Officials in El Dorado County are growing increasingly concerned about the number of instances of elder abuse in the area. Officials estimate that 2012 saw an increase of 9% in the number of occurrences. That number could be attributable to better classification of incidents, or it could be a sign of a more insidious trend.
To help combat the issue, the county’s sheriff’s department has added an individual whose sole purpose is to look into reports of elder abuse and thus cut down on the danger posed to those over 65. A spokesperson for the department recently answered questions on this very issue, and he points a spotlight on elder abuse and how prevention might be achieved.
Elder abuse doesn’t just exist in the realm of the physical. It can also involve financial fraud, a situation that’s becoming more and more common in the age of the internet. Email and phone scams are the norm, but there are also situations described in which a scammer attempts to befriend an elderly person in a bid to gain access to their financial data and gain control over their lives.
And although we might think of such manipulation as obvious, it might only be hindsight that allows us to arrive at this conclusion. Be on the lookout for abuse of elderly loved ones, and report incidents immediately when you suspect something is awry.