County Ramps up Awareness of Elderly Abuse
The Board of Supervisors recently proclaimed the month of May as Elder Abuse Awareness Month with the goal of increasing awareness of both the need and the services available to provide support to the elderly who are at risk of, or victims of abuse or neglect.
Elder abuse is indiscriminate: Factors such as socio-economic status, gender, race, ethnicity, educational background, and geographic location do not protect victims from the broad reach of this type of crime. The County of Riverside's Adult Protective Services Hotline receives over 5,600 reports of abuse each year. Moreover, some national studies indicate that as few as one in five incidents are actually reported. That gives an indication of the potential scope of the problem and the number of victims who may need help and are not receiving it.
Elder abuse impacts the entire community and finding solutions depends on community involvement. Those affected are citizens who've spent their lives raising families and contributing to their community but now, due to their vulnerability, are unable to protect themselves from financial or physical harm. Financial abuse of the elderly is one of the fastest growing categories of crime against the elderly and can devastate a senior, potentially causing loss of home and life savings. With all of us working together, we can make Riverside County a safer place for these valuable citizens.
For more information about how you can help and the services that are available, go to http://dpss.co.riverside.ca.us/dpss/. If you are concerned about an elder or dependent adult, please contact the Adult Protection Hotline at 800-491-7123.
Together we can prevent elder abuse - and care for those who've spent their lives caring for us.