One state is taking steps to spread awareness about the serious problem of elder abuse across the country.
The governor of Pennsylvania has declared today as Elder Abuse Awareness Day across the entire state. To mark the occasion, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging is working hard to inform the state’s citizens about the numerous ways in which the elderly can be abused, as well as how to combat such situations.
The Department of Aging last year looked into 18,000 instances of elder abuse that got reported to their program dedicated to protective services. They discovered that, in 40% of reported cases, the reports were warranted and abuse likely was occurring. The even sadder news is that these numbers are only expected to get higher as the number of persons who fall into the threatened age demographic continues to grow.
The safety organization is trying to spread awareness about the many types of abuse that can occur. Abuse can take the form of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, or it can involve someone trying to take advantage of an elderly person’s financial situation. Neglect is another type of abuse that they want people to be aware of.
To combat this type of deplorable behavior, people are advised to look for typical warning signs. Such signs can include unexplained bruises, loss of weight, or discovering that exorbitant amounts of money have suddenly disappeared from an individual’s account. Any suspected abuse can be reported to the state’s Elder Abuse hotline.