Time to acknowledge and stand up to elder abuse

Four to five percent of all older adults experience a type of abuse in their adult life, and the percentage of elder abuse cases continues to increase. One study shows that approximately 10 percent, or 4.3 million older adults, are victimized annually in one or more forms of elder abuse, and only 8 percent of the 4.3 million reported abuse.

Elder abuse often goes unreported; therefore, we need to do all we can to change this. In order to advocate for elder abuse, we need to know what it is, who it affects and what we can do about it. There are several types of elder abuse, the most common being physical, sexual, psychological or neglect. However, another major type of elder abuse is exploitation.

Exploitation is the illegal use of a person's property, funds or assets, whether it is by a stranger or a family member. Ninety percent of the time, the perpetrator of exploitation is someone that the victim knows, and two-thirds of perpetrators are the victim’s adult children or spouse. Exploitation costs older adults approximately $3 billion annually.

The profiles of the population we are concerned for often includes individuals who are age 60 and older: individuals who are dependent upon a caregiver, isolated for extended periods of time, are cognitively impaired, exhibit problem behavior and are women — however, this could be because women have a longer longevity rate than men. So what exactly can we do as citizens to advocate and assist these individuals?

Many states have made it mandatory for health care workers to report any abuse of “reasonable” cause to Adult Protective Services. However, more than just health care workers should be on the lookout for abuse. For example, anyone can report suspicion of abuse to their local ombudsman. Springfield also has an Area Agency on Aging, known as Senior Age, which can assist in reporting elder abuse.

Another way to help is to emotionally be there for older adults and to build strong bonds with the older adults in our lives. One reason older adults don’t report abuse is because they feel like it is their fault, or they feel ashamed and embarrassed; therefore, we need to assure them that we are in their best interest and be active listeners.

If you are asking an older adult a question about the possibility of abuse, be sure to do it in a private area to be respectful of the individual’s privacy. One more thing that we can do is to learn more about elder abuse and recognize that it exists. Elder abuse is becoming more prevalent as our older population increases, so we need to be aware of this and take action. Be an advocate for the older adults in your community!