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How Can Someone Abuse the Elderly?
By Michael Brooks, Team 4 News
November 11, 2004
For more than 80 years, "Bill" provided for his family. His hands are still calloused from farming the West Texas land, making just enough to provide for his eight children.
One of them, who doesn't want to be identified, remembers it well.
"I remember his pay would be like 50 or 60 dollars a week back then, but he still kept us fed... And it was a big family," Mary said.
Now at 85, Bill is having trouble letting his family take care of him.
Mary said, "he paces... And it just upsets him."
Bill also doesn't want to be identified, because of those involved. But he does want his story told... so others, just like him, aren't abused.
"She wouldn't let me do anything. She would leave me in my room, close my curtains, she wouldn't even let me look outside or anything," Bill said.
He's talking about his caretaker. Someone he trusted.
"They would pay her to take care of me."
Someone supposed to give him medication and stay with him.
"At first she would give them to me, but then she started to leave me alone, and that's when I stopped taking the medication."
Someone he says, ultimately abandoned him until his daughter discovered what was happening.
"He still had the same clothes. I asked him if he'd eaten. He said no," said Mary.
Experts say elderly abuse happens all too often here in the Valley.
"We receive close to four-thousand referrals a year in the four county Valley area," said Isaac Garza, with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
Reports from adult protective services show elderly abuse investigations in Texas have doubled in 10 years. Last year, investigators confirmed almost 45,000 cases of elderly abuse in Texas.
Of those almost 1,400 are from hidalgo County, almost 800 from Cameron County, 75 from Willacy County, and about 130 are from Starr County.
Even though the numbers are staggering, the word is not getting out.
"I think it's just a different spectrum. Investigating the abuse of children, everybody's aware of children. Want to protect children. Elderly is a little bit different," said Isaac.
Take a look at the types of abuse our elderly endure.
Statewide, physical neglect is the number one problem. It's followed by medical abuse, physical abuse, emotional or verbal abuse, and exploitation.
Being exploited is something Bill knows about first hand. Even though he was living with his caretaker he says she managed to steal thousands by opening another bank account in both of their names.
"I went by the bank and closed the account. He had a little over $500 in there," said Mary.
Bill says all of his money gone. Money he planned to use when god decided it was time to leave those he loved.
"The money was my funeral expenses. I didn't want them to go through what they did when their mother passed away, I wanted to them have that as in an insurance policy."
And the person accused of taking it, is one of his daughters. Here in the valley, 60-percent of the accused are children of the victims.
"It is, because most of the perpetrators in the Valley are their children, so they will tell you they don't want to get their children in trouble, they don't want them arrested," said Isaac.
"All I want to do is forget about those times and all the bad things they did to me," said Bill.
That fear and the fact parents still want to protect their children is the reason only 16-percent of abuse cases are reported.
That means 84-percent just stay quiet and let it happen over and over again.
"I still lover her, but I don't want to get near her right now because I fear they will do me wrong again. But I'm not mad at her, I love all my children the same," Bill said.
But through it all, Bill calls himself lucky. He had someone to fight for him and open up her home. Another daughter who had seen abuse before.
"I've worked in a nursing home before and I've seen where sons and daughters visit their parents everyday and then I've seen some that are put in there and just forgotten and it bothers you," said Mary.
Additional Information
There are two agencies involved with elderly abuse depending on where the care occurs: at home, or in a nursing home or daycare.
For nursing homes, remember the word "DADS" for the Department of Aging and Disability Services . They have a great website where you can find out how the long term care facilities in your county are rated.
You can also see what they've been investigated for and the severity of the deficiency.
Also, if you need someone to come into the home there's a registry of people who are "unemployable" as care providers because of their past.
Here are some phone numbers that will help:
· If you're having problems with a nursing home or adult daycare, you can call 1-800-458-9858
· And if you need someone to investigate suspected abuse, you can call the Department of Family and Protective services at 1-800-252-5400.
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