The recent allegation that 104-year-old Brooke Astor (a multimillionaire who, for decades, was one of New York’s foremost socialites and philanthropists) was living in squalor made for juicy media headlines. But few reporters went beyond the headlines to focus on the bigger story: The growing elder-abuse crisis in the United States.
Here are some of the facts:

• As many as 5 million elderly Americans are injured, exploited, or mistreated every year by someone on whom they depend for care or protection according to the U. S. Senate Special Committee on Aging.

• For every one case of abuse reported to authorities, about five go unreported, according to the National Center on Elder Abuse.

• Family members are more often the abusers than any other group with adult children and spouses being the most common perpetrators.

• 40 percent of states with guardianship programs don’t have a protocol in place to make regular visits to the elderly with whose care they are charged, leaving them open to physical, emotional, and financial abuse, according to the AARP.

• The elder abuse crisis will grow as that large cohort of Americans known as the baby boomers ages. The oldest boomers are now 60 years old. Elder abuse is usually divided into the following categories: physical abuse; sexual abuse; domestic violence; psychological abuse; financial abuse; neglect; abandonment. Financial abuse — the illegal or improper use of an older person’s funds, property, or resources — is the most frequent type of elder abuse, according to Patricia Drea, a registered nurse and vice president of Visiting Angels Assisted Living Services, a Pennsylvania-based firm that provides care for older people in their homes so that they can live independently for as long as possible.

In an interview with Next Steps, Drea had some good advice for seniors on how they can avoid becoming victims of elder abuse, and on what families, friends, and neighbors can do to protect their loved ones from abuse.

For starters, if an elderly person is being abused, “the most important thing is for them to tell at least one other person — a doctor, a friend, a family member,” says Drea. (Of course, if the situation is serious, the senior — or a friend or neighbor — should call 911, the police, or a nearby hospital).

There are other national resources, too, that will help seniors and their families and friends find services in their community:

• The Eldercare Locator (800-677-1116) directs callers to local programs and services, including legal assistance, support services, adult day care programs, and many others.

• INFOLINK (800-FYI-CALL) directs callers to the closest, most appropriate services for victims of crime, including crisis intervention, assistance with the criminal justice process, counseling, and support groups.

• The National Domestic Violence Hotline (800-799-SAFE) links callers to domestic violence shelters, legal advocacy, and assistance programs, and social service programs.

Seniors need to know, says Drea, that “they don’t have to stand for this (abuse), and that there are resources out there that can prevent further abuse and, in most cases, still maintain the relationship with the loved one who is doing this.” The warning signs of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse are many, including bruises, pressure marks, broken bones, abrasions, and burns, according to the National Center on Elder Abuse.

Bedsores, unattended medical needs, poor hygiene, and unusual weight loss are indicators of possible neglect. Unexplained withdrawal from normal activities, unusual depression, or strained/tense relationships between the caregiver and the elderly person are also possible signs of abuse.

Some indicators of financial abuse? Drea says to look for unpaid bills, bank withdrawals and transfers that the older person doesn’t know about, bank statements and cancelled checks that no longer come to the senior’s house, a new person taking unexplained interest in an older person, and new legal documents suddenly appearing that the older person doesn’t understand or doesn’t remember signing.

In terms of preventing financial abuse, seniors can protect themselves by having financial arrangements in place before they get into a situation of not being able to manage their own affairs. “People think that day is never going to come,” says Drea, “but it often does. People need expert advice before a crisis occurs.”

We second that. As we have been telling our readers for years, it is vitally important to have updated wills, durable financial powers of attorney, and health care documents in place. It is also imperative to engage someone (an elder law attorney and/or certified public accountant) to review assets and ensure that the necessary steps have been taken to protect resources for your care before there is a crisis.

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