Think of a vulnerable older woman whose caregiver empties out her bank account, or a cognitively compromised homebound older man whose estranged family never visits, leaving him entirely alone and without basic necessities. Think of someone in a nursing home whose painful bed sore isn’t adequately treated or who is attacked by a mentally ill resident living at the same facility.
All of those are forms of elder abuse and, while it’s not entirely clear how often such problems occur, recent research indicates that 11 percent of Americans 60 and older – nearly 6 million people – may suffer some type of abuse or neglect each year. Only a small fraction of cases are reported as shame and secrecy surround these experiences.
Elder abuse will be in the news soon: In June, the secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services announced that it would make available $5.5 million in grants to fund innovative programs designed to prevent elder abuse. Recipients of those grants are due to be named at the end of this month.
Judith Graham, AHCJ’s topic leader on aging, explains more about elder abuse, who is most vulnerable, the state of legislation and funding to help protect seniors. She also includes a list of resources for reporters.
