by Charlotte Roberts
Eskaton Lassen Manor is commemorating World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15th by raising awareness about the growing problem of Elder Abuse in our community and around the globe.
Did you know that every day 10,000 people turn 65 in the US alone? That trend is going to continue for nearly the next 20 years. Our demographics are shifting, and we will soon have more elderly people in the US than ever before. At the same time that the population is growing, we know that a startling number of elders face abusive conditions. Every year an estimated 5 million, or 1 in 10, older Americans are victims of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation. And that’s only part of the picture: Experts believe that for every case of elder abuse or neglect reported, as many as 23.5 cases go unreported.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day serves as a call-to-action for individuals, organizations, and communities to raise awareness about abuse, neglect, and exploitation of elders. Elder abuse can be financial, emotional, physical and sexual. It also includes people who are neglected and those who neglect themselves (self-neglect).
The consequences of elder abuse are grave: older adults who are abused are twice as likely to be hospitalized, four times as likely to go into nursing homes and three times as likely to die. Older adults are vital, contributing members of American society and their abuse or neglect diminishes all of us.
Charlotte Roberts, Social Service Coordinator for Eskaton Lassen Manor says, “We do everything that we can to educate our residents on the signs of elder abuse because they are their best advocates.” Eskaton Lassen Manor holds yearly educational events on elder abuse, as well as providing elder abuse information and resources in their resident newsletter.
“Everyone on the staff is a Mandated Reporter of elder abuse,” says Roberts. “Staff is continually educated to identify elder abuse and neglect so nothing goes unreported. We are proud to work closely with Lassen County Adult Protective Services.”
