Elder abuse ‘chronically underreported’ but common problem

Domestic violence is often equated with spousal abuse but
advocates for Sonoma County’s senior population say the impact of
elder abuse is similar to traditional domestic violence, and it’s
on the rise.
“If you look at it in terms of family violence, where seniors
are abused is by their adult kids,” said Marrianne McBride
President and CEO of Sonoma County Council on Aging.
McBride said the problem is probably chronically underreported
but clearly becoming more common in Sonoma County. “There’s a
growing incident of adult children abusing their parents but
because of the shame involved, the parents won’t report it,” she
said.
Senior advocates said physical abuse between two seniors does
occur, but it’s rare compared to financial abuse that usually
involves a child stealing from an aging parent.
Robin Hammond, the Major Fraud Prosecutor in the Sonoma County
District Attorney’s office, said she has seen a significant
increase in financial abuse. “I’ve been in this assignment a little
more than two years and the volume of cases I see has skyrocketed
in terms of elder financial abuse,” she said. “The most common is
between family members.”
Hammond said a typical case involves a child (usually a son)
assuming responsibility for a parent’s (usually a woman) finances
with the parent’s permission. The child may move into the parent’s
home or simply begin making decisions and demanding payment. “Then
we see him absolutely take advantage of the situation, take all her
money and spend it recklessly,” she said. “We also see a sort of
sophisticated manipulation of Mom. He will do whatever he can to
get money from her.”
While the situation is motivated by money, it can have real
impacts on a senior’s physical well being. An abusive caretaker may
become more physical, pushing the senior into a seat, pulling their
arm to make them move or confining them to a room.
Captain Matt McCaffrey from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s
Department said abusers often justify the physical evidence of
abuse as a result of the aging process. “They try to explain it
away,” he said. “A lot of these things can be explained away
because seniors bruise easier than they used to, they cut easier,”
he said. “What we would see as traumatic injury on a 40-year old,
when we see it on an 80 or 90-year old it’s more easily explained
because it doesn’t take so much effort to cause a traumatic injury
or wound.”
Financial abuse also endangers a senior’s long-term wellbeing.
“Because of people’s age, the biggest concern they have is about
losing their independence,” said Hammond. “Money can help them
maintain independence as long as possible so it’s devastating to
them not to have the money to make house payments or get care.”
She said seniors feel so much grief and shame when they realize
a child has stolen from them that it can cause stroke, heart
attack, or depression. “With these financial cases to some people
it seems like just money, but for some people is a huge
psychological devastation.”
McCaffrey said incidents of elder abuse are “grossly
underreported” by the victims themselves and said most incidents
are referred to law enforcement by a third party who notices
something strange.
Financial abuse is often first reported by banks that are
required by law to notify authorities when they suspect abuse.
Hammond said bank employees are trained to look for suspicious
activity such as large withdrawals from seldom used ATM cards,
electronic transfers from a customer who doesn’t use a computer or
suspicious body language during interactions with a teller.
Senior advocates said awareness is the best defense against
elder abuse. If a senior has begun to withdraw from their usual
social activities, seems to begin worrying about money or seems
concerned about unusual instructions from family, those could be
signs of abuse. McCaffrey said similar injuries on a consistent
basis or a lack of specific explanation for injuries is also a big
red flag. Advocates said talking directly to the senior is often
the best way to assess their situation.
“We have a tendency to believe explanations and want to believe
the best in people instead of maybe just asking a few more
questions,” said McCaffrey. “If something doesn’t feel right,
there’s a reason.”
McBride said people with concerns shouldn’t feel awkward about
involving the authorities. She said Adult Protective Services
investigates claims in a professional way. “Any time there’s a real
concern, they should call adult protective services,” she said.
“They’ll go in and assess the situation and make determination if
further assistance is needed.”
She said case workers know the difference between an abusive
relationship and one in which a senior is being cared for properly.
“They look for signs of a bad situation and then they would act,”
she said.
To report potential elder abuse, contact Adult Protective
Services at, 1-800-667-0404, reports can be faxed to (707)
565-5969. For more information visit http://www.sonoma-county.org/human/aps.htm
or visit the new Family Justice Center at
http://www.familyjusticecenter.com/Details/Sonoma-County-Family-Justice-Center.html.