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Increasing Awareness Of Elder Abuse

Friday has been designated as World Elder Abuse Day. Ohio officials are urging residents to recognize the warning signs and report any incidents of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. Mike Foley reports.

The Ohio Department of Aging says older adults represent the fastest-growing segment of the state’s population. By 2040, Ohio’s 60 and over age group will grow by 40 percent according to estimates. Interim director Beverley Laubert says she expects an increase in elderly abuse cases because they’re already underreported.

“Each year, Ohio’s Adult Protective Services program receives approximately 16,000 reports of suspected abuse in the community,” Laubert said. “The office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman receives about 2,800 care and abuse complaints. The National Institutes of Health suggests that for every incident that is reported, there are as many as 13 that go unreported. That means as many as one in ten older Ohioans experience some type of abuse each year.”

Laubert says abuse can happen to anyone and in different forms, from physical, emotional or sexual abuse to neglect and exploitation. Beyond the physical appearance of harm, other warning signs include social isolation, sudden changes in behavior, refusing to see other adults alone, unsanitary living conditions, unexplained transfers of assets, and abrupt financial changes. Laubert says it’s also important to report any suspected cases of abuse, neglect and exploitation.  

Local adult protective services agencies, long-term care ombudsman, case managers, law enforcement officials and others work together to stop abuse and protect our most vulnerable neighbors and loved ones,” Laubert said. “But we can’t act if we don’t know about it. We are developing a coordinated prevention strategy that raises awareness of elder abuse and fosters innovative and collaborative approaches to respond quickly and provide support and assistance that can prevent abuse from happening in the first place.”

Laubert says county departments of job and family services receive and investigate reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation and evaluate the need for protective services. There’s also a statewide help line at 1-855-644-6277. To report suspected abuse in a nursing home, assisted living facility, or by a home care agency, she recommends the state ombudsman’s office at 1-800-282-1206. The state can also connect elders to the closest agency on aging for support services at 1-866-243-5678. 

Mike Foley joined WCBE in February 2000, coming from WUFT in Gainesville, Florida. Foley has worked in various roles, from producing news and feature stories to engineering Live From Studio A sessions. A series of music features Foley started in 2018 called Music Journeys has grown into a podcast and radio show. He also assists in developing other programs in WCBE's Podcast Experience. Foley hosts The Morning Mix, a weekday music show featuring emerging and established musicians, our Columbus-area and Ohio-based talent, and additional artists that inspire him.
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