Casey Kasem’s Unintended Legacy:

Casey Kasem’s Unintended Legacy: A Reminder of the Scourge of Elder Abuse

Perhaps now is the time to honor Kasem with activism on the issue of elder abuse. Miriam Becker-Cohen, a researcher at the Urban Institute, raises the issue of whether Kasem’s death at the age of 82, attributed to sepsis from an ulcerated bedsore, might have been related to elder abuse. Becker-Cohen acknowledges that there is no definitive evidence. However, Kasem, who suffered from dementia, was caught in a battle between his second wife and the children of his first wife regarding who would care for him and how as his health failed.

The press coverage of Kasem’s last days focused on the salacious family drama, but may have been instructive about the more important issue of elder abuse. Several nonprofits offer a variety of programs and services addressing the needs of the elderly, notably the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) among others. Often the public debate around senior issues focuses on Social Security and Medicare, but the topic of elder abuse isn’t often on the agenda.

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