USA: Shine a light on the darkness of elder abuse

. PALM SPRINGS, California / The Desert Sun / July 28, 2009 Glen Grayman, M.D. Special to The Desert Sun We often smile at the adorable old ladies and men we see each time we visit our favorite local pharmacy, feeling compassion for the aches and pains they gracefully endure with advancing age. On the outside, all seems peaceful. The view from the inside, however, reveals a much darker picture. The most recent local data collected, analyzed and published by the Palm Desert-based health research organization HARC (Health Assessment Resource Center), provides an eye-opening look at a vastly underreported crime in our communities: elder abuse. One out of six cases reported Human and social services agencies nationwide have long wrestled with the challenges of this hidden nightmare. It is well known that, largely because of shame and embarrassment, only about one in six cases of elder abuse in the U.S. are ever reported to authorities. But HARC took an approach designed to more accurately determine the actual number of incidents in the Coachella Valley, whether reported or not, by anonymously asking the seniors themselves and assuring them of confidentiality. Through a sweeping telephone survey across our region, HARC found that approximately 2.6 percent of the respondents in the Coachella Valley 65 or older — an estimated 4,140 seniors — reported being either physically or mentally mistreated or neglected within the previous 12 months. Another 5.1 percent of senior respondents, or roughly 8,025 of the Valley's elderly, told HARC that someone — such as a merchant, neighbor or family member — had taken advantage of them financially within the previous year. More than 10,600 abused Accounting for those who reported being abused in multiple ways, HARC estimates that together, more than 10,600 of our elderly neighbors and loved ones were abused in the last year. It gets worse. Of the valley's senior respondents who live alone, approximately one in eight (12.7 percent) told HARC they had been abused by a trusted caregiver or another person within the previous 12 months. Consider that roughly one-third of the valley's residents 65 and older live alone, putting them at great risk. Similarly, the risk of abuse was higher among those 65 and above who are dependent upon others to help them with daily care, and among the oldest of our seniors, that is, those 75 or older. Latino elderly are much less likely to be abused than white seniors. Perpetrators usually known The National Center on Elder Abuse reports that in almost 90 percent of incidents with a known perpetrator, the abuser is a family member and two-thirds of them are adult children or spouses. As “community sentinels,” we can keep an eye out for our vulnerable loved ones, friends, and neighbors. Each of us needs to speak up if we have concerns, even if we are not sure. If one has a sense of immediate danger, calling 911 is always appropriate. If one is less sure, call the Elder Abuse Hotline: (800) 491-7123 and simply state your concerns. Local senior centers, as well as the Riverside County Office on Aging, are also available to answer questions and to give guidance. One thing is for certain: elder abuse can happen to any older person — your neighbor, your loved one. It can even happen to you. And, as the numbers show, it's happening far too much right here in this beautiful, caring place we call home. [rc] Glen Grayman, M.D., serves as board president of the Health Assessment Resource Center (www.harcdata.org), the local nonprofit health research organization that publishes the triennial Community Health Monitor. Copyright ©2009 MyDesert.com