Elder Abuse-
Professionals dealing with elder abuse say it’s becoming more prevalent and can be one of the more complicated crimes to deal with.
In Trempealeau County, Kathy Gauger, supervisor of the Aging and Disability Resources Center said half of the reports of elder abuse are self-neglect, when a senior citizen can no longer take care of themselves.
But Gauger said financial elder abuse is the second most common form of elder abuse and growing. While there are many phone scams targeting seniors, statistics show most elder abuse (about two in three cases) involves someone who is close to the victim, a family member or caretaker with the power to exert control over a vulnerable adult.
“The figures that I have seen talk about only one in 14 elder people that are abused is actually reported,” said Gauger. “With age comes the issues like dementia, social isolation and poor physical health, which puts those elders at more risk of being taken advantage of.”
Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Harlan Reinders said cases of elder abuse, especially involving money, often go unreported because this generation of seniors is a very trusting generation, who doesn’t want to admit they’ve been taken advantage of.
“A lot of these are private issues and people are embarrassed about stuff like this,” Reinders said. “When you’re talking about financial issues, where maybe there’s some type of fraud involved, people are embarrassed to say that they kinda got duped.”
The Minnesota Elder Justice Center works to mobilize communities in Minnesota to prevent elder abuse.
Because two-thirds of all elder abuse cases are believed to involve someone close to the victim. Justice Center Program Director Marit Peterson said that can make the crimes all the more complex.
“What we do know about victims of elder abuse is that they want the abuse to stop.” Peterson said. “But, they may not necessarily desire what we consider to be traditional outcomes, jail or prison.”
Reporting elder abuse immediately is a key to prevention according to all three advocates, whether those reports are filed with law enforcement, a human services agency or an advocacy organization.
by-John Davis
Episode Credits
- Hope Kirwan Host
- John Davis Producer
- Kathy Gauger Guest
- Harlan Reinders Guest
- Marit Peterson Guest
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
