50+ Lifestyles

Elder Abuse – Awareness, awareness, awareness

By Alyssa Dominacki
Alternatives for the Older Adult
Business Development Coordinator

According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), each year, an estimated 5 million (or 1 in 10) older adults in America fall victim to abuse, neglect or financial exploitation. Now more than ever is the time to join hands and help fellow community members lead independent, quality lives.

Elder abuse can be categorized into the following: physical abuse, confinement, financial exploitation, emotional abuse, passive neglect, sexual abuse and/or willful deprivation. We know that the most common forms of abuse is financial exploitation, which houses an astonishing 60 percent of reported cases state-wide.

Making a report can open the door to the many resources available to help. Knowing who to report suspected abuse cases to is a good start. Telly Papanikolaou, Alternatives’ Adult Protective Services Program Director informed us, “If the situation is emergent and you are witnessing abuse taking place, call 911 first and then call Adult Protective Services.”

If the situation is not necessarily an emergency but you know or suspect that some form of elder abuse is taking place, call your local adult protective services agency. You can find your local contact by calling the Senior Help line at any time: 866-800-1409.

According to the Illinois Department on Aging, during the period of July 2015 through June 2016, there were 15,924 cases of abuse reported. 3,026 reports involved adults with disabilities aged 18-59. Though there were this many reports given, as few as 1 in 14 cases of elder abuse are actually reported according the NCEA. This leaves many individuals without the support and guidance they need.

Papanikolaou told us, “If a report is not filed and abuse/neglect is actually occurring, most likely the abuse will continue, leaving individuals possibly in harm’s way; whether that is physically, financially, emotionally, or in some other manner. It is crucial for our Adult Protective Services Department to be aware of any possible abuse.”

Many people may not know that family members are the most common abusers of financial exploitation of older adults. Three out of four abusers are family members. While submitting a report may be an easy process, people oftentimes do not realize that these victims of abuse may heavily rely on said family member for daily tasks such as meal making or transportation.

At this point, an adult protective services agency can step in and help navigate the individual with supports for multiple different aspects of their lives. According to Papanikolaou, “Adult Protective Services works in a holistic manner. Even though our primary client and focus is on the alleged victim, we will also work with the alleged abuser. Our goal is to make the family unit healthier. When that happens, everyone functions better.”

Even if you merely suspect elder abuse is occurring, but you have no confirmation, you are still encouraged to submit a report to your local Adult Protective Services agency. “Reporting suspected abuse is critical to enable us to make every effort to help protect and keep people safe so they can maintain a quality, independent life,” said Papanikolaou.

It is also important to know that personal information of all parties involved is kept confidential. You have the choice to file a report anonymously. According to Papanikolaou, “We work within the parameters of confidentiality to ensure that personal information of all parties involved is safe guarded.”

If you suspect abuse or know someone who may benefit from speaking with one of Alternatives’ Adult Protective Services professionals, call us today: 1-800-798-0988.

Alyssa Dominacki is Business Development Coordinator at Alternatives for the Older Adult. She can be reached at (309) 277-0167 or ADominacki@alternativesforyou.org.