Elder Abuse Awareness Month

The members of our Elderly Community are the STARS that have helped make us shine.

It is time for us to shine for them as we put forth all efforts to keep them SAFE.

This month, the Jones County District Attorney’s Office is raising awareness to the problem of elder abuse in our community. Please take a moment to read about elder abuse and to think about what can be done to protect the ones you love.

The problem of elder abuse -

Elder abuse is an intentional act or failure to act that causes or creates a risk of harm to an older adult. Common types of elder abuse include:

· Physical abuse (15.7% of reported cases)

· Sexual abuse (>1%)

· Emotional or Psychological Abuse (7.3%)

· Neglect (58.5%)

· Financial Abuse (12.3%)

The CDC estimates that “abuse, including neglect and exploitation, are experienced by about 1 in 10 people aged 60 and older who lives at home.”

Over 5.9 million elder abuse cases were reported in 2010.

It is estimated that only 1 in 23 elder abuse cases are reported in the U.S.

Preventing elder abuse -

The CDC recommends the following prevention

methods:

· Listen to older adults and their caregivers to understand their challenges and provide support.

· Report abuse or suspected abuse to Adult Protective Services.

· Educate yourself and others about how to recognize and report elder abuse.

· Learn how the signs of elder abuse differ from the normal aging process.

· Check-in often on older adults who may have few friends and family members.

· Support over-burdened caregivers.