Elder abuse reports skyrocket in Orange County
November 25th, 2009, 5:00 am · Post a Comment · posted by Teri Sforza, Register staff writer
There were 2,386 reports of adult abuse in Orange County in 1994.
There were nearly triple that many - 6,380 - in Orange County last year.
And 2009 is on track to break records, with 21 new reports every day, or some 7,500 this year.
The vast majority of these involve seniors being taken advantage of in their own homes, by friends or family members who are supposed to be protecting them.
“Often, the people being abused and neglected don’t want their family member to get in trouble, so they’re hesitant to report anything,” said Carol Mitchell, program manager for Orange County Adult Protective Services. “That’s the biggest threat people get - ‘If you call them to complain, they’re going to put you in a nursing home.‘ But that can’t happen. We don’t have the authority to do that. Our goal is to maintain people in their homes.”
Abuse investigations fall into Mitchell’s lap when people live in private homes. Investigations go to a different agency - the Council on Aging - when people live in nursing homes or other state-licensed facilities. (That system has its own troubles - which you can read about here.)
The reports that come Mitchell’s way are much harder to get at, and often, even more heartbreaking.
adult-protective-services In addition to family members stealing from their aging relatives, there are reports of substance abuse, hording, self-neglect. “Were still getting word the word out about adult abuse, trying to educate people,” Mitchell said. “That’s an ongoing process. We’re where child abuse was 30 years ago.”
Reports come from doctors, nurses, therapists, law enforcement officials, and, beginning in 2007, financial institutions, which became “mandated reporters” by law. So now, when bank statements suggest a senior’s account is being suspiciously siphoned, the bank has to call Mitchell.
Reports of financial abuse form 29 percent of the total, she said.
A recent report by the National Institute of Justice found that about 11 percent of people over age 60 suffer from some sort of abuse every year. Consider:
* New York philanthropist Brooke Astor’s son was convicted last month of stealing from her, as she suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.
* A San Diego postal worker pleaded guilty last month to taking more than $50,000 from a woman on her route.
* A home aide worker near Fresno was convicted last year of involuntary manslaughter after giving an 85-year-old woman a lethal overdose of drugs and ransacking her house.
In 2004, 12 percent of Americans were over age 65. By 2050, that figure will grow to 21 percent , the U.S. Census Bureau says. These issues will only get more and more acute.
Government is beginning to act. The Elder Justice Act was introduced in the spring, and is tied up with the health care overhaul, as our colleagues at the Los Angeles Times report. A 2003 study estimated that between 1 million and 2 million people over age 65 have been exploited or mistreated by someone on whom they depend on for care and protection, according to the National Justice Center - and these figures may be just the tip of the iceberg. For every reported case of elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect, as many as five incidences may go unreported, research suggests.
Meantime, suspect abuse in Orange County? Call 1 800 451 5155.The hotline is available 24/7. Senior social workers answer the phone, and can help folks figure out if something suspicious is going on.
Want to help? APS is running a Senior Santa and Friends program this year, and is happy to accept donations of heaters, blankets, shower chairs, gift cards, etc., which will be distributed to disadvantaged seniors throughout the year. Contact Kim Pham at 714.825.3111 for more information.
There were 2,386 reports of adult abuse in Orange County in 1994.
There were nearly triple that many - 6,380 - in Orange County last year.
And 2009 is on track to break records, with 21 new reports every day, or some 7,500 this year.
The vast majority of these involve seniors being taken advantage of in their own homes, by friends or family members who are supposed to be protecting them.
“Often, the people being abused and neglected don’t want their family member to get in trouble, so they’re hesitant to report anything,” said Carol Mitchell, program manager for Orange County Adult Protective Services. “That’s the biggest threat people get - ‘If you call them to complain, they’re going to put you in a nursing home.‘ But that can’t happen. We don’t have the authority to do that. Our goal is to maintain people in their homes.”
Abuse investigations fall into Mitchell’s lap when people live in private homes. Investigations go to a different agency - the Council on Aging - when people live in nursing homes or other state-licensed facilities. (That system has its own troubles - which you can read about here.)
The reports that come Mitchell’s way are much harder to get at, and often, even more heartbreaking.
adult-protective-services In addition to family members stealing from their aging relatives, there are reports of substance abuse, hording, self-neglect. “Were still getting word the word out about adult abuse, trying to educate people,” Mitchell said. “That’s an ongoing process. We’re where child abuse was 30 years ago.”
Reports come from doctors, nurses, therapists, law enforcement officials, and, beginning in 2007, financial institutions, which became “mandated reporters” by law. So now, when bank statements suggest a senior’s account is being suspiciously siphoned, the bank has to call Mitchell.
Reports of financial abuse form 29 percent of the total, she said.
A recent report by the National Institute of Justice found that about 11 percent of people over age 60 suffer from some sort of abuse every year. Consider:
* New York philanthropist Brooke Astor’s son was convicted last month of stealing from her, as she suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.
* A San Diego postal worker pleaded guilty last month to taking more than $50,000 from a woman on her route.
* A home aide worker near Fresno was convicted last year of involuntary manslaughter after giving an 85-year-old woman a lethal overdose of drugs and ransacking her house.
In 2004, 12 percent of Americans were over age 65. By 2050, that figure will grow to 21 percent , the U.S. Census Bureau says. These issues will only get more and more acute.
Government is beginning to act. The Elder Justice Act was introduced in the spring, and is tied up with the health care overhaul, as our colleagues at the Los Angeles Times report. A 2003 study estimated that between 1 million and 2 million people over age 65 have been exploited or mistreated by someone on whom they depend on for care and protection, according to the National Justice Center - and these figures may be just the tip of the iceberg. For every reported case of elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect, as many as five incidences may go unreported, research suggests.
Meantime, suspect abuse in Orange County? Call 1 800 451 5155.The hotline is available 24/7. Senior social workers answer the phone, and can help folks figure out if something suspicious is going on.
Want to help? APS is running a Senior Santa and Friends program this year, and is happy to accept donations of heaters, blankets, shower chairs, gift cards, etc., which will be distributed to disadvantaged seniors throughout the year. Contact Kim Pham at 714.825.3111 for more information.
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