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Attorney General Mike DeWine
DeWine Warns of Elder
Abuse
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ahead of Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Ohio Attorney
General Mike DeWine is warning Ohioans to beware of signs of elder
abuse.
“Elder abuse can affect any family in any community,” Attorney General
DeWine said. “It often involves a person in a position of power or
trust who takes advantage of an older adult. Sadly, many elder abuse
cases are never reported. The good news is that we can help protect our
neighbors, family, and friends by bringing attention to the problem and
taking steps to prevent and stop it.”
An estimated one in 10 older adults have experienced elder abuse, but
only a portion of elder abuse cases are believed to be reported to
authorities. Elder abuse can include physical abuse, emotional abuse,
sexual abuse, financial exploitation, or neglect. It often is committed
by someone the person knows, such as a family member, friend, or
caregiver, and it can occur in the older person’s home, in a
residential facility, or elsewhere in the community.
Warning signs of elder abuse include:
Changes in an older adult’s physical appearance, such as weight loss or
unexplained bruising or bleeding
Changes in an older adult’s personality or mood
Changes in an older adult’s finances or money management
A dominating, threatening caregiver or new “best friend”
Exclusion from other family members or friends
Changes in an older adult’s home environment
Risk factors include social isolation, bereavement, cognitive decline,
dependence on another for care, and depression or other mental issues.
Victims may be reluctant to report abuse for fear of being moved from
their home or being harmed.
Ohio’s population of adults age 60 or older, which stood at 2.28
million in 2010, is expected to grow to 3.37 million by 2030, according
to the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University. As Ohio’s
population of older adults grows, so too could the potential for elder
abuse.
To protect Ohio’s older adults, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office
works with local authorities in the investigation and prosecution of
elder abuse cases and investigates patient abuse and neglect in
long-term care settings. For example, following investigations by the
office, a Kentucky man was sentenced to four years in prison for
stealing from elderly and/or disabled nursing home residents, and an
Ohio man was sentenced to four years in prison for stealing more than
$2 million in timber from property owned by an elderly man.
Through the Ohio Attorney General’s Elder Justice Initiative, which
Attorney General DeWine launched in 2014, the office also provides
support, education, and outreach services to combat elder financial
exploitation and abuse. Training for law enforcement, attorneys, social
workers, and other professionals is available.
To request assistance, training, or more information about elder
justice issues, contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at
800-282-0515 or visit www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.
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