World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Is June 15

Press release from the Area Agency on Aging:

June 15, 2021

The National Council on Aging reports that 1 in every 10 adults 60 years and older experiences elder abuse. Ninety-six percent of those cases go unreported.

“The numbers tell a frightening story because we know they’re much bigger than what’s reported,” said Melissa Elliott, senior vice president of programs and services at the Area Agency on Aging. “That’s what makes World Elder Abuse Awareness Day so important: it brings attention to a problem that all of us need to know about because it’s up to all of us to prevent it.”

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is June 15.

Elliott said that “abuse comes in many forms: physical, sexual, emotional, neglect and financial exploitation.

“Elder abuse is best prevented and addressed through a community response by being aware of risk and protective factors,” she said. “And individuals who are closest to vulnerable adults are most likely to recognize and report it, but the cases are still widely unreported.”

“Prevention is about being observant and watching for individuals who may be isolated or vulnerable,” she added. “This can be especially true if they depend on someone for care and if they would not be able to keep themselves safe or have enough awareness to know if they were being exploited, such as someone with dementia.”

That’s where the burden to recognize and report falls on all of us, Elliott said. “And by all of us we mean anyone in the community: professionals, neighbors, friends, family members, people you worship with.”

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was launched on June 15, 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations.

If you suspect that a vulnerable adult has been a victim of abuse, contact Adult Protective Services at 1-877-767-2385 (TDD: 1-877-815-8390) or call the Area Agency on Aging’s Senior Help Line at (602) 264-HELP (4357).

For more information, visit www.aaaphx.org.

This press release was produced by the Area Agency on Aging. The views expressed here are the author's own.