Celebrating Successes on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is a time to rally around the fight for older adults’ rights and to celebrate all the good we can do by supporting those who need it most. The interventions and advocacy plans created by working with our team of Elder Rights Specialists come in all shapes and sizes.

Below, you’ll find examples of tough situations our consumers faced over the last year. Click on the text to learn how the Elder Rights Program helped these seniors get back on a happier and healthier path.

• Self-Neglect: An individual in their 70s was living on their own in Benton County. They struggled with getting services in their home due to family dynamics and lack of access to care. Emergency services were responding out to the home very frequently.

  Our Elder Rights Specialist was able to approach them in a way that was non-judgmental and build trust with them. He was able to help them access their medical appointments, get in home health care, and provided resources for getting their home in order for these services to be able to continue to assist them. Our Elder Rights Specialist was also able to get them on a state waiver program to assist with ongoing care. Through using a person-centered approach and providing lots of advocacy on their behalf, the consumer overcame many hurdles to get the support they needed to continue living in their home.

• Caregiver Neglect: An individual in their 70s was living with their spouse. They had extensive health issues that required care 24 hours a day, as well as a deteriorating memory. Their spouse had a hard time accepting that they needed assistance caring for their loved one.

  Family members grew concerned and reached out for referral to the Elder Rights Program. An Elder Rights Specialist provided resources to the couple that not only assisted the individual in declining health, but also gave some reprieve to the spouse who did not have the resources in place to keep their loved one safe in the home. By providing referrals for home health care, home repair, medical equipment and respite, the couple was able to stay together in their home.

• Physical Abuse: An individual in their 80s year was living with a family member and other several other individuals. They would show up at the senior dining site with bruises on their face.

  When first asked about the bruises, they denied any abuse. They said they fell while picking up their dog. Eventually, they opened up that they were being hit, shoved, and the family member was getting in their face asking for their money. The family member had access to all bank accounts and would take their phone away at times. The family member would threaten to send them to a nursing home if they didn’t do what they demanded. The older adult reported that sometimes the only time they ate was at the dining site.

  The individual was able to get out of the home safely with the help of the Elder Rights/Victims of Crime program and law enforcement. They now live in their own apartment and receive ongoing support services to maximize their independence.

• Emotional Abuse: A couple in their 90s were victims of emotional abuse by their own family member. The family member would break in their home and yell at them for hours, not allowing them to get up and get help.

  With the support of an Elder Rights Specialist, they were able to develop a “Safety Plan” to get help when this would occur. The program assisted with changing locks on the doors, getting a Personal Emergency Response System installed and set up in the home and made a referral for legal support. The Elder Rights Specialist came up with other support services to help check in on the couple, such as Meals on Wheels and home health care.

• Financial Exploitation: An individual in their 70s was being taken advantage of financially by a loved one. The individual felt ashamed they allowed it to happen and was worried about asking for help because it was a family member.

  An Elder Rights Specialist worked with the individual to make sure that the family member could not continue to access their finances. They were provided emergency food and medical supplies. With the help of the Elder Rights Specialist, the individual enrolled in a waiver program and now receives ongoing support services and the medical care they were in need of for a very long time.

• Sexual Abuse: Due to the extremely sensitive nature of sexual abuse cases, Heritage will not provide specific information on a case from this past year. Instead, read more about its prevalence and how Heritage can help.

  Sexual abuse can happen to anyone, no matter their age. In fact, 5 million women 65 and over are survivors of sexual abuse. 97% of cases that involved individuals with disabilities goes unreported. At Heritage, our Elder Rights Program provides advocacy and emotional support to survivors of sexual abuse and provides referrals to programs that specialize therapy for survivors.

See something? Say something.

The classic public safety mantra applies to elder abuse, too. If you see something suspicious or have concerns about an older adult you know, one call to Heritage AAA can mean a world of difference.