This Thursday, June 15, marks another of those days that as a people we wish we did not have to recognize – World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. But unfortunately with a growing older population, we are experiencing an increase in elder abuse.
Organized by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, there will be a special recognition of the day at the United Nations. The theme of this year’s World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is Understand and End Financial Abuse of Older People: A Human Rights Issue.
This abuse manifests itself in many ways – physical, emotional, financial and more. And it can occur anywhere – at home, or in hospitals, nursing homes or other long-term care facilities.
Fortunately there are steps that can be taken to prevent or at least limit the level of elder abuse. It starts with recognizing the risk factors and then taking the necessary steps to protect our seniors. And the most critical is if you suspect elder abuse, report it. In Florida you can do that by calling the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96Abuse (1-800-962-2873).
During the next few days, we will on our Facebook page, offer a series of short videos produced with Elder Options Caregiver Coach Tom Rinkoski that will help you understand the seriousness of elder abuse.
Additionally, as part of its effort to shed light on this issue, Elder Options is hosting an event Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Gainesville Senior Center. Long-time community elder advocate Sheriff Sadie Darnell is the keynote speaker. Among the topics to be discussed are ways to prevent financial elder abuse and identity theft, as well as victim advocacy.
If you are a caregiver, family member or one of our seniors wanting to learn how to protect yourself, I strongly encourage you to attend. Call Chrystal Holmes (352)692-5246 or Betty Flagg (352)692-5219 to RSVP.