The image is not pretty. The examples may cause discomfort, and victims may not realize they need help. Elder abuse takes many forms and can sometimes be difficult to recognize.
Today is Elder Abuse Awareness Day around the world. In support of this day, Gov. Perdue proclaimed May 6 through June 20 as Vulnerable and Elder Abuse Awareness Month. This timeframe ties the awareness period to both the Mother’s Day and Father’s Day weekends, in the hopes of reinforcing the spirit of respecting and valuing not just parents, but all elders.
Each year, more than two million vulnerable adults, age 18 and over, are victims of abuse, neglect and exploitation in the United States. Older adults are especially vulnerable. The National Center on Elder Abuse estimated that one elderly person is victimized every 2.7 minutes in the United States.
According to national statistics, elder abuse is grossly under reported because vulnerable and older adults who are being abused find it difficult to tell anyone due to shame and fear.
Elder abuse affects men and women of all ethnic backgrounds and social status; it occurs in private residences and in facilities. The universal risk of elder abuse was acknowledged recently by actor Mickey Rooney, in his sharing of his personal suffering to the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging: “If elder abuse happened to me, Mickey Rooney, it can happen to anyone.”
In 2010, North Carolina's 100 county departments of social services received more than 18,000 reports of abuse, neglect or exploitation of vulnerable and older adults. Reports are made by doctors and other health care professionals and by family members and concerned citizens in our communities.
Most reported elder abuse in North Carolina (85 percent) happens to adults older than 59 who live alone or with family members, while the remainder happens in facilities or shelters. The most common form of mistreatment is neglect, with 69 percent of the cases involving self-neglect, where victims are unable to care for themselves adequately.
Anyone who suspects that a vulnerable or older adult is in need of protection is required by North Carolina General Statute (GS 108A-102) to report this information to the adult protective services intake unit at the department of social services in the county where the adult resides.
What can you do to help raise awareness about elder abuse?
• Don’t ignore this problem. It’s not going away.
• Report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation to the adult protective services intake unit in the North Carolina county where the adult lives. Contact information for county departments of social services is available at: www.ncdhhs.gov/dss/local
• Volunteer in local programs that provide assistance and support for vulnerable and older adults in your community and at long-term care facilities.
• Educate yourself, family, and community about elder abuse by visiting our website at www.ncdhhs.gov/aging
We all have a responsibility to support the safety, welfare, and dignity of North Carolina’s vulnerable and older adults. We urge everyone to work together to help protect our fellow North Carolinians from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.