Elder Abuse Shelters
USA Today reported on Ohio's first elder abuse shelter. The abuse against the elderly especially the most vulnerable--the weak, physically or mentally disabled or both--continues to rise. "They're the nation's fast-growing elderly population, and many are prime targets for abuse — physical, financial, sexual or emotional. Concern among the elderly and their advocates is mounting as the number of seniors soars and more of them live longer." The number of people who live to age 90 and beyond has tripled in the past three decades to 2 million and is projected to quadruple by 2050, according to the Census Bureau. The number of 65-plus grew 15.1% since 2000 to 40.3 million or 13% of the total population.
The Cedar Village Retirement Community in a suburb of Cincinnati opened a long-term care facility to victims of abuse. It is the first elder abuse shelter in Ohio and one of only a half-dozen in the country, all of them funded by non-profit groups. Ohio's Shalom Center for Elder Abuse Prevention at Cedar Village will care for abused seniors in four counties and provide medical, nursing and therapy services, meals, legal services, social work, pastoral care and social, recreational and educational programs.
"There is a genuine recognition by those who are concerned by the abuse of elders that there need to be appropriate safe houses for them to get them out of immediate harm's way," says Sally Hurme, AARP's senior project manager in education and outreach. "Nationally, we've been aware of the need for elder abuse shelters, but they've been slow in coming into fruition."
Advocates for the old are pushing for more and launching campaigns to educate communities about elder abuse and how to prevent it. The National Academy of Sciences estimates that only one in 14 cases comes to the attention of authorities. The Elder Justice Act passed in 2010 but has received zero funding while states cut budgets.
