By Karen Courtney, Director of Programs at CareWell Services
Together, we can end elder abuse.
The first step is to understand what elder abuse is so that it can be spotted. A wide range of abusive behaviors are considered elder abuse including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, financial exploitation, neglect, and abandonment.
Elder abuse can happen to people over the age of 60 of any ethnic or social background and of any gender, by people of any ethnic or social background and of any gender. Factors that may put older adults at higher risk are a steady income, a trusting nature, limited knowledge of technology, and cognitive impairments that impact decision-making.
An insidious yet common form of elder abuse is financial exploitation. Financial exploitation is defined by the National Coalition of Elder Abuse as the “illegal taking, misuse, or concealment of funds, property, or assets of a vulnerable elder.” Scams that result in financial exploitation are more sophisticated than ever. They can be done over the internet, through the mail, over the phone, or in-person.
Local professionals working with seniors are fighting against elder abuse as part of the Elder Abuse Prevention Coalition. The group is composed largely of service professionals, law enforcement, banking, and non-profit agency personnel who interact with elders in their daily work. The Coalition is not exclusive to Calhoun County.
Our team at CareWell Services Southwest, your Region 3B Area Agency on Aging, is excited to be hosting a quarterly gathering of these community partners working together against elder abuse. This gathering will take place on Monday, March 4 at 9:00am in the Lew Boyd Room at the Kool Family Community Center (200 W. Michigan Avenue, Battle Creek).
We’ll be discussing the present and future of the group and how we will be enhancing our presence within the community. In that discussion, we’ll go over scam awareness and review county and state protocols around elder abuse.
Professionals in aging are encouraged to invite others in their agency, workplace, or professional network to attend. Everyone’s input, experience, and ideas are valued. Please RSVP by calling us at (269) 966-2450 or emailing kcourtney@carewellservices.org.
