THE OLDER CROWD:Elder abuse unrecognized

If you have been reading the papers lately or watching TV you are probably aware that elder abuse is becoming a problem in our society. The incidence of elder abuse cases in Orange County has risen over the last six years. Adult Protective Services receives about 500 reports of elder abuse each month, an increase of more 150 cases monthly.

Experts estimate that for every report of abuse, five go unreported, indicating that each year more than 30,000 of our county’s most vulnerable adults endure trauma, and in some cases injury and death, associated with elder abuse.

Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona says: “Elder abuse is a crime without boundaries, crossing all racial, social, gender, and geographic lines. It is also a crime that is projected to rise in numbers of victims when you consider the U.S. population age 60 years or older will drastically increase as 77 million baby boomers approach retirement and old age.”

Each year hundreds of older persons are abused, neglected and exploited by family members and others. Many victims are people who are older, frail and vulnerable and cannot help themselves and depend on others to meet their most basic needs. Among known perpetrators of abuse and neglect, the perpetrator was a family member in 90% of the cases. Two-thirds of the perpetrators were adult children or spouses. Other perpetrators may include paid attendants, employees of long-term care facilities, or caregivers who lack adequate skills, training, time or energy.

Examples of elder abuse run a wide gamut and include physical abuse ? the willful infliction of physical pain or injury, such as slapping, bruising or restraining. Sexual abuse in most cases is caused by the infliction of non-consensual sexual contact of any kind. Psychological abuse can best be described as infliction of mental or emotional anguish such as humiliating, intimidating or threatening. Financial or material exploitation is the improper act or process of an individual, using the resources of an older person, without his/her consent, for someone else’s benefit. Neglect is the failure of a caretaker to provide goods or services necessary to avoid physical harm, mental anguish or mental illness, such as abandonment, denial of food or health related services. Some cases are characterized as self neglect ? situations in which there is no perpetrator and neglect is the result of the older person refusing care.

We at the Costa Mesa Senior Center are aware that this is a huge problem and are working to put together a program in the fall to help prevent the elder population from being abused. In a future article I will outline what we propose to do.

The research for this article was a team effort by Darryl Kim, program director for the center; Louise Tarshis, grant writer; and me.

Today we will be having a car wash, with pancake breakfast, in the center’s parking lot located at 695W 19th Street. It will run from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It’s a bargain at $5 per car wash, and $5 for pancakes with sausages. Our thanks go to IHOP on Baker Street in Costa Mesa for donating the buttermilk mix and to the Costa Mesa Newport Harbor Lions Club for cooking the breakfast for us. All proceeds go the center for its senior programs.

We will have a dinner theater from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Fri., Aug. 4 featuring “3 for the Show!” Come out and join us for dinner while performers dazzle you with snappy feet and great harmony. Cost is $5 for members, $12 for non-members. Reservations are a must! Please sign up today as space is limited. For further information call (949) 645-2356.