We should work to bring elder abuse out of shadows

Krishmu Shipmon sounded the alarm loudly and clearly last week on the pervasive scope of pernicious abuse against senior citizens in our community.

At an event in the rotunda of the Mahoning County Courthouse to observe Elder Abuse Awareness Month, the director of Mahoning County Adult Protective Services told dozens in attendance that her office receives more than 50 calls per week to report abuse, neglect or exploitation of older county residents.

But here’s the rub: Only 1 in 5 cases of abuse is actually reported to authorities, according to Ohio Department of Aging estimates.

Do the math, and the shocking breadth of the crisis comes into focus: As many as 13,000 Mahoning County seniors out of a population of about 50,000 seniors run the risk of abuse annually.

Clearly, that level – or any level of elder abuse – is unacceptable.

If nothing is done, those deplorable and lamentable numbers are sure to rise simply given the demographic changes spurred on by the graying of America.

In the Buckeye State, the number of adults older than 60, which stands at about 2.2 million, is expected to soar to 3.3 million by 2030, according to a study by the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University of Ohio.

In Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, in his Elder Justice Initiative, projects the population of Ohioans 60 years old and up will grow from 30 percent of the population in 2020 to 36 percent by 2040, one of the highest growth proportions in the state.

As seniors’ ranks continue to grow, so, too, must quality-of-life concerns that directly affect them, not the least of which is elder abuse and combating it in any of its many despicable forms.

What’s even more troubling, however, is that elder abuse remains a grossly under reported crime. The National Center for Elder Abuse believes the scope of the social malady is far worse than Ohio and other governments estimate.

Lack of reporting

Its studies indicate only 1 in 23 of elder-abuse cases overall and only 1 in 44 cases of financial exploitation are reported to authorities, the National Center for Elder Abuse reports.

Given those grim findings, June’s international observance of Elder Abuse Awareness Month should take on added significance that translates into difference-making action.

The World Health Organization defines elder abuse as “a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person.”

The Ohio Department of JFS says it deals with myriad types of abuse reports from victims, their families and loved ones. They include neglect by others, self-neglect, financial exploitation and sexual, physical and emotional abuse.

Because so many victims are too proud to reveal that they unwittingly let others take advantage of them, it is up to all of us to recognize the most common signs and report them to authorities.

Toward that end, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office has issued alerts warning Ohioans to be on the lookout for any of many potential signs of maltreatment toward seniors.

Those include scratches, cuts, bruises and other visible evidence of physical harm; sudden and inexplicable behavioral or mood changes; caregivers who refuse to allow visitors to see the adult alone; hazardous or unsanitary living conditions and unexplained, sudden transfers of assets or finances to another person.

Fortunately, a new law in Ohio strengthens the incentives for reporting such crimes. New requirements that took effect this spring broaden the definition of a mandatory reporter to pull in professions that have the ability to spot issues from many perspectives. Those include pharmacists, dialysis technicians, firefighters, first responders, CPAs, real-estate agents and bank tellers.

If members of any mandated group fails to report suspected abuse, they face fines of up to $500.

More widespread reporting of abuse represents one first step toward bringing this egregious crime out of the shadows. If you suspect potential abuse, do not hesitiate to call Adult Protective Services at 330-884-6952 or 330-884-6931, or call the help hot line after 4 p.m. or on weekends at 330-747-2696. Yost maintains a statewide hot line as well at 1-800-282-0515.

During this Elder Abuse Awareness Month, clearly we must muster up more than mere awareness. This month and every month, we must commit to act to lessen the scope of these cruel and heartless crimes that rob our state’s proud older residents of their hard-earned dollars and well-deserved dignity.