Elder abuse up by 79% in Ariz.; Care providers raise awareness
About 50 residents and staff gathered at Kissito Healthcare Palm View Rehabilitation on Monday to raise awareness of elder abuse.
“We are here to make sure that abuse does not happen to elders here or anywhere,” said Vicky Schmerman, chief administrative officer for the facility, just before releasing a flurry of purple and gold balloons.
“We use the term elder abuse whenever someone elderly is physically, mentally, emotionally or financially harmed or exploited by another person,” said Daniel Garcia, president of the Yuma County Elder Abuse Coalition. “Unfortunately, it is one of those things that is growing in Yuma and Arizona as a whole.”
According to Arizona Department of Economic Security’s Adult Protective Services, there were 300 reported cases of adult abuse either physically, via neglect or in terms of financial exploitation, in Yuma County, for the fiscal year from July 2013 to June 2014, which includes any victim over the age of 18. Of that number, 248 cases involved victims over the age of 60. Of these cases, only 27 were substantiated.
For the state of Arizona, there were 11,599 investigations into adult mistreatment for all those 18 and up in the 2013 fiscal year, a 79 percent increase from fiscal year 2010. Over 70 percent of clients were over the age of 60, and 740 of these claims were found to be substantiated.
Yuma saw 221 allegations of abuse against people over age 60 in fiscal year 2013, 146 in fiscal year 2012, 180 in 2011, and 172 in 2010.
“The range of abuse can go from just being ignored to having your Social Security checks diverted away from you,” said Lori Stockton, marketing director at Palm View and also a member of the Yuma County Elder Abuse Coalition. “Sometimes a family member really doesn’t know about all that they need to do to ensure that their elderly loved one is in good condition.”
Palm View staff said that they pay close attention to their residents, keep in contact with their families and keep residents informed.
“This event was not only to support Elder Abuse Awareness Day, but I also use it as an activity to make sure that they (residents) know that we’re aware that it exists (in general),” Maria Vega, director of activities at the facility. “Most of them are not alert enough to know that it is for them but even before we bring them out we make sure to explain to them, in English and Spanish, what we are going to do and what it is for.”
There are signs one can look for. If an elderly person appears withdrawn, scared to leave the home or appear to have financial struggles that were not there before, these may be red flags.
Schmerman has seen a lot after 35 years in senior care. She noted that while she has never seen anyone abused at a facility she works with, she has seen victims enter the facilities after the fact.
“I have seen people brought into communities because where they were did not meet their needs,” she said. “Often at times, it’s involuntary and people just don’t realize that elders still have rights.”
Among the most common physical signs of such mistreatment comes in the form of bed sores – broken skin that remains so because an elderly body cannot repair itself like those of younger people.
“Bed sores can begin to appear if a person is not being cleaned,” said Schmerman. “And it might be complicated further still if they’re not hydrated well.”
Schmerman said that often the root lies in caretakers not being able to handle the situation thrust before them.
“It is often the result of a lack of awareness and potential frustration with the situation,” said Schmerman.
Those suspecting a case of elder abuse are encouraged to call a healthcare organization, such as Hospice of Yuma, and it will follow its procedures in reporting it to the state.
Cases can also be reported anonymously to Adult Protective Services online at https://www.azdes.gov/landing.aspx?id=7436, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You may also call Adult Protective Services Mondays to Fridays, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., or between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, at 877767-2385.