to abuse. Some such instances happen in places like nursing homes, others in homes. Wherever it is, here are some things to look for if you’re worried an elder you know is being abused.
To report suspected elder abuse or neglect, locals can contact the statewide Elder Abuse Hotline at 800-922-2275.
Signs of physical abuse
o Bruises and black eyes
o Marks on the body, including welts and cuts
o Sprains, dislocations and broken bones
o Rope marks or burns on hands and feet (perhaps indicating a person was tied up)
o Broken eyeglasses or frames
o New, upsetting behaviors
o Doesn’t want to be alone with his or her caregiver
o Tells you he or she is being physically hurt or mistreated
o Generally upset or agitated
o Increasingly withdrawn, not wanting to talk or interact with others
o Exhibits unusual behaviors like rocking, biting or sucking
Sexual abuse indications
o Bruises on, around breasts or genitals
o Unexplained sexually transmitted diseases
o Torn, stained or bloody underwear
o Vaginal or anal bleeding, without a sound explanation
Changes around them
o Caregiver won’t let anyone visit the elder by themselves, unless he or she is there, too
o Elder runs out of prescription medicine too quickly
o Lack of heat, electricity, water or other safety issues
o Excess dirt, fleas, lice, bad odors or other filth
o Evidence of neglect
o Poor hygiene
o Indications of dehydration
o Signals of malnutrition or poor diet
o Bed sores or other health problems that aren’t treated in a timely or proper manner
Source: National Women’s Health Information Center, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Old Colony Elder Services
SOURCE: The Enterprise News
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