World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: Combating Injustice
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: June 15, 2023
The COVID-19 pandemic may have led us to focus more on ourselves – and forget about checking in with others. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day reminds us about the importance of staying in touch with older persons.
Elder abuse is the intentional mistreatment or harming of an older person. An older person is defined by the Social Security Act as someone over age 60. This abuse takes many forms – including physical, emotional, neglect, sexual harm, and financial exploitation. More than 1 in 10 older adults experience some form of abuse each year. That number is likely much higher because elder abuse is often underreported– especially in underserved communities.
Abuse victims typically show emotional and behavioral red flags, such as depression, unusual fear or anxiety, or intentional isolation. Many victims are abused by someone they know or trust. It’s important to look for unusual changes in behavior around:
- Family members.
- Staff at inpatient facilities.
- Hired or volunteer caregivers.
- People in positions of trust like doctors or financial advisors.
You can also help make a difference by checking in with older loved ones. Looking for warning signs of mistreatment is the first step to preventing abuse. Signs of physical abuse include bruises, burns, or other unexplained injuries.
There may also be signs of neglect like:
- Poor nutrition or hygiene.
- Lack of necessary medical aids like glasses or medications that a caretaker should be providing.
There may also be indications of financial abuse. These may include:
- Unpaid rent.
- Sudden changes to a will.
- Unusual changes in money management.
- Large, unexplained financial transactions.
- Mortgages despite sufficient financial resources.
- Allowing someone new to access bank accounts.
If you suspect that someone is a victim of elder abuse, don’t ignore it! If you or someone you care about is in a life-threating situation, call 911. If you suspect that something isn’t right – but nobody seems to be in immediate danger – contact:
- Your local Adult Protective Services.
- The National Center on Elder Abuse at 1-855-500-3537 (ELDR).
You can also find additional local resources by searching the Eldercare Locator for your community.
This World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, take some time to call or visit with an older adult. Ask if they are okay and listen to what they tell you. Pay attention to signs of abuse or unusual behavior. Most of all, don’t be afraid to report instances of suspected abuse. Everyone deserves to be safe, regardless of age, and help is available.
Please share this information with your family and friends – and post it on social media.
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Earnestine S.
I am in danger they prevent me from calling for help they treat me horrible they have people follow me they tried to prevent me from getting information from social security they attacked me there they have plans for me trying to force me out of my apartment illegally I need help now
Ann C.
Hi, Earnestine. We are sorry to hear about your situation. If you are in a life-threating situation, call 911. If you suspect that something isn’t right – but nobody seems to be in immediate danger – contact:
You can also find additional local resources by searching the Eldercare Locator for your community. We hope this helps.
Karen E.
Can someone fond her address and go to her? She said they won’t let her call! This sounds urgent to me!
Karen E.
What is your zip code? The National Center for Elder Abuse needs that information to locate and help you. Please do not let this continue without providing them with your zip code. They can then zero in on finding you and freeing you from this horrible situation.
Prefertobe A.
I’m calling you out, Social Security Administration!!! I’m on Medicare and Medi-cal and I have had a broken back molar for 3 MONTHS! I can’t get a dentist to replace it with a crown due to Medicare refusing to cover a MOLAR FOR A CROWN! I can’t get Medi-cal to cover it because they are secondary and I have to go to a dentist that accepts BOTH since Medicare is my ‘primary’ coverage. THIS IS ELDER ABUSE BY SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION. I bet this won’t be posted because you can’t admit your own abuses!
Ann C.
Hi. We are sorry to hear about your condition and situation. You may wish to contact your local Medicare SHIP (State Health Insurance Program Coordinator) to discuss your concerns. We hope this helps.
Bill R.
No dental is covered by Medicare, never has been. You need to get dental insurance like some of us do or you end up having to pay for it out of your pocket.
Karen E.
Yes, the dentists are covered by Medicare Advantage Plans. I got a full set of dentures 4 years ago and am preparing to get another set this year.
Fred
Please forward this article to Dr. Jill Biden.
Martha G.
Around 9 months ago my husband was diagnosticated with lung cancer. We asked help to our daughters.
One of them offered her help with two conditions, one we supposed to move to her state and second give to her and her husband the total control over our income. We emphatically said no to control our income.
But, we’re dealing to move with their help.
Finally, we moved to their state without any help. I got an exhaustion which developed a stroke.
During all these months our daughter helped us with doctors appointments, insurance, medical services arrangements, some groceries and also lead some money to us. I wrote down all that expenses and we already paid her back 3/4 part of the amount
She always was acting weird an controlling.
About one month ago
started to tell us that her husband was complaining because she was expending too much gasoline and car miles. Next day she send a message to me saying she was havening a really big problems and was under a deep stress and some minutes after sent another message telling that I’m a bad person, insulting and mistreating everybody with malice including her sister, her husband and herself.
She started to get decision w/o our consent, like cancelled doctors app or making app with a Social Worker Coordinator to come to our home.
Two days before that incident I went to the local Aging Agency and they were so rude.
They didn’t inform me about my daughter was in contact with them making these arrangements.
We also are being
abused by the Mobil phone companies,
Rental Properties managements. Doctor’s office staff,
etc, etc. Most of this abusing situations still are happening to us, right now.
Leslie K.
That is horrible. Despite the difficulty and enormity of the health situation, you are her mother and as long as you are able to make decisions that are positive you should not have that right taken away from you. I am get so angered when I hear how families that are supposed to care can be so careless. It saddens me. I think you need to reach out to elder services and start to try and take back control of your life. I think your daughter needs to stop being selfish and think of her parents and take a step back if your intentions are not good. I wish you peace, blessings and the strength to get through.
Hilbert S.
Financial Institutions and Service Providers generally encourage automatic payment which should provide worry free management of enrolled services. However, some of these institutions are using this to their advantage especially against the elderly. Making changes in their favor, accessing funds without prior approval has been my recent experience with banks and insurance companies.
Joe B.
My 3 adult children abandoned me more than 20 years ago. Any attempts I have made to contact them have been unsuccessful. Any mail I send is returned as refused. Each of us reside in different states. Is there some place I can turn to for assistance to help in reuniting us? I only knew of 3 grandchildren then and am sure there are more. I have had no information about my grandchildren all this time.
Leslie K.
Social media is going to be your best friend here. Investigating where loved ones may be can be a huge undertaking but not impossible. If you have a local library or elder services location that you can ask if there is an advocate that can help you. Also there is a group called the Search Angels on Facebook. They help reunite families through Ancestry.com. That may be a good option. Good Luck. Blesssings to you in your search.
M. P.
As a disabled senior I was a victim of elder abuse when I was 60. When I contacted police my abuser said he was my “boyfriend” – he was a 36 year old stranger who muscled his way into my home during a Craigslist transaction and wouldn’t leave. He told them that he lived there and I was taking all his money because I didn’t want him to leave. No matter how I insisted that he was a stranger who had hit me, assaulted me, stolen all my money and my medications they chose to believe him. When I got agitated and upset they actually threatened to arrest me. I had my doctors and therapist call them and they kept telling us all the same thing: that they couldn’t take him out of my apartment because he “lived” there. He wouldn’t allow me to sit on my own couch and he slept in my bed with the door locked. He was an alcoholic and drug addiction and vomited and urinated all over both bed and couch. Finally after two visits in person to the police department and four more calls, after he’d taken everything I had, I became so depressed that I decided death was the only way out. I locked myself in the bathroom and texted my therapist to tell her that and she sent the same worthless police again. I guess once I had nothing left for him to exploit he decided to leave so he asked them to take him to a rehab center. But not before he told them that I was selling my own prescription medication leading to them investigating me for months before this nightmare finally ended. I decided right then that even if burglars were breaking into my house with weapons I would be better off without the cops. I wish I’d known about Adult Protective Services back then but who knows if they’d have believed me? I had no family or friends and that really left me vulnerable. Now I have a Ring camera and I never answer the door. I gave everything to Goodwill even the nice stuff I could have sold for desperately needed cash but I’ll never trust anyone again, nor the police. My life has never been the same; I have permanent injuries from the assault and it exacerbated my PTSD. I still have nightmares and sleep with lights on, what little I do sleep. Elder abuse is very real and happens more often than you might think. As for the “middle aged victim” posting here – you can take care of yourself, you had choices and you have no one to blame but yourself. Quit blaming your elderly parents for your problems and take some responsibility. Give me a break.
Anne B.
How do I report the Senior Building we luve in is mismanaged? The owners this year refuse to turn the AC on in this building! We are on the 3d floor w/ disabilities. I have MS and my companion has COPD. The heat from the hallways and below us creates extreme discomfort. The building code is public and anyone can enter and does! The company won’t change it! Our door has been pushed in! The Security Cameras don’t work! Residents are afraid to come forward in fear they will lose their housing! We’ve submitted repair requests for 8 years! The manager makes up rules;nothing is in writing! The situation continues to worsen here! My health is declining ftom this experience!
Leslie K.
CALL THE BOARD of HEALTH, Social Services, your primary care and then contact your local news station and the Attorney General. The more news exposure, guess what they will do what is required. It is not OK that you have to deal w/poor management that is compromising your health. I would be angry!! It needs to be brought to everyone’s attention.
Ann C.
Hi, Anne. We are sorry to hear about your health condition and situation. If you suspect that someone is a victim of elder abuse, don’t ignore it! If you or someone you care about is in a life-threating situation, call 911. If you suspect that something isn’t right – but nobody seems to be in immediate danger – contact:
Serena
When is Elder abuse awareness day? Is it today? I am not sure if the article ever really says.
Leslie A.
Today is Elder Abuse Awareness Month/day.
I hope you have a wonderful day. Stand up for what you deserve.
Nichol L.
Middle age abuse: Reverse elder abuse such as selling the home you grew up in that you expected to get passed down to you as a way to punish your children and much younger abusers that blindsided you into bad habits like borrowing money, smoking and drinking, body snatching, guilt trips and squinting while you talk.
Rico
You seem bitter about your parents selling the house they own through the sweat of their brow.
I applaude your parents actions. You are a symbol of the ungrateful child who waits like a vulture for his parents to die so he can feast on their bones.
Thet gave you life and took care of you. THEY OWE YOU NOTHING!
Lea
I agree, Rico. This punk is ungrateful to his parents and, exactly is acting like a vulture. Only his parents can legally disown him as evident on his post in this blog, and his parents should.
Emily A.
Yes, today is a sad day 6-15-2023 USA suppose! Thurgood Marshall last year 1993. Great photo taken at father work site Hall mark company KC MO with Father lawyer name 1975 Thurgood Marshall! Maybe his Quotes help in hard times USA Elder abuse today! Peace Grandma and Grandpa! Jesus carries two on better place. Love from family not there 2907 North Hayne Street Pensacola Fl. and easy for family members get away evil abuse.
Louanne S.
Nichol L – Your parents bought and paid for the house you grew up in, correct? What makes you think that they haven’t the right to sell it? It’s their house, unless your name appears on the deed and you did in fact make mortgage payments on the house as well. Our parents owe us nothing, nothing at all. Where is it written down that when our parents die, they must leave us an inheritance? I expect nothing from my parents. I would rather my parents never die than receive an inheritance, and told them so many years ago. If they need or want to sell everything then do so, for they were the ones who worked so hard to obtain them. Material things can be replaced, your parents and the memories you made with them can never be replaced.