FRESNO,CA (KMJ) – Today, Thursday June 15th, is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
It was launched on June 15, 2006 to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of elder mistreatment by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic, and demographic factors that drive and influence elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
Each year, an estimated 5 million older persons are abused, neglected, and exploited but it’s estimated that only about one in five of those crimes are ever reported.
The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office says it remains committed to prosecuting individuals who prey on elderly and dependent neighbors.
David Tamblin, a Social Work Supervisor for Adult Protective Services, says the elderly are often targets of unscrupulous behavior.
“The scams that you hear right now on the phones where they’re calling saying they are a relative, and they need to be helped getting out of jail, and that kind of stuff. We get a lot of those calls, and it’s really educating the client, helping them do the police reports and helping them follow through and we also work closely with our law enforcement partners to reduce the risk of abuse and neglect and further investigate allegations.” -David Tamblin, Social Work Supervisor, Adult Protective Services.
Older adults throughout the United States lose over $2.6 billion dollars or more annually due to elder financial abuse and exploitation, funds that they desperately need to pay for basics such as housing, food, and medical care.
“Depending upon the time of year, because summer months are usually our higher referral months because of air conditioning/PG&E issues, we see on average 10-12 referrals during the daytime and then overnight we get referrals from the community, and law enforcement and the hospitals.” –David Tamblin, Social Work Supervisor, APS.
As the number of older adults continues to grow, the DA’s office says they are seeing more people becoming vulnerable to this type of abuse and neglect, and they say it is up to us – the community as a whole – to keep a watchful eye on our elderly family members, neighbors, and community members.
Please call Fresno Adult Protective Services at (559) 600-3383 or (800) 418-1426 if you suspect that an older or dependent adult needs help. In an emergency, please call 911.
Click below to listen to a report by KMJ’s Liz Kern
