(ThyBlackMan.com) Unfortunately, our rapidly aging society means the number of elder abuse cases in the U.S. are growing as well. According to the National Council on Aging, nearly 10% of all people over the age of 60 have faced abuse. While the number might be higher as many cases actually go unreported it is believed to be even worse in minority communities. To make matters worse, some of the abusers are even members of the victim’s families.
While all 50 states have tried to prevent elder abuse the problem is difficult to control. Elder abuse itself covers a wide variety of crimes including physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, exploitation, emotional abuse, and even self-neglect. In some cases, it is very hard for an outsider to even tell if elder abuse is happening.
That being said, some of the tell-tale signs of other forms of abuse – broken bones, bruises, and changes in behavior – may be an indication something is not right. However, the challenge can be in verifying the abuse has taken place.
As such, suspected cases should be reported to the authorities or to 
legal advisors who specialize in elder abuse cases. One such firm is Garcia Law. They have offices in five states including Arizona, California, and Florida and they specialize in elder abuse cases. Steven Garcia, was actually one of the first lawyers to ever try an elder abuse case.
A big reason for the rise in elder abuse is rapid aging. This actually creates more opportunity for existing abusers, such as those working in nursing homes. At the same time, it also makes it possible for more people to commit elder abuse. Such as children tasked with looking after an aging parent.
In the past week, the Orlando Sentinel reported that elder abuse on the rise in Florida. Even with some of the toughest elder abuse laws in the country, the number of verifiable cases in the state have grown by more than 70% since 2011. Florida is not the only state facing this problem. In Hawaii, the number of elder abuse cases rose by nearly 300% from 2008 to 2013.
Ultimately, education and prevention are often the best options in preventing elder abuse. This applies to elderly parent or relatives in nursing homes or living at home. In nursing homes, the key is to make sure facilities is properly staffed, training, and has the right equipment on hand.
If your parent or relative is considered a high-risk for falls, then the nursing home should have measures in place to help prevent these sorts of accidents from occurring. Another way to be proactive is to conduct scheduled and unscheduled visits. As mentioned elder abuse often goes unreported and this is because the victims themselves either don’t know what is happening or are too afraid to say anything.
You can also check out these prevention strategies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many of these strategies will apply to elderly parents or relatives who are either staying by themselves or with another family member. It is a good idea to visit regularly to make sure that everything is going well. Also, a little bit of help can go a long way to making sure the primary caregiver does not fall into the trap of unwittingly abusing their charge.
The fact that we need to deal with this problem is a real travesty and points to a fundamental breakdown in our society. The American Psychological Association estimates there are nearly 23 unreported cases of elder abuse for every reported case. If this estimate is correct, then there are nearly 6 million cases of elder abuse in the U.S. every year.
With the total population over the age of 60 expected to eclipse 25% by 2030, the problem is not expected to go away anytime soon. In fact, it is growing to epidemic proportions. To reverse the growing elder abuse problem in the U.S. requires the families who care about their elderly members, nursing homes and other industry players to enforce standards, and tough enforcement of the law.
Without all three elements, the problem will continue to grow to the point where we will become so immune to the egregious nature of elder abuses offenses that we are basically condoning it. This should not be acceptable and it is time for everyone to take a stand against elder abuse.
Staff Writer; Peter Seals
